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Cabbage Rolls are an old polish tradition. Although I do not have Polish heritage, I think I’ve finally mastered my own version of diabetic-friendly low-carb cabbage rolls, another perfect addition to our diabetic-friendly recipes.
Cabbage rolls are delicious comfort food that is perfect when you want to have a simple meal with little cleanup. We use cauliflower rice in our recipe, which is a must-have for every diabetic-friendly kitchen.
Many recipes call for the standard green cabbage. I have tried a few different types of cabbage and I find that Savoy cabbage is the best for rolling. The leaves are thinner and much more pliable. They are ideal for rolling.
You could also use Chinese cabbage, but they are much more expensive (at least near me).
The Savoy cabbage leaves are thinner, they don’t require cooking for long periods before rolling. Using a standard green cabbage head requires cooking much longer to make them easier to roll. My husband’s grandmother used to cook the head all afternoon to get the leaves to roll easily.
This recipe for low carb cabbage rolls, calls for 12 large leaves. I usually boil the entire head (remove the core first) and use a few extra leaves as a base in the baking dish for the cabbage rolls. The remainder of the head I chop for soup.
Traditional cabbage roll recipes usually end up with a calorie count of around 400 – 425 and 35-40 grams of carb per serving. This recipe for low carb cabbage rolls brings the calories down to 297 calories and 12 grams of carb per serving. For us diabetics trying to keep our blood sugars in the normal range, this is a true bonus!
In this recipe for low carb cabbage rolls, I use riced cauliflower in place of regular rice. My family doesn’t even notice any difference in the taste, and actually prefers this recipe to the rice version. These low carb cabbage rolls end up juicer than the rice version.
If you are not a cauliflower lover, don’t worry, there is no strong cauliflower taste. You can buy frozen riced cauliflower in the supermarket. I find it a bit pricey for what you get.
You can grate the cauliflower with a grater or put it into a food processor. You will get about four times the amount for the same price. You can buy a large head of cauliflower and use what you need for this recipe and save the rest of the head for another meal. Who doesn’t love to save money?
Kitchen tools needed for this recipe for low carb cabbage rolls
- large pot for boiling cabbage
- large skillet
- grater or food processor (if making your own riced cauliflower)
- a tablespoon or small scoop
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cutting board
- chef’s knife
- 9″ x 13″ baking dish
Grocery list for Low carb cabbage rolls recipe
- ground beef
- head of cabbage
- riced cauliflower
- onion
- mushrooms (canned)
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- tomato sauce
- Splenda granulated sweetener
Low Carb Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Low Carb Cabbage rolls
Ingredients
- 18 large cabbage leaves
- 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 cup riced cauliflower
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 1 4 oz can of mushroom pieces, drained
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp Splenda sweetener
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°f.
- Using a sharp knife, remove the core from the cabbage.
- In a large pot, bring enough water to a boil.to completely cover the cabbage
- Reduce heat to simmer and simmer for at least half an hour (make sure cabbage is not resting on the bottom of the pan, it should be floating)
- While the cabbage is simmering, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef and chopped onion.
- add the salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix thoroughly.
- Stir in riced cauliflower and mushroom p[ieces and combine well.
- Once the cabbage is cooked, remove the outer leaves with tongs and continue to simmer until you have removed enough leaves for the recipe.
- Spray the baking dish with non stick cooking spray and line with 6 cabbage leaves.
- On a flat surface place a cabbage leaf and fill with 2-3 tablespoons of the ground beef mixture.
- Tightly roll the cabbage roll and place, seam side down into the lined baking dish.
- Repeat for the rest of the cabbage rolls.
- in a small mixing bowl combine tomato sauce, lemon juice, Splenda and water and mix well.
- Spread the sauce over the cabbage rolls and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 375°in the oven for 50 minutes
How to make Cauliflower Rice
How to make Cauliflower rice using a grater:
Remove the leaves from the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into large chunks. Using a box grater, grate the cauliflower into rice-sized pieces.
How to make cauliflower rice using a food processor:
Remove leaves from the cauliflower and wash. Cut into chunks nf place into a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower until it is in rice-sized pieces.
How to store your homemade cauliflower rice
Place in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days, or freeze in Ziploc bags for up to 2 months.
Check out another great recipe – for Easy to make Low carb Maple Soy Salmon
Thanks for visiting The Naked Diabetic, where we are simplifying diabetic life.
Disclaimer -This post may contain affiliate links. When a purchase is made through our links, The Naked Diabetic may receive a commission, at no cost to you.
