Vegetarian Pork Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

8 large cabbage leaves, trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large carrot, grated
1 med brown onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g vegetarian mince (i.e. Quorn™ mince)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground allspice
2 cups cooked long grain brown rice
½ cup vegetable stock
Salt & pepper to taste
Dipping sauce: black vinegar (sweetened malted rice vinegar with mushroom & seaweed extract)

Summary

Not too fond of cabbage? Well these vegetarian pork cabbage rolls are a fun way to jazz up what you might think is the plain jane of the veg world. If you prefer the meat version you can make these vegetarian ‘pork’ cabbage rolls with, you guessed it, pork mince!

1. Boil, steam or microwave cabbage leaves for a few minutes until pliable. Rinse under cold water, drain and pat dry with absorbent paper.
2. Heat oil in large frying pan and cook carrot, onion, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes continuously stirring until onion softens.
3. Add mince, stock and tomato paste. Keep stirring until mince has absorbed some of the liquid. If you’re cooking with pork, fry until browned. Add spices and rice, stirring until fragrant. Let the mixture cool for a little while until you’re able to handle it.
4. Divide mixture among leaves. Fold in edges, and tightly roll those cabbage rolls.
5. Place vegetarian pork rolls in a steamer lined with baking paper for about 10 minutes or until cabbage rolls are tender and heated through.
6. Serve with dipping sauce.

There are a variety of meat mince substitutes out there for vegetarians. Planet Organic make an organic soy based version called Vegemince. And although it’s not organic, Quorn offer a mince substitute made out of a kind of mushroom protein, which is great for those vegetarians out there unfortunate enough to have a soy allergy or intolerance (can you tell from my bitter tone that I’m one of them?). Quorn may not be organic but it is GMO free and vegetarian, but it does contain free range eggs as a binding agent (so it’s not suitable for vegans).

Hints and Tips

Feel free to substitute with pork mince if you prefer a meaty version of this dish.