Golumpki (Gołąbki, Stuffed Cabbage)
on Apr 25, 2018, Updated May 10, 2020
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Golumpki (Gołąbki, Stuffed Cabbage) –A rose by any other name is still a rose. That is very true with today’s post which is a Polish recipe for stuffed cabbage.
This is the number one Golumpki Recipe on Google, and you can read on to learn how we make this classic comfort food.
Golumpki (Gołąbki, Stuffed Cabbage)
Some people call it pigs in a blanket, while others call it cabbage rolls and yet still others call it stuffed cabbage. No matter what anyone else calls it, I call this Polish recipe for stuffed cabbage (P0lish golabki) utterly delicious.
Our whole family agrees that this golumpki recipe is one of our favorite meals.
Golumpki (Gołąbki, Stuffed Cabbage)
When I was a child growing up in Detroit, we had stuffed cabbage all the time. However we never called it stuffed cabbage, we called it Golumpki, the Polish name for stuffed cabbage.
Golumpki is traditionally made for special occasions like weddings, first communions and during holidays like Easter and Christmas.
Traditionally, a Golumpki recipe is a meat mixture such as ground beef, mixed with rice, onions, and spices that is then rolled in a cooked cabbage leaf. It is topped with a tomato sauce and then baked.
Every cook has their variation of family recipes, and therefore this golumpki recipe may be a bit different to what you are used to.
You may know this recipe as Polish Golabki
My Polish grandmother had her way of making stuffed cabbage, and my mother tweaked her mom’s recipe and made her version, and finally, I have probably tweaked my golabki a bit.
I can barely wait to see how my kids make this when they have kids!
When it was my turn to learn how to make these, I lived 500 miles away from home. I was attending college in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, far away from where I grew up and consequently found myself having a powerful craving for some Golumpki.
Unfortunately, my mom was in Detroit, so she wasn’t going to be able to whip up a batch. And therefore I found myself wondering, what was a boy supposed to do?
How to Make Polish Stuffed Cabbage
It seemed pretty obvious that had to take matters into my own hands and so I took ET’s advice and phoned home. My mother explained to me her recipe for Polish golumpki and finally gave me all of her tricks and secrets for this savory Polish recipe for stuffed cabbage.
After hanging up the phone, I jumped right into it and finally made my very first batch.
They weren’t as good as my mom’s, but I kept trying. We love family recipes, and our pierogi recipe is another favorite dish that I grew up with.
What are some of your favorite family recipes? Leave us a comment below and let us know.
Well, that was more years ago than what I want to admit, and my version of golumpki is different from my mom’s and my grandmother’s, but my family loves them. Give them a try, and I think you will too.
Scott’s Cooking Tip for this Polish Stuffed Cabbage
This stuffed cabbage can be cooked a day ahead of serving. Just allow it to cool, wrap it up and chill it in the refrigerator until the next day.
Also, you can freeze it up to one month. Just let it thaw, then reheat the cabbage rolls in a hot oven (350°) for 30-40 minutes.
If you love Polish food, be sure to see our post, What to Serve with Pierogies – 15 Easy Recipes.
Hungry but perhaps feeling just a tad lazy? Try our Lazy Golumpki (Stuffed Cabbage Casserole). It has all the flavor without all the effort therefore perfect for the lazy cook within each of us!
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Golumpki (Gołąbki, Stuffed Cabbage)
Equipment
Ingredients
- Cabbage head
- 1 lb Ground Chuck
- 1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
- 1/2 lb cooked and crumbled bacon
- A med to large white onion chopped
- An egg
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 Family size can Tomato Soup, I prefer Campbells
- 3 oz tomato paste
- pinch of sugar
- 1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
- 1 tbs pepper, adjust to taste
- 3 cups White Vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Put cabbage head in a large stock pot, add water to cover and then add white vinegar to the water.
- Place on stove on high heat and cover, bringing to a boil.
- Gently boil cabbage until leaves of cabbage soften and become pliable.
- Remove from stove and drain water from the pot. Set aside and allow cabbage head to cool.
- Once cabbage is cooled, remove the leafs from the cabbage head. Take a paring knife and cut the lower portion of the "vein" from the leaf. This vein is very tough and needs to be removed. It will make it much easier to roll the meat mixture in the cabbage leaf. Continue to do this until you remove as many leaves from the cabbage as you can.
- In a large mixing bowl combine ground chuck, sausage, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, egg, rice, bread crumbs and finally add the salt and pepper. Make certain to thoroughly combine the ingredients together. The "meat" mixture will be a similar consistency to meatloaf. It should be nice and moist. If it seems dry, add an additional egg.
- Lay a cabbage leaf down on a flat surface thus allowing you to roll it easier. Take some of the meat mixture and form into a large meatball. You may make these as large or as small as you prefer therefore choose the size of your preference. Place the meatball in the center of the cabbage leaf. Wrap the cabbage leaf around the meat mixture (see video above).
