FoodEasier stuffed rolls: Embrace onion for a twist on tradition

Easier stuffed rolls: Embrace onion for a twist on tradition

It's hard to imagine a table without stuffed cabbage rolls. Over time, we've seen many variations of this dish—not only due to differences in local cuisine but also due to culinary experimentation. I love to prepare these rolls, but I don't wrap the filling in cabbage; I use another vegetable. The process goes smoothly.

Onion stuffed cabbage rolls are inspired by the Turkish dish sogan dolma.
Onion stuffed cabbage rolls are inspired by the Turkish dish sogan dolma.
Images source: © Canva | Zehra Yılmaz

Onion stuffed rolls will surprise your household, and you won't have to struggle with meticulously wrapping the filling in unruly cabbage leaves.

Here's an easier way to wrap stuffed rolls: Swap cabbage for another vegetable

Onion rolls are similar to a Turkish specialty called slogan dolma, which is stuffed onion. In slogan dolma, the onion layers are filled with a lot of stuffing, filling the stuffed vegetable to almost bursting. On the other hand, onion rolls should be wrapped to have a spindle shape.

The recipe is not difficult, and simply replacing cabbage with onion layers will be a nice change. Be sure to try it.

Onion cabbage rolls
Onion cabbage rolls© TikTok | ewa.masterchef (screenshot)

Onion stuffed rolls: Recipe

Ingredients:

                  
  • 300 g ground meat,
  • 3-4 large onions,
  • 100 g rice,
  • carrot,
  • celery stalk,
  • small onion,
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste,
  • salt, pepper.

SAUCE

                  
  • 300 ml tomato puree,
  • carrot,
  • celery stalk,
  • onion,
  • oil,
  • 300 ml water or broth,
  • 2 bay leaves,
  • salt, pepper.

Preparation:

  1. Peel the onion, then gently cut along its length in one spot.
  2. Place the vegetable into boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl with cold water. Remove layers from the onion.
  3. Prepare the stuffing: chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté the vegetables in heated oil until they brown.
  4. When the vegetables soften, add two tablespoons of tomato paste. Mix it all together, then transfer to a bowl with cooked rice and ground meat.
  5. Season the stuffing with salt and pepper. Mix until the ingredients are combined.
  6. Stuff the onion layers with the prepared filling.
  7. To prepare the sauce, sauté the onion, carrot, and celery in heated oil. After a few minutes, add the tomato puree.
  8. Add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Transfer the onion rolls to a pan with the sauce. Add water and cover with parchment paper.
  9. Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes.
  10. After this time, remove the parchment and bake for another 15 minutes, until the rolls are browned.

Related content