Golubtsi Recipe; A classic Ukrainian food
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Its pronounced “golubtsy”or “goloobsti.” It’s also known as stuffed cabbage, but not like any stuffed cabbage you’ve ever had. This is something every Russian and Ukrainian family makes. This is my Mama-in-law’s recipe. It tastes just like my moms; PERFECT!!
Golubtsi take a lot of time if you are making the full recipe (2 hours to prep and stuff the cabbage, then 1 to 2 hours to cook). By “family size,” I mean; Mom, Dad and 12 kids (That many kids is not uncommon in the land of Ukraine – in fact, I can name off several families that have 10 or more kids). My point is, it makes a full pot.
I will say this: Golubtsi are worth the trouble! You can make the whole batch and then freeze it in portions using freezer safe tupperware. That’s what I did and you honestly can’t tell the difference in taste whether you saute up the fresh or thawed golubtsi.
Ingredients for Golubtsi:
6 cups medium grain cooked white rice (from 2 cups uncooked rice – instructions below)
2 Medium Cabbages
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
2 large eggs
6 medium carrots, grated (4 for meat mix, 2 for “Podliva” sauce)
2 cups of your favorite mushroom marinara sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
Olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp Mrs. Dash, or your favorite salt-free seasoning
Salt
Watch How to make Golubtsy:
Cooking Rice and Cabbage
1. Rinse 2 cups white rice and cook in 3 1/2 cups water with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Or do the same thing in a rice maker.
2. Fill 2/3 of large soup pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add 1/2 Tbsp salt and 4 Tbsp vinegar.
3. Peal and discard the top two leaves from each cabbage. Use a knife to cut out the core of each cabbage (see picture). Put first cabbage in water, cork down, for about 5 minutes, then rotate and continue cooking another 5-6 min. You will pull off leaves as they begin to soften.
The leaves will cook faster if they are pulled apart. Remove the leaves to a platter to cool when they are done. You know they are done when they are soft and yellowish and larger leaves will turn a dull green. Repeat with the second cabbage, adding more water if needed.
Reserve about 3-4 cups of water from the pot!
Stuffing/ Meat Mixture Prep
1. Mix ground meats and rice together in a large bowl.
2. Grate and saute 4 carrots in approximately 3 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter over med/high heat. Once they are soft, add 1 cup of mushroom marinara sauce and saute another minute.
3. Add carrot mixture to rice and meat. Add 2 eggs and 1 Tbsp salt. Mix well (it’s easy to mix with a KitchenAid with a paddle attachment.
Cutting & Stuffing Cooked Leaves:
1. Small Leaves: slice off the raised surface of the tough center stem just to flatten the leaf and make it easier to roll. Fill each cabbage leaf with about 2 Tbsp meat mixture. Place the filling over the stem/ bottom portion. Roll like a burrito and stuff both ends in with fingers.
2. Large leaves: cut the leaves in half down the center removing the tough stem portion- you will end up with 2 leaves. Place 2 Tbsp meat mixture at the top of each leaf (or as much as you can fit – leaf sizes vary). Roll the leaf into a cone shape with the thicker part of the leaf at the base and stuff the wide part into the top. As you stuff your cabbage, arrange them either in the same pot you used to cook the cabbage or in a cast iron dutch oven.
How to make Podliva (Sauce)
1. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Saute remaining 2 grated carrots with 1 tsp of Mrs. Dash. Stir until soft. Add 1 Tbsp sour cream and 1 cup of mushroom marinara sauce. Saute another minute and remove from heat.
2. Pour Podliva over the Golubtsy and add enough reserved water to almost cover goloobtsi (2 1/2 to 3 cups).
There are 2 ways to Cook these:
1. If using the pot, bring to a light boil, then cover and simmer 40 minutes over medium heat.
2. If using a dutch oven (recommended method), pre-heat the oven to 450˚ F, cover and bake for 20-25 minutes on the bottom third (one step below the center rack). When it bubbles, reduce heat to 350°F and bake 1 hour.
(Click Here to watch our video tutorial)
Golubtsi Recipe; A classic Ukrainian food - Голубцы
Ingredients
- 6 cups medium grain cooked white rice from 2 cups uncooked rice - instructions below
- 2 Medium Cabbages
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 large eggs
- 6 medium carrots grated (4 for meat mix, 2 for "Podliva" sauce)
- 2 cups of your favorite mushroom marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp Mrs. Dash or your favorite salt-free seasoning
- Salt
Instructions
How to prep the Rice and Cabbage
-
Rinse 2 cups white rice and cook in 3 1/2 cups water with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Or do the same thing in a rice maker.
-
Fill 2/3 of large soup pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add 1/2 Tbsp salt and 4 Tbsp vinegar.
-
Peal and discard the top two leaves from each cabbage. Use a knife to cut out the core of each cabbage (see picture). Put first cabbage in water, cork down, for about 5 minutes, then rotate and continue cooking another 5-6 min. You will pull off leaves as they begin to soften. The leaves will cook faster if they are pulled apart. Remove the leaves to a platter to cool when they are done. You know they are done when they are soft and yellowish and larger leaves will turn a dull green. Repeat with the second cabbage, adding more water if needed. Reserve about 3-4 cups of water from the pot!
Stuffing/ Meat Mixture Prep
-
Mix ground meats and rice together in a large bowl.
-
Grate and saute 4 carrots in approximately 3 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter over med/high heat. Once they are soft, add 1 cup of mushroom marinara sauce and saute another minute.
-
Add carrot mixture to rice and meat. Add 2 eggs and 1 Tbsp salt. Mix well.
Cutting & Stuffing Cooked Leaves:
-
Large leaves: cut the leaves in half down the center removing the tough stem portion- you will end up with 2 leaves. Place 2 Tbsp meat mixture at the top of each leaf (or as much as you can fit - leaf sizes vary). Roll the leaf into a cone shape with the thicker part of the leaf at the base and stuff the wide part into the top. As you stuff your cabbage, arrange them either in the same pot you used to cook the cabbage or in a cast iron dutch oven.
-
Small Leaves: slice off the raised surface of the tough center stem just to flatten the leaf and make it easier to roll. Fill each cabbage leaf with about 2 Tbsp meat mixture. Place the filling over the stem/ bottom portion. Roll like a burrito and stuff both ends in with fingers.
How to make Podliva (Sauce)
-
Heat approx. 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Saute remanding 2 grated carrots with 1 tsp of Mrs. Dash. Stir until soft. Add 1 Tbsp sour cream and 1 cup of mushroom marinara sauce. Saute another minute and remove from heat.
-
Pour Podliva over the Golubtsy and add enough reserved water to almost cover goloobtsi (2 1/2 to 3 cups).
There are 2 ways to Cook these:
-
If using the pot, bring to a light boil, then cover and simmer 40 minutes over medium heat.
-
If using a dutch oven (recommended method), cover and bake at 450 ° F for 20-25 minutes on the bottom third (one step below the center rack). When it bubbles, reduce heat to 350°F and bake 1 hour.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. Look forward to seeing what you post next.
