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This easy Macedonian recipe for cabbage rolls, also known as Sarmi, is hearty, flavorful, and wonderfully tender. You’ll love every bite of the savory rice filling, richly seasoned with herbs and spices, all wrapped in soft cabbage leaves.
I grew up eating Macedonian comfort food like these juicy cabbage rolls, ajvar, and Macedonian moussaka, and I love that I can share these recipes with my own family (and yours!).
Homemade cabbage rolls are a special meal, one that really says, “I love you!”. No, I’m not exaggerating here – the time and effort it takes to create these little bundles of goodness is a labor of love! Nothing is as easy as roasted cabbage steaks, let’s be honest, but, like many cooking projects, making sarma is also fun and relatively easy. If you’re ready to try your hand at traditional homemade cabbage rolls, this recipe is for you!
This version skips the meat and goes light on tomatoes, avoiding heavy sauces in favor of just a touch of tomato paste and fresh chopped tomatoes to zest up the rice filling. A dash of garlic, paprika, lemon pepper, olive oil, and a mix of herbs infuses each roll with deep flavors. Plus, there’s a secret crunch hidden inside: a walnut! Trust me, you don’t want to leave out that nut.
What Country Is Sarma From?
It might be easier to ask what country sarma is not from! These stuffed cabbage rolls, like stuffed grape leaves, are traditional foods in the Balkans, Central Europe, the Middle East, and the South Caucasus. But it’s no surprise that this dish is beloved across cultures and countries. This recipe is a Macedonian version, with lots of paprika and not too much tomato. Authentic Macedonian sarma is prepared with fermented cabbage leaves, but it’s not a must.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
While meat-filled cabbage rolls typically use ground meat such as beef, pork, lamb, or veal, this version is filled with veggies, seasonings, and rice. It’s a comforting meal that’s guaranteed to fill you up.
Cabbage Leaves
- Pickled (Fermented) Cabbage Leaves or a head of fresh Cabbage – separate the cabbage into its leaves, away from the core.
- Water & Salt: For the brine, only if using fresh cabbage leaves.
For the Filling
- Oil: Olive oil is my go-to for this recipe, but you could substitute another kind of oil as desired. Butter, ghee, and bacon grease would also work (keep in mind that animal fats would make this a meatless recipe rather than strictly vegan).
- Onions: The onions should be finely diced.
- Garlic: You want to use a generous amount of fresh garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press.
- Parsley: Like paprika, parsley is a must-have ingredient in Macedonian cooking.
- Tomatoes: Take two fresh tomatoes, and chop them finely.
- Tomato Paste: A small amount of tomato paste adds depth to the cabbage roll filling.
- Paprika: You’ll want sweet paprika here, not smoked or hot paprika.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Simple seasoning that enhances all the flavors.
- Dried Herbs: Oregano and thyme bring a pungent, herbal fragrance.
- Lemon Pepper: Lemon pepper seasoning makes the rice filling irresistible!
- Rice: Use your favorite long-grain white rice.
- Walnuts: The final touch to the cabbage rolls is to include a halved walnut in each one.
For the Sauce
- Oil: A little more oil for sauteing.
- Garlic: Mince the garlic, or press it.
- Paprika: Again, sweet paprika, rather than smoked or hot paprika.
- Water: The water should be hot before adding it to the other ingredients.
How To Make Cabbage Rolls
Okay, now that we’ve covered the ingredients, let’s talk about the cooking process. Making any type of cabbage roll recipe can take some time, so be sure to set aside enough time to cook the cabbage, make the filling and the rolls, and bake.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to preheat to 350˚F. Next, get out a large baking dish (9×13) or a braiser, and grease it lightly. Set it aside. If using a head of fresh cabbage, heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, add the cabbage leaves, and cook them for about 4 minutes. Once they are pliable, drain them and set them aside. DO not cook for too long or they’ll just get mushy. This is why I LOVE using the pickled cabbage leaves – you don’t have to stress about cooking the leaves because they’re already pliable.
- Make the Filling Mixture. Next, heat up a generous amount of oil in a large skillet. Saute the onions for a couple of minutes, and then stir in the garlic and the parsley. Cook for about 30 seconds, to release the fragrance, and then add the tomatoes and seasonings. Cook this mixture for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, add the uncooked rice to the filling mixture, and cook for one more minute. Take the filling mixture off the heat.
- Roll the Sarma. Now, take a look at your cabbage leaves. Use a small knife, like a paring knife, to cut off the raised part of the vein on each leaf. Removing this part will make it easier to roll the sarma. Hold one cabbage leaf flat in your palm, and place a heaping spoonful of filling to one side. Don’t overstuff because you won’t be able to roll it up properly. Add one walnut half to the filling, and then roll up the cabbage tightly, tucking in the sides, like a burrito. Lay each roll seam-side down in your baking dish or braiser.
- Season the Rolls and Add the Sauce. Generously sprinkle the cabbage rolls with salt and pepper, and then set them aside while you make the sauce. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, and cook the garlic in it for about 15 seconds. Add the paprika, and then stir in the hot water. Bring this mixture to a boil, and then pour it right over your cabbage rolls.
- Bake. Cover your baking dish with foil (or a lid, if it has an ovenproof lid). Bake the rolls for 45 minutes covered. Then uncover them, and bake for 15 more minutes. Once that time is up, check one of the rolls to see if the rice is soft and cooked through. If not, put the dish back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.
