Hear us out… Labanese Cabbage Rolls taste a lot better than you might think they look. And once you sink your teeth into a tender leaf of cabbage and experience the savory, smooth, and beefy filling inside, you’ll understand where we’re comin’ from. These little guys are the perfect addition as a side to a full-on Labanese meal or they could even be a great light appetizer to start your dinner off right. No matter when or how you enjoy them, we just highly encourage you to actually give Lebanese Cabbage Rolls a chance!
Ingredients
- 12 cabbage leaves
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup rice, cooked
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, minced
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Lebanese seven-spice blend
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- lemon slices, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –In a large pot of boiling water, cook the cabbage leaves, in batches, in the boiling water until they are crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 2 –Drain the cabbage leaves and let them cool slightly.
Step 3 –Trim the thick vein from the bottom of each cabbage leaf, making a V-shaped cut.
Step 4 –In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, the onion, the rice, the parsley, the butter, the oil, the tomato paste, the seven-spice blend, the allspice, and the pepper and mix to combine.
Step 5 –Add the beef to the rice mixture and mix it together lightly, but thoroughly.
Step 6 –Place about 1/4 cup of the beef mixture onto each cabbage leaf, pull together the cut edges of the leaf to overlap, and fold the edges over the filling. Fold in the sides of the leaf and roll the leaf up.
Step 7 –Place the rolls, seam-side down, into a Dutch oven.
Step 8 –Add the water, the lemon juice, and the garlic to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil.
Step 9 –Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until a thermometer inserted in the beef reads 160 degrees F and the cabbage is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Step 10 –Serve the cabbage rolls with the lemon slices.