You’re so nice! Thank you, Barbara! I’m happy you’re enjoying our recipes.
I still didn’t read whole recepie.It looks nice with photos.Just also want to tell that it is truth that every Ukrainian family makes holubchi.But- not every ” Russian family”- because holubchi is Ukrainian dish. And its name in Ukrainian language- Голубці. (This dish also always was popular in Poland).
Natasha, love your recipes, especially the (Ukrainian origin ones like the holubchi, borsht etc. ) I have always had problems with the rolling of the holubchi (cabbage rolls) and yet you make it look so simple. Will try soon but as I prefer the vegetarian version(for svyat vechir) and some of my daughters/granddaughters are vegetarin) would appreciate a vegetarian filling idea.
BTW, everyone loves my kutia (but if you have any tips please post)..
Hi Chrystyna, I’m so glad you love our recipes. I do have a Kutia recipe posted.
My friends and family favorite dish to eat from Ukraine. For a family of 3 I half the recipe and it makes plenty.
That’s just awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that with me Raisa!
Love your comment. We are so blessed to have our little wonder Ukrainian cook Natasha. She makes every dish looks so amazing, but seems to love her origin (borsht, varenyky, holubchi, pampushky,) so I congratulate her and her family for bringing Ukrainian traditional food and also amazing every cultural real food to our table. Thank you Raisa (BTW a beautiful name) and thank you Natasha. If you have a cookbook please print. I’ll be the first buyer.
I have tried many different recipes for halupki of the Slovak, polish variety. I’ve liked them all. But this recipe i love. Second to none in my opinion. Made them twice. Freeze well. The podliva sauce made with the marinara was awesome. Hands down it’s a winner! Thanks
Super wonderful feedback. Thank you so much for your good comments, Joe!
I’ve made them 3 times. First 2 times they came out amazing. 3rd time i only wanted to do a half batch. I used the converter provided. BEWARE it doesn’t adjust all the numbers. Figured it out too late.
Hi Brittany, it converts the ingredient list but not in the directions. You would have to convert that separately. I wish it did but it doesn’t have that capability currently.
Absolutely fabulous. I have often cooked holybtsi, but my method with the cabbage leaves was always awkward. I followed your recipe, added extra grated veggies as I am close to being a vegan AND…excellent results…the best ever.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Olya! Thank you for that wonderful feedback!
Great! So much to say. I enjoyed making these although it took me over four hours. First, congratulations for the website – good and useful fotos and video and the format for printing excellent – just the useful info.
Now the super would not grind turkey,I had to use ground prepared chicken. I had more filling than cabbage so I filled some bell peppers like baba used to do. Annd I found smetana to complete the meal. Wonderful I subscribed.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I love these!! Made them a few times and it’s true they are as good after being frozen.. I grew up eating cabbage rolls but in Canada the recipes are different… I much prefer the UkrainianRussian way. Tried it for the first time over a year ago in Kyiv… I was wondering I saw a few recipes that add lingonberry jam to either the meat filing or the sauce to get a bit of a sour taste… Have you ever tried it? I think it could be good but maybe not traditional…
Hi Nathalie, I have not tried or tested to advise. Sounds interesting!
Mushroom marinara??? No no no. I love all your recipes but this is not traditional.
Hi Olga, I’d love to hear how you make yours.
What’s the best way to freeze these? Before or after cooking and how to reheat?
Hi Tatiana, I freeze them cooked – they thaw and reheat on a skillet really well, just freeze them with the juices that are in the pot while baking.
Please forgive me if you’ve answered this but do you think its best to bake in the sauce and then freeze as a casserole, or freeze them separately without sauce before baking?
Hi Wendy, I freeze them cooked – they thaw and reheat on a skillet really well, just freeze them with the juices that are in the pot while baking.
No onions in the sauted mixture with carrots?
Hi Natalie, not this time. 🙂 You can add them if you like, but we didn’t with these.
I had a question. I don’t have a Dutch oven. And was wondering if I could simply cook it on the stove instead of the oven. If I can please let me know on what heat and how long.
Hi Inna, yes that will work. Please see the section titled “There are 2 ways to Cook these:” just above the recipe card for instructions.
Am I able to halve this recipe? And if so do I half the cooking time?
Hi Renz, halving the recipe should work, I don’t believe you need to reduce the cooking time by much since the meat needs to cook through. Once the internal temperature of the Golubtsi reaches a safe point, I would let it simmer a little while longer.
I made this Keto friendly by substituting the starchy white rice with cauliflower “rice.” Excellent! I also added some sauteed onions to the meat mixture.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi, do you think i can substitute marinara for regular tomatoe sauce?
Hi Sveta, you might add some more seasonings to taste – we prefer marinara because it has more flavor than plain tomato sauce, but yes it could work 🙂
I would like to try to make these. I remember a friend of my mother’s making something like this when I was a child. She also made wonderful borscht. My husband won’t eat anything with vinegar or sour cream in it. What do you think about using lemon juice and or wine instead? I can add sour cream just to my plate. Thank you!
I think that could work Susan although I haven’t tried it with wine myself. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that.
Hi, do you think I could bake these in a casserole dish?
Hi Natasha! I think that would work out fine. Be sure it is tall enough however so the juices don’t run out. I hope this helps 🙂
What size Dutch Oven did you use please?
Hi Kay, I used a 5 1/2 Qt Dutch Oven.
Amazing recipe! The only one I use:)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nat!
To all you galumpki lovers,Natasha’s recipe is the best (how to) recipe) and the most delishes and best flavor Being a Ukrainian myself.I’m not bragging but I know a tasty galumpki when i taste one.Can’t go wrong with this recipe Smachno..
Thank you so much Catherine! We love this recipe also. Thank you for the amazing feedback.
In my family (Lithuania) we fry them on the pan from both sides first and only then add to boil in sauce 🙂
Great suggestion, thanks for sharing!
Hi! Love this recipe and have made it multiple times! I plan to make it for Easter but want to make ahead. Today is Thursday and Easter is on Sunday, can i make them and cook them and keep them in fridge until sunday or do I prepare them and keep them raw and bake on sunday? Thanks in advance!
HI Lily, you could do either way but they reheat really well so if I were doing it, I would probably precook and store in the refrigerator then reheat on a skillet.
How would you reheat on the skillet?
I would add some oil and cook on low heat, rotating occasionally until heated through.
I made these today and they turned out SO delicious! Hubby was impressed for a first timer on holuptsi 😉 thanks to Natasha once again! Also, spot on on the rice cooking. Everything came out perfect and juicy!
You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear you both enjoy the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing your great review!
How long will these be safe to freeze for? I put a portion in the freezer and just wondering what’s the time frame for them to be eaten and not go bad?
Hi Snizhana, a general rule of thumb is 3 months in a standard freezer and longer in a deep freezer. It will keep better if you make sure to get as much air as possible out of the packaging before freezing.
Interesting and unusual recipe, carrots aren’t typical and certainly not the high proportion of meat but of course would be delicious and unique. Not sure what part of Ukraine, but everyone I know and all references I’ve seen calls it Holopcis/holopchi. Again interesting recipe and spelling/pronunciation.
