Cabbage rolls are a dish that many people associate exclusively with white cabbage and tomato dressing. However, Styler editor Yulia Lyushneva offers a more tender option: Napa cabbage leaves, chicken thigh fillet with rice, and a rich sauce made of roasted bell peppers and peeled tomatoes. According to her estimate, preparation takes from 1 hour 40 minutes to two hours, depending on the simmering method and ingredient prep speed. The dish turns out juicy and textured, requiring no extra side dish since it already contains both protein and grains.
Roasted Pepper Sauce: The Flavor Foundation
The first step of the recipe is making the sauce. Three bell peppers are washed, deseeded, and cut into quarters. The pieces are placed in an air fryer or oven and baked at 180 °C until soft, which takes 15–20 minutes. After light cooling, the skin is peeled off the peppers to make the sauce texture as smooth as possible. The peeled peppers are transferred to a blender, combined with chopped peeled tomatoes in their own juice and a pinch of salt, then blended until smooth. The resulting thick sauce is diluted with a small amount of water before simmering.
Two-Textured Filling: Chicken and Half-Cooked Rice
Chicken thigh fillet is used for the filling instead of store-bought ground meat. The meat is divided into two unequal parts: about two-thirds are pulsed in a blender into a minced state, while the remaining third is cut into small cubes. This technique gives the filling two textures—a tender minced base and noticeable pieces of chicken. Washed medium-grain polished rice (80 g, pre-cooked to half-doneness in 200 ml of water), 20% cream (30–40 ml), butter, sweet paprika, and salt are added to the meat. The filling should be tender but not runny—holding its shape on a spoon without spreading.
Working with Napa Cabbage Leaves and Rolling
About 12 large leaves are carefully separated from the head of Napa cabbage. They are dipped in batches of 2–3 into boiling water for 1–2 minutes, focusing on the white part of the leaf: it should become flexible enough to roll without cracking. After cooling, thick veins are trimmed from the leaves without cutting all the way through. A portion of the filling is placed on each leaf, covered with the bottom edge, the sides are tucked in, and it is rolled up toward the green tip. It is important not to wrap the rolls too tightly, as the rice will expand during simmering.
Simmering and Doneness Check
Several tablespoons of the tomato-pepper sauce are poured into the bottom of a pot, the cabbage rolls are placed snugly seam-side down, and the remaining sauce is poured over them with enough water added to reach half or two-thirds of the rolls' height. On a glass-ceramic cooktop, high heat is turned on until a gentle simmer is reached, then reduced to minimum. Covered, the rolls simmer for 40–55 minutes; uncovered, for 55–60 minutes, basting with sauce periodically. Doneness is checked not only by cabbage tenderness but also by the filling's temperature: according to FoodSafety.gov guidelines, the center of the chicken should reach at least 74 °C. The finished rolls are served generously drizzled with sauce, optionally sprinkled with grated Parmesan or served with sour cream. A light vegetable salad pairs well with the dish, and an extra side is not necessary.
Practical Notes and Variations
The recipe allows for variations: turkey, pork, or beef can be used instead of chicken thighs to make the dish more hearty. If there is leftover filling after rolling, small meatballs can be formed and cooked alongside the cabbage rolls. The dish contains dairy products (cream, butter), so in case of lactose intolerance or other allergies, the composition of additional sauces and seasonings should be checked separately. Napa cabbage, according to sources, contains about 95% water and significantly less coarse fiber than white cabbage, which explains the short blanching time and tenderness of the finished rolls.
