In January 2018, my husband and I decided to experiment with a whole-food plant-based diet for a month, which turned into six years ;). Sarma – sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) rolls, traditionally containing meat, were one of our last meat dishes. Over time, I missed them, particularly the combination of rice and sauerkraut. Although vegan sarma is not a new idea, creating this recipe was an interesting and tasty adventure for me. The combination of mushrooms, leeks, and sun-dried tomatoes turned out to be a winner. Using smoked paprika powder elevates these fermented cabbage rolls to a new level. We used brown rice for added nutrients and fiber and reduced the cooking time from 3 hours to 1 hour using a pressure cooker. I hope you like it! 🙂
Enjoy!
Vegan Sauerkraut Rolls “Sarma” stuffed with Leeks and Mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 Pan for sautéing
- 1 Large Pot or
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads of sour cabbage about 2kg
- 3 leeks white part
- 4 carrots
- 3 onions
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 1 stick of celery
- 500 g mushrooms
- 10 sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon soup seasoning
- 2 cups brown rice
- 6 bay leaves
Instructions
- Carefully separate the cabbage leaves, keeping them whole. Check for excessive saltiness; if too salty, rinse briefly in cold water. Use damaged or small leaves to line the bottom of the pot or pressure cooker to prevent burning.
For the filling:
- Finely chop the leeks, carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Sauté the vegetables with seasonings (salt, pepper, sweet and smoked paprika) in a little water. Add mushrooms, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed or finely chopped garlic. Rinse the rice well and add it. Sauté for about 5 more minutes.
For Sarma:
- For the cabbage rolls, spread out a cabbage leaf, stem end down. If the veins are too tough, thin them carefully with a knife.
- Place about a tablespoon of filling (adjust based on leaf size) in the center of the leaf.
- Fold the left and right sides over the filling and roll it up like a burrito.
- When the sarma roll is made, tuck in the edges with your finger.
- Arrange the finished rolls in the pot in circles, placing bay leaves between layers. Cover with water, making sure they are submerged but not overly so.
- Cook the rolls in a large pot for about three hours, adding water as needed. Alternatively, cook in a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time to one hour, plus allow the pressure to release naturally after cooking.