Hi Dawn! It’s interesting how various regions have different naming for dishes and even just different families in the same region. 🙂
I plan to make these after I buy the ingredients. Just have questions, did you use 6 whole cups of uncooked rice to cook? Won’t the rice expand and double in size? Or is it 2 whole cups of uncooked rice which when once cooked makes it 6 cups? Since rice expands when cooks. I’ve never cooked rice before so I want to check! Lol
Hi Snizhana, the recipe calls for 6 cups medium grain cooked white rice. Two cups of uncooked rice will yield 6 cups of cooked 😀
I thought so! Just nervous when I cook so need to be sure everytime lol. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Natasha, Would just ground beef work this for recipe?
Hi Natalie, yes that would work. 🙂
Just made these on Wednesday for my boyfriend and his family who are Russian 🙂 with 8 kids in the family the food was devoured. His parents LOVED them and even said I make them better then some Russians that they know!
It’s so nice to be able to make foods for my boyfriend he grew up loving, and also experimenting with foods I never grew up having. Thanks so much for the great recipe. Definitely be making them again.
I’m glad to hear the recipe is a big hit! Thanks for following and sharing your fantastic review Katie!
Hi Natasha! How big of a Dutch oven do you use for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Kristina, this is a 5 1/2 QT – the size I use for all of my recipes 🙂
hey Natasha, have u tried freezing the cabbage instead of boiling for the leaves to get soft in the beginning of process?
Hi Lana, I haven’t tried that but it was mentioned by a couple of readers. Is that your usual method?
No, actually i never tried doing that so thats why I was wondering if you know if it works.. Also, with ground chicken meat only would be ok?
Hi Lana, ground chicken would work also.
Ok, thanks !
You’re welcome Lana!
Hi Natasha
Can I leave out the carrots cause I am not a carrot fan.For cabbage rolls.
thanks
Gail
Hi Gail, I think that would still work without carrots 🙂
Natasha what is the best way to freeze golubtsi cooked or uncooked?
Hi Tanya, I freeze them cooked – they thaw and reheat on a skillet really well, just freeze them with the juices that are in the pot while baking.
I love making these for my family. I learned a little trick with the cabbage which makes making them much easier. Freeze the cabbage heads. Take out a couple days before you plan to make and cut out the core. No boiling the cabbage and the vein is soft as can be. Saves lots of time not having to work with hot leaves. Patti Karpik
Thanks for sharing your helpful tips with other readers Patti!
I added a little garlic powder once and my husband loved it.
Great suggestion Judith! Thanks for sharing!
I have made these for yrs,but planning to try your recipe tomorrow. We love cabbage rolls.mmm Thanks for sharing the recipe. Love your dishes.!
My pleasure Judith! I hope you enjoy the recipe. Please let me know what you think!
I just made these for my book club (tie-in to Russians in book), but a friend told me a short cut: put the cored cabbages in the freezer, whole, 24-48 hours. When the filling is cooked and cooled enough to handle, take out the cabbages, and plunk them in a pot of hot water from the tap (or just heated, if you’re concerned about minerals). The leaves peel off, soft and ready to fill. No scalded hands!
Great suggestion Eva! Thanks for sharing your tip with other readers!
Hi Natasha i was wondering if i can out them in slow cooker and cook them?
Hi Ruslana, I have not tried that myself but one reader wrote this review: “I did it in the slow cooker followed the recipe and cooked on low for 6 hours. It was really good.” Let me know how you like it in the slow cooker!
Hello, and here the onion is not needed ?
Hi Natalia, I have made them with and without onion and it tastes great both ways 🙂
Hello Natasha! Love all your recipes! I am from Belarus and remember mom making golubci all the time. So, I wanted to make it here. My husband is vegetarian 😱 do you have any ideas what supplement meat with? Thank you!
Hi Anna, I haven’t really tried making these without meat but I’m thinking the next best thing might be diced mushrooms or even eggplant.
My mom made them with bulgur wheat especially during fasting seasons like Lent and Advent.
Natasha these are great. After rolling out the golubtsi, I took the leftover stems and torn up leaves, a little bit of meat mixture and some sauce, and heated it all up in a skillet in a sort of leniviye golubtsi style while the main golubtsi were cooking in the oven and treated myself to a chefs snack. Keep up the great posts, you are much appreciated.
I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe Pav! Thanks for following and sharing your great review with other readers!
Hi, I have a daughter-in-law who is from Russia. She is also Muslim. She does not eat Pork Products. Neither do we, being 7th Day Adventist. Is there any other kind of meat, that can be substituted for the PORK? I want to surprise her with this dish, and see what she says.
Hi Denise, ground turkey or even ground beef would work 🙂
Hiya, thanks for the grand recipe, but they’re called “holubtsi”, not ‘golubtsi’. Thanks.
Since it is a russian name not English,I guess either spelling in English will work))) However,if you use translit,it will spell голубцы with g.
This is supposed to be a Ukrainian recipe. Голубці in Ukrainian transliterates to “holubtsi.”
I’m planning on making this recipe next week! And was wondering, how many quarts is your Dutch oven you used?
Hi Marisa, it is a 5 1/2 Qt Dutch oven.
Love the site! I was wondering what the difference was between Goubsti and Halupki? (if any!)
Hi Vince, I think it is just a difference in how they are named – some Slavic people call them golubtsi and others call them halupki.
In Poland we also make these 🙂 They are called ‘gołąbki” – it means ‘little pigeons’. Does the Ukrainian name mean the same?
Hi Linka, you know, I’ve never thought of it that way but golub means pigeon! What a funny name for food – I just love how creative and strange it is 😉
It is so disappointing to try to watch your videos on Youtube because of the adverts that you cannot see the process very well.
Hi Madera, we don’t really control the specific types of ads that YouTube puts up – we definitely have more control of what shows on our site though. I hope your experience was better here 🙂
I’ve been dying to try to making these and researching recipes. I’m a Puerto rican American and my husband is from Lviv, Ukraine. Obviously I have like zero experience with making Ukrainian or Russian foods. You made my biggest fear of separating the leaves and the “fancy” folding part so simple! GREAT VIDEO! I did make some small changes to the filling [ I added fresh parsley and sautéed onions]. But it’s a tasty recipe either way, my husband devoured them, and I froze a bunch for later. Sorry this is so long …I just wanted to say …really appreciate your Ukrainian and Russian recipes [ as does my husband 🙂 ]. THANKS!! [dia-koo-you!!!]
You’re welcome Ari! I’m happy to hear you both are enjoying the recipes! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review! 🙂
Hi Natash,
Just made these and they turned out delicious, just like grandma and mom make. Love the flavor and simplicity of this récipe and how it captures the authentic flavor!
Hello Marina! I’m so glad to hear you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
This golubtsi recipe is fantastic — my parents are Russian and Ukrainian, so I really wanted to get a good recipe. I’ve gone through what seems like hundreds of recipes, and yours is the only one where the cabbage leaves come out soft and with no chewiness or stringiness. Thank you! I also had a quick question about the sour cream. I haven’t had any issues with it, but has curdling ever occurred for you? I want to try making them in a pressure cooker (which I have read in the comments works well), but I know dairy products aren’t always the best to go in them. Would you recommend adding the sour cream after pressure cooking is done, or is it adding flavor to the golubtsi while they are cooking?
