Sarmale, Romanian Cabbage Rolls, are a comfort food that's a favorite in my household. These Cabbage Rolls are warm and comforting, and something about them tastes like home. There is a bit of a learning curve, but once you figure this out, you'll be SO Happy you did!
I spent about ten years living in the DFW Metroplex, and part of that was with a Romanian roommate. His family was generous enough to let me tag along for their annual Christmas dinner. This is where they introduced me to Sarmales. His Mom even made extras; he and I smashed those over about two days.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Sarmale, aka Romanian Cabbage Rolls, is a comfort food that everyone should have the opportunity to try.
Once you've tried this recipe, I'm positive the craving will never go away. They're warm, comforting, full of flavor, and relatively easy to make at home. So, whip up a batch this weekend and tell me how long they lasted in your household in the comments. It won't be long if you have anyone like my son and me. I can promise you that!
Ingredients
Meats: You can use any ground meat for your Sarmale recipe; however, I opt for ground pork. I think the high-fat content and overall flavor are a better option. You could also create a beef and pork mixture if you'd like. In this case, I would say 75% pork to 25% lean ground beef.
The other commonly used meat is smoked meat. I like to use thick-cut bacon. However, the bacon doesn't go inside the cabbage rolls here. You'll spread the bacon on top during the cooking process.
Vegetables: The most critical vegetable in any sarmale recipe is the cabbage. Of course, you can use raw cabbage, which you'll then core and boil until the leaves become soft. The other option is to go the traditional route and use sour cabbage leaves, which is the route I took for this recipe. You can purchase jarred sour cabbage leaves that are ready to go online. Drain the jar and soak the cabbage leaves in a bowl of cold water. The leaves tend to be slightly salty, so soaking them reduces sodium while keeping a somewhat pickled flavor.
Now, you'll also want some onion in there. A yellow or white onion will work perfectly. Just be sure it's finely diced. I like using a hand food processor to mince the onions perfectly.
Herbs and Spices: The herbs and spices are essential as they add a ton of flavor. Grab some minced garlic, fresh parsley, dill, dried thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. You'll be good to go with these simple ingredients.
Grains: Adding some rice is essential and traditional when creating the meat mixture. I love Jasmine and Basmati rice for just about everything, and either will work for this recipe. The rice plays a big part as a filler and lends a nice texture to the cabbage rolls.
Extras: The only extra ingredient you'll need is some tomato juice. Again, this doesn't go into the rolls but over them during the slow cooking process.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the Sour Cabbage Leaves to a bowl of cold water and let them soak while prepping the remaining ingredients.
Step 2: Mix the pork, onions, and rice with the herbs and spices. You can do this using your hands or a fork, whichever you prefer.
Step 3: Drain the water from the bowl of cabbage leaves and check to be sure the leaves aren't too large. If so, cut them in half. It's ideal to have your Sarmales be somewhat similar in size. You'll also want to remove the largest rib part at the bottom of the leaves. This will help make them easier to roll.
Step 4: Place 2-3 tablespoons of the pork mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and roll, folding the ends in. Repeat the process until you either run out of filling or cabbage leaves.
Step 5: Chop up any remaining cabbage leaves and lay them on the bottom of the Slow Cooker. Now, carefully place each Sarmale in the crockpot, stacking them as you go.
Pour the tomato juice over the top of the cabbage rolls.
Step 6: Spread the sliced bacon evenly across the top, and put the lid on the slow cooker.
Cook your Sarmale for 4 hours on low or 8 hours on high. I Recommend planning for the 8 hours as the longer they cook, the more the flavors combine.
Expert Tips
- Romanian Cabbage Rolls are traditionally served with Polenta and topped with sour cream. I serve these over a bed of Freshly made mashed potatoes and still top them with sour cream. The Sour Cream is an absolute must, in my opinion. It adds an extra layer of sourness to the overall flavor.
- Don't forget to add the rice to the meat mixture; getting the right texture is essential.
- I highly recommend using sour cabbage leaves. You may be able to find these at your local grocery store, but if not, they can also be purchased online.
Recipe FAQs
Sarmale is deeply rooted in the Romanian culture. While many other European countries have their versions, Romania has made sarmale a staple in their cuisine. It is traditionally served for Christmas, Easter, New Year, and wedding celebrations.
The difference between Golabki and Sarmale is two-fold. First, Golabki is Polish cabbage rolls, while Sarmale is Romanian. Second, Golabki uses fresh cabbage leaves, while traditional sarmale is made using sour cabbage leaves.
Sarmale is made of sour cabbage leaves, ground pork, rice, onions, dill, and other herbs and spices.
While it is said that cabbage rolls were created by the Turkish, sarmale has become a strong part of Romanian culture as a staple comfort food.
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📖 Recipe
How to Make Sarmale: Romanian Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 54 Oz Sour Cabbage Leaves - jarred, drained, rinsed
- 2 lb Ground Pork
- 1 Yellow Onion - finely diced
- 1 Cup Basmati Rice - uncooked
- ¼ Cup Fresh Italian Parsley - chopped
- ¼ Cup Fresh Dill - chopped
- 2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 4 Cups Tomato Juice
- 15 Slices Thick Cut Bacon- sliced into smaller pieces
- Sour Cream for Serving
Instructions
- Add the Sour Cabbage leaves to a bowl of cold water and allow them to soak while prepping the remaining ingredients.
- Mix the pork, onions, and rice with the herbs and spices.
- Drain the water from the bowl of cabbage leaves and check to ensure the leaves aren't too large. If so, cut them in half. Also, cut out the largest rib part at the bottom of the leaves. This will help make them easier to roll.
- Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the pork mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and roll, folding the ends inside. Repeat until you either run out of filling or cabbage leaves.
- Chop up any remaining cabbage leaves and lay them on the bottom of the Slow Cooker. Now, carefully place each Sarmale in the crockpot, stacking them as you go. Pour the tomato juice in, spread the sliced bacon evenly across the top, and put the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook your Sarmale for 4 hours on low or high for 8 hours. I Recommend planning for the 8 hours as I think the longer they cook, the more the flavors combine.
Video
Notes
- Romanian Cabbage Rolls are traditionally served with Polenta and topped with sour cream. I serve these over a bed of Freshly made mashed potatoes and still top them with sour cream. The Sour Cream is an absolute must, in my opinion. It adds an extra layer of sourness to the overall flavor.
- Don't forget to add the rice to the meat mixture; getting the right texture is essential.
- I highly recommend using sour cabbage leaves. You may be able to find these at your local grocery store, but if not, they can also be purchased online.
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