Napa Cabbage Rolls

If you want an easy, fun meal that will satisfy everyone, this is it. If you have kids in the house, they’ll enjoy helping to fill these delicious rolls.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4-6

Tools: 9 x 13 baking dish

Ingredients

  • 1 package plain tempeh
  • 2 cups cooked brown or basmati rice
  • 1 head Napa cabbage
  • 1 yellow pepper, cored and diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 Tbls. garlic puree
  • 3 green onions, diced
  • 2 Tbls. sesame seeds, black or white

Sauce

  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger, or 1 tsp. ginger powder
  • 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbls. Tamari or soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Separate 10-12 cabbage leaves and wash them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Let the cabbage blanch for about 2 minutes, then drain and let cool.
  3. Lay them out and cover with a paper towel. Using a rolling pin, or other similar object, gently roll over the stem ends to flatten each leaf.
  4. Break or cut the tempeh block into small, same-sized pieces.
  5. Chop the carrots and pepper and onion into the same sized pieces, also.
  6. Heat a large pan. You’ll know it’s hot enough when water droplets jump off. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring and adding small amounts of water, broth or soy sauce to keep from sticking.
  7. Stir the tempeh into the onions, adding a splash of tamari or soy sauce.
  8. Add the garlic, carrots and pepper pieces next, and 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Stir, then cover the pan and let cook for 4 minutes, then stir in the cooked rice and remove from heat.
  9. Put all the sauce ingredients (except for chopped peanuts) in a small bowl and whisk until fully combined. It should be thick enough to pour.
  10. Spoon about 1/3-1/2 cup of the tempeh/rice/vegetable mix into the center of each cabbage leaf with the stem end facing you. Fold in the sides first, then roll up the leaf, placing it seam side down in the baking dishes. Do this with the rest of the cabbage leaves and tempeh/rice/vegetable mixture.
  11. When the baking dish is full of cabbage rolls, pour the peanut ginger sauce over all the rolls and bake for 30 minutes.
  12. When done, serve with a garnish of the chopped peanuts, sesame seeds and green onions, and extra sauce if you have any!