Hi Sasha, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Without testing the sour cream in the cooker myself it is hard to say! If you do experiment please let me know how you like that.
Have you ever made this in a crockpot?
Hi Maria, I have not tried that myself but one reader wrote this review: “I did it in the slow cooker followed the recipe and cooked on low for 6 hours. It was really good.” Let me know how you like it in the slow cooker!
Hi Natasha!
Just to let you know, your site is awesome! Just finished rolling up the golubtsi and thinking of the side dishes that might go well with them for the meal. Can you suggest any side dishes?
Hi Natasha (great name by the way! lol) 🙂 I love these with mashed potatoes and a fresh cucumber tomato salad – my favorites!! 🙂
Did you ever try making them in a pressure cooker ?
Hi Lidiya, I haven’t tried that personally but one of my readers, Rebecca, writes: “instead of using a dutch oven, I use a pressure cooker. They cook so quickly and are amazing! Even my Russian speaking friends love them! Just an idea for those that are pressed for time.”
Hi Natasha, I have a quick question for you. I plan to make this as a meal this weekend. When I was at the store looking for the mushroom marinara sauce I wasn’t having any luck.. Or I just have bad eyes and didn’t see any. I instead bought a mushroom spaghetti sauce. Do you think this would still work or will it make the taste noticeably different?
Hi Katie, that should work great. Mushroom marinara and mushroom spaghetti sauce are interchangeable in this recipe. Almost any kind of spaghetti sauce will work here 🙂
So delicious hmm. I just made it, I made my own tomato sauce
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Freeze your cabbage. Take out and thaw or run warm water over it. Ready to roll NO boiling!!!!👍☝️❤️
Hi Roseann, Thank you so much for sharing that great tip!! 🙂
How does the cabbage taste afterwards? Is it real soft or crunchy when you’re eating the Golubtsi?
Do you have to pre-heat the oven to 450°F?
Yes, the oven needs to be preheated. I made a clarification in the post.
Hi cooking them only 40min on stovetop will they be ready?
What kind of Dutch oven would you recommend to get? Thank you love your Blog!
Hi Natasha, 40 minutes covered and simmering the entire time is correct. A standard size Dutch oven should do the job, about a 5 1/2 quart. They have a huge range in price. It really depends on what your budget is. I would encourage you to check out the shop section of our blog where you will see the one I use. I’m so happy you enjoy our recipes and website! Thank you for sharing that with me!
This is definitely a time-consuming recipe, but SO worth the time! I made these on a Sunday afternoon while my husband napped and they turned out so well! I love recipes that make a lot of food that can then be saved for later meals or lunches to take to work. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will certainly be looking for more.
My pleasure Shannon! Thanks for sharing you wonderful review!
This recipe is just like my mom’s – love it! Thank you so much, Natasha. Your website and Ukrainian recipes rock!
You’re welcome Lana! Thanks for following and for sharing your awesome review!! 😀
Hate to be Picky—- but they are Holuptsi if you are Ukrainian..
How ever if you are Russian – as you Must know they become Goluptsi– maybe. I never heard of Goluptsi in Ukraine… Just for accuracy sake.
Hi Sonia, sometimes I spell it the way people search for it on Google. So if there are 100 searches for Golubtsi and 5 for Holuptsi, I will choose the first spelling so more people can discover the recipe. 🙂
Hi Natasha…
I agree with Sonia. My Mum and my Grandparents were Ukie. My Grandparents left The Ukraine to Canada the Bolshevik Revolution unfolded. I ALWAYS knew “cabbage rolls” as HOLUPCHY…I know the spelling is not as per but the point is that I never heard of Golubtsi. The same as perogies..which is Polish.. I knew them as PETAHA.
NONETHELESS….BY ANY NAME THEY ARE FANTASTIC
I’m Ukrainian and we called it Golobtsi.
Hi, quick question. Can you make these with brown rice and just turkey without the pork? Thanks
Hi Irene, I think you could make that work. You might add a little extra butter to the rice to compensate for the leaner turkey so it doesn’t end up on the dry side. I hope you love it!
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white? I realized that’s all I have!
I haven’t tried that but I think it would work. You might add slightly more since white vinegar is a little stronger.
I just finished making this. I am brushing up on Russian cooking for an event I’m having. This turned out fabulous. Of course, I made it my own with some personal tweaks, as people tend to do. Thank you so much for sharing this. It is a delight to eat! I’m glad to see they freeze well as it made a LOT. 🙂 1st world problem.
LOL! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe Valerie! 🙂
Rice can be substituted with buckwheat kasha, other kinds of kasha or even potatoes, but I like the classic rice version best. I would like also like to recommend the freezer treatment for cabbage an earlier commentator mentioned – my Polish mother does it, it works like a dream and saves you the hassle of blanching these cabbage leaves.
Thanks for the tip Monika! 🙂
What is the best way to thaw golubtsi?
In a microwave? By simmering in a pot?
Hi Olga, I always thaw them in the refrigerator overnight if they are frozen, otherwise, I would probably put them in the microwave on low heat (the thaw setting).
Can you use texmati rice?
Texmati rice should work fine, just cook it according the instructions 😀.
This was so good!!!!!!l! I made them with ground chicken breasts..and put some oil in the meat…. I didn’t have marinara sauce so I added salsa and homemade tomatoe puree instead.. and my little terrier mix loved them too! We ate them with salsa and sour cream on top..and I added 4 more carrots, browned onion plus extra salsa for the layering..I had to cook them about an hour..thank you for your help!!!!!
You are welcome Diana and nice job utilizing what you had on hand 😁.
Natasha, I am planing on making these this weekend but was wondering, can I make them in a slow cooker? That would help me out a ton!!! I’m really pressed for time.
Hi Angelina, I haven’t tried that myself but one of my readers wrote this review: ” I did it in the slow cooker followed the recipe and cooked on low for 6 hours. It was really good.” Let me know how you like it in the slow cooker!
Nashka – You’re taking me back to Odessa to my grandma’s cooking, been here for almost 40 years. I love to cook and all of your recipes that I have tried so far came out great. The stuffed cabbage are in the dutch oven now, cant wait to try them for dinner tonight. SPASEEBA for all your great work and tips. Please keep them coming.
Katya, Na Zdorovya 😀. That is the best when food brings back some good memories. That’s so great!
Awesome! I made these for our Russian themed lunch. They were a huge hit with everyone. Very taste and easy to make. Thanks for the fantastic recipe Natasha.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I love that you did a Russian themed lunch. How fun!! Thank you for the wonderful review 🙂
These look so delicious. I will be making them tomorrow. I was really surprised that there is no onion in the recipe though.. (Us onion loving Russian/Ukrainians) 😄
Thank you Marina 😄. These taste really good even without onion, you must give them a try.
I had to come back and let you know these are so good!! My family loved them. The marinara really gives it that depth in flavor and the Dutch oven is a must! Thank you for an awesome recipe.