- Place the stuffed cabbage in a roaster with the wrapped edges down in the roaster. Repeat this process placing the Golumpki next to each other, until all of the meat mixture is used up.
- Mix tomato soup, tomato paste and also a pinch of sugar.
- Pour tomato soup mixture over the top of the stuffed cabbage and reserve a small amount to be used in the next step.
- If you have cabbage leaves remaining, cover the entire top of the stuffed cabbage in the roaster.
- Pour remaining tomato soup mixture on top of the cabbage that you lined the tops of the stuffed cabbage. This step will help steam the Golumpki that lies below and therefore will keep them nice and moist.
- Put a lid on top of the roaster and bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published on November 7, 2013. This golumpki recipe will live on for generations.
This is the best stuffed cabbage recipe I’ve used. My family begs for it at special times and holidays.
3 cups of white vinegar??
That is correct. After the cabbage is boiled, the vinegar is discarded with the water.
Hi I’ve tried this recipe and it’s wonderful the same as one given to my mom from a polish neighbor she didn’t use bacon or tomato paste I tweaked it I also use ground beef veal and pork but I add lamb I will use a little more soup next time not enough gravy for my taste but it reminded me of my childhood and my children loved it thank you
Thanks for the nice feedback, Chris. We’re happy you enjoyed this recipe for Polish stuffed cabbage!
Is the test of pepper correct? Seems a bit much?
Hi Marie, this is the amount we use with this recipe. As always, adjust seasoning to your personal taste.
Thanks for the recipe from a fellow (former) Detroiter ! Absolutely a keeper.
I set out to find a recipe that would take me back to the great family functions my Polish mother-in-law used to host.
The now cherished memories of loved ones and great food.
While roasting in my oven the whole house smelled heavenly. The wife and I spent the afternoon watching old home movies from our past before sitting down to a dinner that for a short time took us back in time to the days of our youth.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback. As Scott’s family from Detroit would say, “You welcome!”
Made these today and they came out fantastic!!!! Full of flavor and so delicious! Better than other recipes I’ve tried. Will definitely keep this in rotation. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!!
Thanks for the great feedback, Robin! Try the “lazy” version sometime too!
My polish mother didn’t use the breadcrumbs and eggs. We used tomato soup and cream of mushroom soup with a little milk and cooked much longer. I am thinking of making these in the next few weeks. We also used many more onions sauteed.
Hi Karen, my mom too. But never with cream of mushroom soup. I really believe golumpki is up to you and your family how you serve.
My moms kaldolmer, which is golumpki, was the following…
Mix filling… 2 lb lean ground beef, one pound lean ground pork. Mince very finely, a big sweet onion. Sauté the onion a bit, add some minced garlic, and minced green pepper. Salt pepper pinch allspice. This is the secret.. allspice. Just a shake. The tiniest of pinches. Ketchup, shake Worcestershire sauce, an egg for each pound of meat u use… parsley. Wrapp rolls tightly seam side down in glass dish, add a ladle full of cabbage water, a can of tomato sauce, small can.. or regular organic tomato sauce.. less water. The idea is to bake them in the sauce so they stay juicy. Dust allspice on top of tomato sauce on top of cabbage. Sprinkle small handful brown sugar, dot with butter.
Cover loosely with foil nake an hour or so at 350 and serve with mashed potatoes, yum!
Thank you for the Allspice tip. I’ll try it. Our recipes are similar. Just depends what we grew up with. Thank you.
Growing up we called then “Piggies” … My dad’s side of the family is Slovak … We never baked them. My mom always put them in a pot a simmered them. The broth with a tomato base made an excellent gravy to be served over mashed potatoes … going on 60 myself now, our “Piggie” recipe is ingrained in my 2 daughters and grandchildren.
George Y.
George, Your mom’s version of “Piggies” sounds wonderful! Thanks for the great comments!
Pigs in blankets are not stuffed cabbage. They are cocktail franks wrapped in pastry, with their ends sticking out.
My Polish Grandma always called them pigs in a blanket when I was growing up.
I suppose it’s like dressing, which can be a sauce for a salad or a stuffing for a bird.
Hey Karen, he said they were called “piggies” not “pigs in a blanket. And even if that’s what his family called them, why feel the need to correct him. Sheesh.
I used prom instead of Italian sausage and double the recipe and 1 whole cabbage was plenty. Delicious
Pork, not prom
Jenn, sounds like a wonderful substitution! Thanks for the comments!
does anyone ever put nutmeg in their golumpki recipes
Sharon, we have never heard of this. Do you like nutmeg in your golumpki?
Yah he knows.. it’s a slang term for little golumpki. Piggi. Have a nice Summer. 🙂