Kasha Cabbage Rolls

There are a variety of ways to make cabbage rolls and we made ours with nourishing kasha. Kasha is buckwheat kernels (or groats), which are grain-like seeds loaded with protein. Fuel up on healthy food.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling:

240 ml / 1 cup water
3 g / 1/2 tsp salt
114 g / 2/3 cup kasha (also called buckwheat groats)
42 g / 3 tbsp Crystal margarine
1 medium white onion, diced
400 g / 4 cups white or brown mushrooms, diced
2 stalks celery, diced into 1/2″ (1 cm) pieces
1 large carrot, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
120 ml / 1/2 cup vegetable stock
9 g / 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3 g / 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 g / 1 tsp caraway seeds
1 g / 1/2 tsp dried dill
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the sauce:

1 can / 28 oz crushed tomatoes
38 g / 2 tbsp tomato paste
14 g / 1 tbsp brown sugar
30 ml / 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 g / 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

To assemble:

1 large savoy or green cabbage
230 g / 1 cup sauerkraut

Directions

For the filling:

In a medium sized pot over high heat bring the water, salt, and kasha to a boil. Stir once, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.

kasha

In a large skillet, melt Crystal margarine over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their juices and begin to brown, 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Let cool and stir in the rest of the filling ingredients, including the cooked kasha; set aside.

cabbage roll filling
filling

For the sauce:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Place half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 centimetre) baking dish and sprinkle the sauerkraut evenly over the sauce.

sauerkraut

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the entire head of cabbage by a couple of inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Using a sharp paring knife, remove the bottom 3 inches (8 centimetres) of the core of the cabbage.

cabbage cored

Submerge the cabbage in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Using tongs, peel off the outer leaves of the cabbage and remove them from the water, stopping when the leaves are hard to remove and not yet pliable. Continue boiling for another minute, then repeat removing the outer leaves until there are 12 – 14 leaves (reserve the rest of the cabbage for another use). Drain and cool the leaves.
Once leaves are cool remove the centre rib of the leaf from the bottom about 3-4 inches (8-10 centimetres) towards the centre.

cabbage leaf

Place 1 leaf flat on a clean surface and cross over the bottom edges to close the gap where the rib was removed. Place 1/4 cup (50 grams) of filling in the centre and fold the bottom over it, followed by the sides. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the prepared pan. Repeat with the rest of the leaves and filling. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the roll and cover the dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.