I’m so happy your family loved the recipe :). Thank you so much for reporting back and sharing your great review! 🙂
Which Mrs Dash do you personally use
Simon I use the Original, salt-free blend.
What if I’m using a slow cooker? How long should I cook them for?
Hi Lily, I haven’t tried that myself but one of my readers wrote this review: ” I did it in the slow cooker followed the recipe and cooked on low for 6 hours. It was really good.” Let me know how you like it in the slow cooker! 🙂
Hi Natasha, could I substitute the mushroom marinara with any other tomato product I have on hand such as stewed canned tomatoes? 😞
Hi Yelena, you could try to blend them and make your own marinara but that would require more ingredients to get the same depth of flavor that a seasoned marinara will provide.
Natasha, I made these yesterday, my family loved it!! It’s not too mushy, and not too dry. But Perfect Texture ! Thank so much
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review and you are welcome 😀
Wow Natasha, these are the best! Light and tender with tremendous flavor. Delicious! A really fantastic recipe. The next morning, the house smells a bit cabbagy–but a small price for something this good.
Jim, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review 😀.
My husband’s family is from Ukraine and he always talks about his grandmother’s food, in particular Golubtsi. When I saw your recipe I decided to just go for it–first attempt at making any meal from his family’s culture. He was so pleased at just the effort and very pleasantly surprised when he tasted them, saying it tasted so much like his Grandmother’s. Brought back a lot of nice memories for him. Thanks so much!
Wonderful! I”m so happy it brought back sweet memories 🙂 Thank you for sharing that with us! 🙂
I just finished mine! I plan to bake them tomorrow so I left out water for now
I have about 2 1/2 cups of the filling left… Any ideas what I could use it for?
Oh yes, you could try one of these two recipes (both meat and rice meatballs in a cream sauce): https://natashaskitchen.com/2016/01/21/chicken-meatballs-video-recipe/ or https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/05/15/tefteli-in-a-cream-sauce/
I made this recipe yesterday and it was the absolute best I’ve ever had! My Ukrainian Mom and Grandma would be proud. I had never used a mushroom marinara or carrots before, but they really added amazing flavor. Thanks so much!
Kate, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha,
Do you think its fine if I froze the cabbage before making the golubsti? looks like a few comments stated that they froze it before making them. Wonder if i froze it for a month and then thawed it to make em, would be fine? I bought 2 heads of cabbage and not in the mood to make any yet. lol
Hi Olga, I haven’t tested it that way but I imagine it works if they mentioned it. It makes sense if you consider the texture of vegetables when they are thawed – softer and limp which is what you want with the cabbage.
Love the step-by-step and video instructions. Great that they are freezable..love that type recipe. Pinned. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you find the video useful :). Hopefully one day all of the recipes will have videos. I’ll just need to hire someone to get it done sooner I guess 🙂
Natasha, Having never tasted these before, I don’t know if they tasted “right”, I just know that they WERE DELICIOUS! The spatzle went well with them (glad I had plenty of Podliva), even my ultra picky friend gobbled them up (claimed he hated cooked cabbage)! If I ever get to Kiev I know what I’ll eat first! Thanks.
By the way, I made the spatzle in the cabage water (I always add some vinegar anyway, suarbratten style) so the Podliva went perfectly as sauce for both!
Thank you for sharing your creative idea! 🙂
That’s awesome!! I’m so happy you and your friend loved the recipe! 🙂
Natasha:
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious…I am planning on making it today….What do I serve with it to be a completely authentic Ukrainian meal?
Dan
Any of our cucumber salads would work well. https://natashaskitchen.com/?s=Cucumber+salad you might also try the refrigerator pickles which are really good and authentic. https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/07/26/how-to-pickle-pickles-refrigerator-pickles-that-is/
Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately, I am allergic to uncooked melons of all types (cucumbers are a melon), so I guess I’ll make spätzle (I know its not Ukrainian – at least its European).
Dan
I made them a few days ago and they were really good and cooked perfectly, great texture. If I wanted to add more seasoning what could I add? I got hooked on cabbage rolls at our local fair and I can only get them one weekend a year so I was excited to find your recipe. So any ideas on what to add would be greatly appreciated. Also do you have a recipe for a slaw that would go with it? P. S. I grounded up some extra meet and also made your chicken meatball dish and it was amazing! Thank you for these videos.
Hi Arika, you could add Mrs. Dash or any all-purpose seasoning just be careful when adding one that has salt so you don’t over-do on salt.
Natasha,what kind of dutch oven do u use for this recipe? What size and brand? I just don’t hav one n wanted to get it to make Golybtsi!!!! Thanks 😉
Hi Inna, it is ok to use a regular pot and cook them on the stove top if you want to but I do prefer the dutch oven. The one I’m using here is a wolfgang puck brand dutch oven and it’s 5 1/2 or 6 qt, similar to this one: http://amzn.to/1naeih9. The one I currently use and love is my lecreuset 5 1/2 qt: http://amzn.to/1RTwNno
YOU DON’T PUT ONIONS IN YOUR GOLUBTSI?
NOPE 🙂 It wouldn’t hurt to add them but we don’t and we don’t miss them.
Natasha, Thank you for such easy step by step directions! I made this dish and they turned out amazing! I especially like the mushroom marinara rather than tomatoe paste and water! I now feel like I can make my baba in heaven proud!
Awww that is so sweet! Thank you for sharing that with me Carolyn 🙂
Hi Natasha, thank you SO much for the amazing recipie on Golubtsi! I have a couple questions about this recipe. 1) why don’t you add onion to the meat? 2) can I freeze the Golubtsi as soon as I make them? I don’t think it’s right to freeze them after you bake them in the Dutch oven. Example: you don’t boil pelmeni & then freeze them. First you make pelmeni & freeze them and then boil them. Doesn’t the same thing go for Golubtsi?
Hi Victoria, the onions are a personal preference. It wouldn’t hurt to add them. Also, I’ve always frozen golubtsi after they are cooked because they take a long time to cook so it makes it a quick meal if you defrost them and then just heat them up. I hope that makes sense :). With pelmeni, they cook really fast so it’s a quick meal and they don’t really work if you freeze them after they are cooked.
Thank you 🙂
We don’t eat pork, is there another meat combination you would recommend? Something with chicken perhaps?
Thanks!
Hi Lana, you could use all turkey, all chicken, chicken and turkey, even beef and chicken or beef and turkey, but keep in mind, beef sometimes can take on a deep red appearance in cabbage rolls making it look like it’s not fully cooked (I’m not sure why this is, but it happens and it really is cooked even if it doesn’t look that way). Anyway, you can do a number of different meat combinations.
Thank you I did chicken and turkey and it was delicious!!! I had some meat left over and made a few mini peppers as well.
As far as freezing them; what bags do you recommend? Just regular ziplock?
Lana, I use freezer ziplock bags and pack enough for one meal.
Hello Natasha…
Thank you for sharing a recipe. It is kind of ashamed being born and raised in Ukraine (Kiev), married to Ukrainian (Lviv) man for 9 years and never make golupzi from scratch by myself – ugh so ashamed.