- Enjoy! Once the rice is soft, you can serve your cabbage rolls with your favorite sides.
How To Soften Cabbage Leaves
There are different ways to do this – you can blanch the leaves only, as the recipe says, or you could:
- Boil the Whole Head of Cabbage. Some recipes instruct you to boil the entire head of cabbage, pulling it out of a pot of boiling water every few minutes to peel off the outer leaves, and then sticking it back in to continue boiling. This method obviously can be a bit high-maintenance! However, it is very common.
- Steam the Cabbage. This works much like the boiling method, but you place the cabbage in a steamer over boiling water, instead of in the boiling water. Peel away the outer leaves a few at a time, as they become soft.
- Freeze the Cabbage. This method requires some planning ahead, but the idea is that a frozen and defrosted cabbage will be softened without needing to cook. Freeze your cabbage head a day or two in advance, and thaw it out before making your sarma.
Recipe Tips & Variations
Macedonian stuffed cabbage is a simple, festive dish, and it comes in lots of variations! These are my top tips and easy adjustments.
- Seal with Cabbage Leaves. If you are using an ovenproof dish with a matching lid, it may not seal the cabbage rolls very well. To help keep in the steam and soften the rice, you can arrange whole cabbage leaves over the top of your sarma before adding the lid.
- Add “Smoke.” Sarma recipes often include bacon, ham hock, or another smoky, meaty ingredient in the sauce. You can definitely do this, or just substitute smoked paprika for some of the sweet paprika, and use vegetable broth instead of water for depth.
- Stir in meat. Brown some ground beef and stir in the rice, and continue with the recipe as is.
- Use Sour Cabbage. Some recipes for cabbage rolls actually use fermented cabbage, like sauerkraut but with the whole leaves instead of shredded leaves. If you can find this ingredient, feel free to use it – if not, you can “sour” the cabbage yourself by boiling it in water with a cup or two of vinegar and half a cup of salt. You want to achieve a “pickled” flavor.
- Add Extra Veggies. If you’d like more variety in your filling mixture, feel free to include some of your favorite sauteed veggies. Finely chopped eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, or bell pepper would all work well!
Serving Suggestions
Cabbage rolls are warm, soft, and full of rice, so anything crunchy or crispy makes the perfect contrast. Try a crisp, cool, creamy radish and cucumber salad, an authentic shopska salad, or this chickpea salad with tangy lemon dressing and feta. I also love this easy Mediterranean salad that’s packed with greens.
Since it doesn’t get much better than cabbage and potatoes, these crispy air fryer potatoes with herb butter are a great potato dish to go with cabbage. And, if I’m serving these cabbage rolls as a side dish, they go great with chicken shawarma!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Place leftover cabbage rolls and sauce in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat, place the desired portion in an ovenproof dish and bake at 350˚F for about 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave your cabbage rolls to reheat.
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Cabbage Rolls Recipe (Sarma)
Ingredients
FOR THE CABBAGE
- 25 to 30 pickled (fermented) cabbage leaves, if you can't find pickled cabbage leaves, use fresh cabbage, instead
- 1 head cabbage, leaves separated (use these if you can't find pickled cabbage leaves)
- water
- salt
FOR THE FILLING
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 1 cup halved walnut pieces
FOR THE SAUCE
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 cups hot water or vegetable broth, you can also use chicken broth, or beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish, or a 3.5-quart braiser, with cooking spray and set aside.
- If you are using fresh cabbage leaves:Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
- Add cabbage leaves to the boiling water; cover and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the leaves are pliable.
- Drain well and set aside on paper towels to dry.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions to the heated oil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic and parsley; cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the tomatoes and stir in the tomato paste; season with paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and lemon pepper seasoning, and continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tomatoes are tender.
- Add the rice and saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Using a paring knife, cut off the raised part of the vein on each cabbage leaf. This will make it easier to roll.
- Lay the leaf flat on your hands and place a heaping spoonful of the filling on one side of the leaf; add a piece of walnut in the middle of the filling. Don't add too much filling because it will be too stuffed to roll it up.
- Roll it up tightly, tucking in the sides of the leaf, kind of like you would roll up a burrito.
- Place the stuffed cabbage rolls in previously prepared baking dish, seam sides down. Season tops with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan.
- Add garlic to the heated oil and cook for 15 seconds.
- Mix in the sweet paprika.
- Stir in the hot water (or broth) and bring to a boil.
- Pour the hot liquid over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the cover and continue to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and check to make sure that the rice is cooked through; if not, put it back in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes longer.
- Serve.
Notes
- Fermented Cabbage: If you can’t find fermented cabbage, but would like to try the cabbage rolls with it, you can “sour” the cabbage yourself by boiling it in water with a cup of vinegar and 1/4-cup of salt. You are looking to achieve a “pickled” flavor.
- Tip for Fresh Cabbage: You can place a whole head of fresh cabbage into a pot of salted boiling water; reduce heat to a simmer and cook the cabbage for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.Carefully peel away the leaves and place them on paper towels to dry off.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Can you use brown rice?
Hi!
I haven’t personally tested this recipe with brown rice. However, brown rice requires a longer cooking time than white rice. If you choose to use brown rice, I recommend partially cooking it before adding it to the cabbage leaves to ensure it’s fully cooked in the final dish.