High in fibre and comforting flavours, these low-fat cabbage rolls offer a lighter version of a classic favourite, perfect for a weight-loss journey. Made with simple and nutritious ingredients, they are ideal for a balanced, satisfying, and cozy meal during the cold season. A tasty and healthy idea, approved by our dietitians!
Thanks to the presence of lentils, each serving of this recipe provides over 8 mg of iron, an excellent intake to support your daily needs with a plant-based meal.
Ingredients
- 10 green cabbage leaves (or Savoy cabbage)
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vegetable oil
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 375 ml (1 ½ cups) dry textured vegetable protein (TVP)*
- 250 ml (1 cup) dry red lentils, rinsed**
- 1 L (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 750 ml (3 cups) no salt added tomato sauce, divided
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 5 ml (1 tsp) balsamic vinegar
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) dried oregano
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) dried parsley
- 10 ml (2 tsp) dried thyme
- Pepper and salt, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large oiled skillet, add the onion, celery, and carrot, then cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the textured vegetable protein (or ground turkey), lentils, broth, 250 ml (1 cup) of tomato sauce, and the remaining ingredients. Mix well, cover, and simmer for about 10–15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed, and the lentils are tender.
- Pour 1 cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish, about 40 x 25 cm (16 x 10 in).
- Place about 125 ml (½ cup) of the mixture on each cabbage leaf, stem side down. Fold the sides toward the centre, then roll up tightly to form a neat roll.
- Place the rolls, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
- Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes.
Notes
Keeps for 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
*TVP can be substituted with 450 g (1 lb) of raw ground turkey, or a combination of both for a half-and-half ratio.
**You can substitute canned brown or green lentils for the red lentils. Simply drain and rinse them, and reduce the broth to 500 ml (2 cups) for the recipe.