This is what I was looking for to find out if it is totally true about ration of meat to rice is approximately 1:1. I mean 1 cup of rice to 1 lb of meat and it was indeed right.
Since I read about you and you told that your mom was a Chef in Ukraine and she might told you already if golupzi can be cooked in cast iron Lorgo dutch oven? why I am wondering because usually anything acidic should be avoided in cast iron dutch oven.
Thank you
Hi Ziz’ka, I always cook my golubtsi in my dutch oven and I think they turn out better that way. This isn’t too acidic of a recipe to be cooked in a dutch oven. If you haven’t tried making golubtsi, stay tuned, we just finished filming a video recipe for these. It should be up on the blog hopefully by the end of the week. 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Made Golubsti yesterday and it turned out to be so good. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I really like your blog and all the recipes I have tried from your blog have been a success. Keep up the good work.
-Riya
Thank you for such a nice review on golubtsi. We have a video recipe of them coming up next week so stay tuned 😀.
Hi Natasha! I am American and have made these for years (my husband is Ukrainian) but instead of using a dutch oven, I use a pressure cooker. They cook so quickly and are amazing! Even my Russian speaking friends love them! Just an idea for those that are pressed for time. 🙂
Rebecca, thank you so much for sharing the tip. I’ve had several people ask about that. It’s great to know that it works 😁.
I made Golubstsi for Christmas dinner and they turned out sooooo good thanks to your easy step by step recipe! My family and I LOVED them. I am obsessed with your site! My Ukranian coworker recommended your site. Thank you! Blessings!
Welcome to the site Elizabeth and thank you for such a nice review on the Golubtsi. Blessings and a great new year to you and your family 😀.
Have you ever thought about making Cabage rolls in a slow cooker? I’m thinking to try in low for 8 hours. Do you think it will turn out good?
Hi Alla, To be honest, I haven’t tried a crock pot and I’d be concerned that the cabbage on the outer cabbage rolls would become overcooked. Without testing it myself, it’s hard to guess what would work. Again, I haven’t tested it, so I can’t say for sure. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!
I did it in the slow cooker followed the recipe and cooked on low for 6 hours. It was really good.
Alla, thank you for sharing, I want to try slow cooker method next time myself.
Thanks for yet another great recipe! One secret to the best, melt in your mouth cabbage rolls is to first freeze your cabbage before boiling, i guess it just make it allot easier to handle and flexible. Second and most important, is after the stovetop, then putting in the oven for a bit, wrap the dish in newspaper and thick towels and let it steam for 2-3 hours…O.M.G. absolutely no chewing necessary. Just like my Baba used to make!
Susana, those are great suggestions, I will be incorporating them next time 😀.
Omg I just made these for my boyfriend, who is from Russia, and he said they were amazing! I was a bit worried because I had some trouble rolling the cabbage and they didn’t look as pretty as yours, but other than that I am pleased with how they turned out.
P.S. I love all your recipes and they have helped me out so much!! My boyfriend is so homesick 🙁 and I try to make him his favorite things. Every time he gives me the name of a particular dish I come straight here haha. Спасибо!!
Mella, thank you for the great review on golubtsi, I’m glad you guys like them 😀 .
So delicious! Thank you!! 🙂
My husbands mom is an amazing Russian/Ukrainian cook and he said it would be hard to decide which one is better, thanks for all of your amazing recipes! It’s making cooking as a newly wed a lot easier!
Thank you Mary, I’m glad you liked the recipe :).
The most tasty golubtsi I’ve ever eaten! The recipe is amazing. Thank you Natasha!
Thank you for the great review Sasha and you are welcome :).
Natasha,
I love your website and all the wonderful recipes you provide us with. My husband is Belarusian and cooking these meals hits close to home for him, so I thank you for that. Would a crockpot be okay for this recipe? If so, how long would I cook it for and at what temperature setting?
Thank you!
Hi Rebecca, To be honest, I haven’t tried a crock pot and I’d be concerned that the cabbage on the outer cabbage rolls would become overcooked. Without testing it myself, it’s hard to guess what would work. I’d try on high 4 hours or low 6 hours. Again, I haven’t tested it, so I can’t say for sure. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Thank you so much for your honest answer 🙂 I’ll stick to your method.
my mom would freeze her cabbage rollsto easily make for later and she does slow-cooker on those.
Awesome recipie! I was wondering: can you explain how to freeze them? Raw or cooked?
Thanks!!
I freeze them already cooked in either a freezer safe Ziploc bag or Tupperware. Try to fit them in tightly together so that they are surrounded with their juices. Then thaw and reheat however you prefer. I love them sautéed up on a skillet.
Hi Natasha! Do you have a mushroom marinara sauce recipe recommendation? Thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi Jenni, I do! 🙂 https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/06/05/mushroom-marinara-sauce-recipe/
Great recipe! Turned out delicious!
Thank you for the great review Luda, I’m glad you enjoyed it :).
How much would the measurements be for half the amount of servings?
Measurements would be:
1 1/4 cup white rice
1 med cabbage
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 egg
3 med grated carrots
1/2 can of (26.5 oz) Hunts Original Style Mushroom spaghetti sauce
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp Mrs Dash or similar seasoning
salt to taste
Hope this helps :).
Is the rice called for already cooked and then cooked again? I assumed the 2cup measurement was for dry rice that you add to the water and cook. Which yields roughly 6 cups cooked rice. When I added all the rice to the meat it seemed like too much rice. So I want to clarify should I have only added 2 cups cooked rice rather than cooking 2 cups dry rice?
It is actually 2 cups uncooked medium grain rice. My medium grain rice usually produces closer to 5 cups of cooked rice. What grain of rice were you using? You can use less rice if you want less rice in the recipe. This does make a really big batch. We’re used to cooking large family-sized portions, but thankfully this freezes really well.
Hi Natasha, this was my first time making golubtsi in a Dutch oven and so when I was reading your directions I wasn’t sure if they need to be covered or not (when using a Dutch oven since with the pot it says to cover and Dutch oven it doesn’t say anything) so I never covered them and then after reading your comment I found out that you cover them lol so my question now is, do you think the top ones got cooked through? (since they weren’t covered with the lid and not fully covered in the liquid)
Maria, they should be cooked through, but I hope they weren’t dry. The lid helps to keep them moist. So sorry I missed that. I put it in step 16 but forgot to repeat in the next step if it’s in a dutch oven. 🙁 Thanks so much for catching that and again, sorry that I missed it.
Hi had a friend tell me about your site to look at golubtsi and like what I see so I’m going to try my luck making them Love trying making new Recipes
keep up all your good works
have a Blessed day.
Craig
I”m so happy you discovered our blog! Welcome!
Natash, what would u serve with these? What usually goes well as a side,.
Sour cream. 😉 lol. They are kind of a meal in themselves with bread. You can serve them as a side dish though with mashed potatoes or any kind of salad really.
How long do you boil the cabbage for?
