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4.7 from 18 votes

Homemade Golumpki Recipe (Golabki)

This Golumpki Recipe is a Polish favorite of tender meat stuffing wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked in a delicious broth and tomato sauce.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr mins
Servings: 16
Calories: 252 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Polish

Ingredients

For the Golabki:
  • 1/3 cup long grain rice
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 peeled and small diced medium sized yellow onion
  • 4 finely minced garlic cloves
  • 2 lices of large diced bread crusts removed
  • 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 ½ teaspoons marjoram
  • 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 young head of green cabbage
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
  • 28 ounces tomato puree
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/16 teaspoon ground all-spice
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the rice to a small saucepot and cook while constantly stirring over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes milky white. Pour in the water, gently season with salt, stir, add on a lid, and cook for only 8 minutes. Set the rice to the side to completely cool.
  2. Next, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
  3. Turn the heat down to low and stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until caramelized before mixing in the garlic. Cook until it becomes fragrant, which only takes 30 to 45 seconds.
  4. Mix in the bread until it is coated in the butter and onions and softened. Set aside to cool, which takes about 10 minutes.
  5. Once the rice, bread, onions, and garlic are cooled, add them to a large bowl along with the beef, pork, marjoram, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper, and mix to combine. Set it to the side.
  6. Carefully remove the core of the cabbage, keeping any loose leaves, and even the core. Add the cored cabbage head to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  7. Let the cabbage sit for 5 to 6 minutes or until you can touch it before carefully removing the leaves, making sure not to tear them. You should get 16-18 leaves. Flatten each cabbage leaf out and trim the main thick vein so that it can roll up.
  8. Take about 2 to 4 ounces of meat, place it in the lower third section of the cabbage leaf, fold in the sides, and roll it up. Repeat the process until all the meat is used.
  9. Cut the remaining cabbage heart into wedges. Place those wedges into the bottom of a deep pot along with the core and any loose leaves that were not used. Layer on all the golumpki until all are in the pot.
  10. Stir the tomato paste into the beef stock and pour it in the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then add on a lid and simmer over low heat for 50 to 60 minutes or until the cabbage leaves are tender and the stuffing is cooked.
  11. Drain the braising liquid from the golabki into a sperate pot.
  12. Pour in the tomato puree, along with bay leaf, all-spice, and salt. Heat over medium high heat while frequently stirring until it is reduced by 25%, which takes about 15 minutes. This will help concentrate the flavors.
  13. Finish the sauce with butter, vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve the sauce with the golabki.

Notes

  • Make-Ahead: For freshness, these are best eaten right away. However, you can cook, cool, and make them two days ahead. You can also stuff and wrap them without cooking up to one day ahead.
  • How to Store: Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze the golumpki for up to 3 months. It’s best to store the golabki separately from the tomato sauce. Thaw in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.
  • How to Reheat: Add the desired number of golumpki into a baking dish along with some of the tomato sauce. Cover and bake in the oven at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot.
  • You want the rice to be slightly undercooked because it will continue cooking when braised in the cabbage stuffing.
  • If using barley, you’ll need ¼ cup barley and ¾ cup water to make the stuffing. Check out my How to Cook Barley procedures. It’s best to slightly undercook the barley, as it will continue to cook after being stuffed in the golabki.  
  • I advise frying a small piece of the stuffing batter in a little oil to ensure its deliciousness so you can adjust the seasonings accordingly.
  • The boiling water for the cabbage must be salted to season the leaves.
  • If you notice that pulling away the cabbage leaves from the head becomes more complicated, add the cabbage to the boiling water for 2 to 3 more minutes per side.
  • The outside leaves can be tougher, but they are still edible.
  • You add the leftover cabbage to the bottom of the pot so that the golumpki does not stick to the pot.
  • I usually add a half cup of water to the tomato container and swoosh it around to remove all the tomatoes before adding them to the sauce.
  • Cover the golabki in the pot while the tomato sauce is cooking. They will stay warm for up to 45 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Calories 252kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 54mg (18%) Sodium 77mg (3%) Potassium 500mg (14%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 499IU (10%) Vitamin C 27mg (30%) Calcium 54mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 252

% Daily Value*

Calories 252kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 77mg 3%
Potassium 500mg 11%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 499IU 10%
Vitamin C 27mg 30%
Calcium 54mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.