Walnut Red Pepper Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
Impress your friends with these hearty, plant-based stuffed cabbage leaves. This Moroccan-inspired dish features a rich tomato sauce and a flavorful filling of walnuts, red pepper, and mixed rice, all encased in tender cabbage. Perfect for a satisfying and healthy main meal.
Instructions
- 1
Make the sauce and filling the day before, chill overnight and bring to room temperature before assembling.
- 2
For the sauce, heat olive oil (1 tbsp) in a large pan. Fry the garlic (2 clove) for 30 seconds then add the harissa (1.5 tbsp), passata (600 g) and half of all the spices (ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, cayenne pepper). Swirl a splash of water (0.05 litre) around the passata jar and add to the pan, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Season well with [salt] and [pepper black].
- 3
Meanwhile heat another olive oil (1 tbsp) in a frying pan. Fry the onion (1) and pepper (1 red) for 10-15 minutes with a [pinch salt], until the pepper is tender and the onion is translucent. Add the remaining spices (ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, cayenne pepper), the walnuts (75 g) and the raisins (50 g). Toast for another minute before adding the brown rice (125 g) and wild rice (125 g). Fry for another 5 minutes, stirring the rice occasionally. Season with the lemon juice (1.5 tbsp), [salt] and [pepper black]. Turn off the heat.
- 4
Trim the base of the cabbage (1 savoy) and remove 10-12 of the largest outer leaves (use the middle part for another dish). Remove the thickest part of the rib of the leaves by cutting into it either side in a ‘V’ shape to about 2cm up. This will help you roll the leaves up. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the leaves for 2-3 minutes until bright green and pliable. Refresh in cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- 5
Heat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish that will fit the parcels in snugly.
- 6
With the cut end of the cabbage leaves closest to you, add a spoon of the filling into the centre of each one. Roll up the leaves, tucking in the sides to make a neat parcel. Nestle the cabbage parcels into the sauce. (You may have some rice filling left over, depending on how big your cabbage is.)
- 7
Drizzle a little olive oil (0.5 tbsp) over the cabbage. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling, the rice is piping hot and the cabbage leaves are really tender.
Nutrition Facts
Per portion