The first leaves on the outside are ready at about the five minute mark. Take the laces out as you see them start to soften and peel back from the cabbage.
this recipe sounds great, thank you! what could I use to substitute the can of Hunts Original Style Mushroom spaghetti sauce?
Any kind of marinara or tomato based pasta sauce would work.
I need your help. I really want to try this recipe but my fiance keeps kosher. Should I replace the pork with chicken or beef? I can substitute margarine for butter (I hate doing that but no choice). Can I skip or replace the sour cream in the podliva? Thanks in advance 🙂
I think chicken or beef would make a good replacement. Beef might be a little dryer. You can just add more oil instead of butter. It won’t be as creamy, but yes, you can skip the sour cream 🙂
Gah! I went to the grocery store to get some ground meat and forgot I didn’t have tomato sauce … could I substitute with ketchup? taste will be different I know but if I could would the measurements be different as well?
Just use same measurements, let me know how they turn out.
I actually put the same amount into the meat like the recipe says and then I eyed the amount for the sauce (which turned out to be around 3/4) however I added heavy whipping cream about half a cup to the podliva and they turned out AMAZING! my husband said he liked them this way MUCH better then the previous ones which were made with tomato sauce BUT I have a feeling that making them in a dutch oven MAKES THEM SO much better and the previous time I had made them on the stove …. my husband kept walking around saying “not enough” and has ordered me to make more 😉
Thank You
Thats funny; he ordered you to make more. lol. I love it! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your modification. I’ll have to try that the next go-around 🙂
I hope you do I was surprised with how amazing they turned out 🙂
How about putting them in a slow cooker?
I haven’t tried it personally so can’t really recommended that method. I would be concerned about uneven cooking.
I made it in a regular purex baking dish today, in the oven and it was super easy. I’m pretty sure you can make it in crock pot too just coat it with olive oil or use liners:)
That’s great to know! Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this dish for my family, and they loved it. If I were to make a traditional Ukrainian meal with this dish, what other dishes would you recommend making with it?
Olivye would be a great side dish or Shuba with Salmon.
Costco have sweet mini peppers, smallest I’ve ever seen and I cook them for one hour. before stuffing them I steam them in rice cooker for ten minutes ( my rice cooker have steamer in it). Thank you for good easy recipes!:) God bless you and your family!
I should totally do that, is one Costco bag of mini peppers enough?
Hi,
Is it possible to make this recipe without the rice? I am on a low-carb diet and really cannot have any starchy food. Is it possible to replace the rice with something else or omit it all together?
I bet it would be good with quinoa or buckwheat. Would those work for you?
🙁 No… nothing starchy not even quinoa or buckwheat. Can’t I substitute with some kind of vegetable like cabbage or something?
What about adding some mushrooms, more carrots and maybe eggplant?
That should work!
Thanks a bunch. I can’t wait to make this recipe. 🙂
I was so impatient when these were cooking. They are super good! I love them!
I’m glad you like them :).
Natasha,
My husband is from Belarus so we make these very often.
Just a little bit of info. You can get Vegeta MSG Free! They
do not carry it in every store but it can be ordered.
Thats good to know! We tossed our last jar of vegeta when we realized it had MSG! ewe!
the best is to froze your cabage
Hi Natasha,
If I wanted to freeze these, at which point would you do that and how would you do it, individually on a tray of in a baggie? And how would you cook them after, frozen in the oven or defrost?
Thanks!
Why do you put vinegar when boiling the cabbage? Just curious
The salt and vinegar strengthens the leaves and keeps it from tearing when you wrap the golubtsi.
Another way to prepare the cabbage for golubtsy is to Drexel the whole head overnight in the freezer. Then thaw it at room temp. The leaves are so easy to work with and are not as fragile.
Blessinngs to your family, Natasha.hp
Thanks for the great tip Victoria, i will try this next time.
I made these for dinner and were very good, but for some reason my son didn’t really want to eat them. 🙁 I guess ill make him the cream chicken and mushroom casserole, he loved that :). Love ur blog
I can only get my son to eat the filling on those covered with sour cream 😉
Hey 🙂 I was wondering if it makes a difference in what kind of vinegar you use?
I have only tried with white vinegar but I don’t see why not.
I love your website and am anxious to try some of these recipes….. what is the
Hunts Original Style Mushroom spaghetti sauce used for? I don’t see any reference to it in the recipe instructions.
Hi Jim, see steps 7 & 14. I refer to it as tomato sauce.
This is UKRANIAN NATHIONAL DISH !!!!!! NOT RUSSIAN ???!!!!!!
That’s fine by me, I’m Ukrainian so I’ll take it! 😉 The research I’ve done said it was both Russian and Ukrainian and I know both groups cook these up regularly.
Oh my goodness – these are the BEST!!!
I have made them twice now, and my (Ukrainian) husband loves them!! He says it’s better than his mother’s… 😉
Thanks so much!!
Oh my, that’s quite a compliment 🙂 Isn’t that the best feeling – when your hubby loves what you’ve made??
I made these for the first time this past summer, and my whole family LOVES this recipe–I’ve had so many requests for it that we’re rearranging our Christmas Eve menu to include them. We’re Polish and Irish and so we always have Polish and Irish food on holidays, but I have serious Russian envy and have been slowly but surely introducing Russian dishes into our family parties, and every time I make one of yours, everybody loves it! Your pelmeni dough is awesome, too. So огромное спасибо за вкусные рецепты, и с Рождеством!
You are welcome Lena, I’m glad you like the recipe :).
Wow, these turned out great!! I’m not a cook at all, and not sure when is the last time I spend 2 whole hours in my New York City half-sized kitchen cooking …. but it was totally WORTH it! Thanks for an awesome blog!
So glad you liked the recipe. They freeze well too; just pack them into a Tupperware and fill in the gaps with juices from the pan.
This is a fantastic blog. I have 2 older Ukrainian kids, and it is tough to get some of these recipes. We made golubtsi tonight. They were good for the sake of nostalgia, but they weren’t quite right. We will give this one a try.
On another note…about 2 years ago, I had some pumpkin pancakes at a restaurant in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine. They may have been the best thing I ever ate. Do you have any idea what I may be talking about? There was just no way for me to find out how to make them.
I am so glad I found your website!!! In fact I am in the middle of making golubtsy, my bf is American and whenever he is over at my moms house for dinner it’s the only thing that he absolutely loves. I never attempted doing them myself, but had a cabbage in my fridge and figured I’ll give it a try. Also I will use “grechka” instead of rice, I believe my mom uses that. I will let you know about the outcome, oh and she also uses the microwave option.
Grechka sounds nice – definitely a healthier option. I love grechka!
Yah, I did everything like you said. You instructions are very good, I don’t know why it’s not working out for me. Video would be soooo awesome! May be you should put your self on u tube?
Anyway, I will try again and see if may be it will work out this time. Do you know how to make other shapes of golubtsi? I’ve seen people make different kids of shapes with the cabbage….
Well, I wanted to say thank you for taking your time to share your expertise. It’s a great website. It’s one of my favorite, because I’ve never visited a website similar to this one. All the recipes are soo good and everything that my family loves. I bet you if you would publish a cook book with your recipes, you would have many customers and I would definitely be one of them!
Natasha, what cabbage do you use? where do you buy it? I’ve tried these goluptsi many times, and my cabbage keeps breaking and doesn’t fold well. May be I’m doing something wrong?
Is it possible that next time you make them, you can record your self? I’ve looked on you tube for this recipe, but I don’t like how they make them.
I don’t have video capability to my site yet. Maybe that I something I could do in the future. I buy the one at winco. Do u prep the cabbage in vinegar water according to the instructions?
Natasha, my husband is Romanian. So naturally I have had A LOT of Romanian golubtsy. Normally Romanians make them with pickled cabbage, or sauerkraut. I now make them ONLY this way. I absolutely LOVE them like that.
What I do if I do not have sauerkraut, I blanch the cabbage in water with salt, vinegar and lemon juice to give it the “sour” flavor. I also get the sauerkraut in the jar at the store and layer it in between my golubtsy layers. I also chop smoked bacon cook it in a frying pan. I omit the fat (most Romanians do not, they use the fat from the bacon) and sprinkle the bacon with the sauerkraut in between my layers… wheww.. haha I hope I didn’t confuse you with all this. But I promise you, it’s sooooo good!!!
I hope you get the courage to try using these ingredients one day and find out how much they enhance the flavor.
I sent you an e-mail and hope to communicate with you. I love your blog!!
God Bless!!
Olga
That does sound good- thank you!
I also add heavy whipping cream (as well as sour cream) to the podliva (zasharka), its very yummy!
A creamier sauce sounds nice. I’ll definitely make that next time! Thank you Viktoriya!
I made these today and they are awesome!! we love mushrooms so I added some mushrooms to the sauce. I also made what seemed like too much sauce but boy are they nice and juicy! 🙂 thanks for the recipie! this was my first time making them and I KNOW Hubby will be very pleased! 🙂
We love mushrooms too – thanks for the idea! I’ll definitely do that next time.
If you are Costco shoppers like me, you can find a great ORGANIC No-Salt Seasoning by Kirkland brand that is like Ms. Dash that I use for everything! 🙂
I’ve never noticed it before but that does sound good! I use Mrs. Dash right now and I have a 21oz container that my mom bought (part of a Christmas gift) – I’m bummed they no longer carry Mrs. Dash at Costco, but that does sound like a nice alternative. Thank you Oksana! Yes, I love Costco!
I like it too.
Thank You sooooo much for putting up pictures on how to roll them up! Helps ALOT! =)
You’re welcome! It would be hard to explain that without pictures 🙂
Natasha,
I love your version of golubtsi. Do you have a homemade seasoning mix that is very similar to Vegeta? The closest Russian market is an hour away and they don’t even carry it:( I keep blending my own spices together but can’t seen to get the same taste, minus what I’m sure has cornstarch, fat, etc. in the real stuff.
Spasibo 🙂
Mrs Dash is a great substitute – it adds really nice flavor and it’s even better since it doesn’t have MSG and I think Vegeta does. Hope that helps!
Is there a certain kind of rice that you use? Or just plain white rice?
just plain white rice 🙂
Natasha, I love how you post your recipes. Such clear easy to read and understand directions and the pictures are so helpful. Thanks for all your hard work : ) I was wondering what kind of dutch oven do you have? I’ve been wanting to buy one and have a hard time deciding on one. Thanks.
I have a wolfgang puck dutch oven that my Mom bought me for my b-day. I think it’s a 5-quart size
I’m so glad I found your website. These look great. If I wanted to make them vegetarian, would I just add more carrots or maybe sauteed eggplant/mushroom mix?
That sounds good. I haven’t tried vegetarian but I think it should work. Let me know how it turns out.
do you have a recipe for “kapusta” ?
Yes, but I don’t know when I’ll have time to make it. Classes started this week. I’ll put it on my to-do list.
For clarification, I add the eggs raw to the stuffing mixture? I want to make these for Christmas. Can I prepare them one day ahead of time, and finish them Christmas day? What do you think? Thank you for your lovely recipe!
Yes, add 2 raw eggs to stuffing mixture. You can complete these ahead of time and even cook them the day before then just saute them up on a non-stick skillet before serving.
Do you put foil over the top in oven?
If I use a pot (stove-top method), I cover it with a tight fitting lid. Also, my dutch oven (baking method) has a tight fitting lid that I use if I bake it.
I usually use a organic chicken stock and then add Ms Dash or make my own by using paprika garlic black pepper blend
Thanks Katya!
There are different sizes of bell peppers in the grocery store, if you get the huge ones they are most likely green house grown.
Vegeta is bad for you it has MSG and MSG causes harm to your body.
You can substitute it with whatever seasoning you like. I’ll mention that in the recipe. What kind of seasoning do you usually use?
almost everything in the store has msg so you cant cook totaly without it. and not only msg is bad there are lots of things in food that are bad. just pray and ur food will be osvyashena.
So true!! It’s hard to get away from it, but I try when I can. 🙂
Nadia, that’s for sure! Anything that has been processed at all, practically. That’s why it’s so worth it to make everything you can from scratch. heck, even chicken, vegetable and beef broth has it in there! For those of you who’re interested, here’s a link to a page that lists all of the different ingredients that have MSG or are simply another name for it. http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html
Pam, thanks for sharing! 🙂
I put the cabbage in a grocery plastic bag wrap it good and microwave it for 5-7 minutes and they come out same as boiled
Natasha, I have a tip for you…I don’t know if you ever heard of this method but it is a little shortcut to prep-ing the cabbage: Wrap the cabbage in a plastic bag, such as a grocery bag or a steamer bag and put it in the microwave for about 10-15 min depending on the size of the cabbage head. It steams it and when it cools you use it just the same way you would when you cook it in water.
I prefer the water cooking method because plastic bags most likely have BPA in them and the microwave has radiation (even if it’s a teeny tiny bit… i’m sure we get enough of it from our cell phones and stuff).
so i prefer natasha’s method.
I tried your recipe for these the other day…They were awesome!!! Thank you! lol I always have a hard time getting them just like my mother-in-laws, the way my husband likes them (of course) but these suited him just as well, he nearly ate half the pot himself!! Thank you again…;)
I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed them!
I used to love these and I still make them sometimes for meat-eating friends and family. I use raw rather than cooked rice in the filling and it gets cooked by the surrounding meat and sauce. I also put lots of chopped onions in the sauce and some in the filling.
My mom’s recipe has onion in it too. After its cooked, its hard to tell the difference whether it has it in there or not. Have you tried stuffed bell peppers? Especially the tiny ones? Those are very good too.
Yes! I love stuffed bell peppers! I make meat-filled ones for my husband and others and vegetarian ones for myself (the veg stuffing is cooked rice mixed with lots of sauteed onions and carrots, plus spices such as black pepper and cloves).
I use regular bell peppers but try to pick out the smallest ones at the store – bell peppers in the US tend to be so huge that it takes forever for the filling to cook through, and sometimes the pepper turns into mush before the filling is done. Bell peppers in Russia were probably half the size of American ones!
You have amazing skills.
Why thank you.