Stuffed Kale Rolls

A kale roll is just my spin on the traditional cabbage roll and is a dish consisting of cooked stuffed kale leaves wrapped around a filling. The kale can be stuffed with any number of ingredients depending who and where in the world they are being made.

In Europe, the filling is traditionally based around meat, often beef, and is seasoned with garlic, onion, and spices. Grains such as rice and vegetables are often included. The leaves are stuffed with the filling which are then baked, simmered or steamed in a covered pot and generally eaten warm with a sauce.

The sauce also varies widely by cuisine. In Eastern Europe, tomato-based sauces are typical.

 
Stuffed Kale Rolls are just my spin on the traditional cabbage roll and is a dish consisting of cooked stuffed kale leaves wrapped around a filling.
 
I tried this recipe out on my husband and it went over well. Even my daughter liked the filling though I could not yet convince her to eat the greens.
Kale has such a wonderful flavor to me and is my favorite leafy green vegetable so I was pretty excited to try my hand at this twist on the classic cabbage roll.  Not to mention that dark green vegetables have more health benefits over their light green cousins so it’s really a win-win situation for my family. Enjoy!
 
 Looking for more recipes rich in leafy greens? Try these Meatballs Florentine.
 
Stuffed Kale Rolls are just my spin on the traditional cabbage roll and is a dish consisting of cooked stuffed kale leaves wrapped around a filling.v

Stuffed Kale Rolls

Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming
Stuffed Kale Rolls are just my spin on the traditional cabbage roll and is a dish consisting of cooked stuffed kale leaves wrapped around a filling.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine polish
Servings 20 rolls
Calories 213 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 7 oz kale , bunch of kale cleaned with thick vein portion removed (about 7 oz)
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 large onion minced
  • 1 Tbsp garlic , minced
  • 28 oz tomato sauce , can
  • 2 cups rice , raw, not quick cook
  • 28 oz petite diced tomatoes , can
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Bring a pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Dip each kale leave into the water for a few seconds until it becomes tender enough to roll. It will turn a nice bright shade of green which I used as my indicator. Quickly remove from the water and drain.
  • Saute onion and garlic in a large skillet until the onions are opaque, about 3 - 5 minutes. allow to cool until it is able to be handled. Then add meat, salt and pepper to taste, and rice and mix until combined being careful not to overwork the meat blend so it doesn't get too dense and will stay tender during cooking.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Next, add a bit of sauce, just enough to cover the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan as you will need the rest to cover the rolls when you are finished.
  • Now take 1 leaf, bottom (vein) side up, and place about 1/4 cup of meat into the bottom 3/4 of the leaf and roll it up tucking in the sides to secure the meat similar to rolling a burrito. If the leaves are too small to tuck in the edges, as was the case with mine, no bother, I left them open and it turned out equally as fine with half the work.
  • Repeat until all the meat and leaves have been used. If you have extras of either, I tuck the meat in between the rows and/or layer the extra leaves on top of the other cabbage rolls and then top with the tomato sauce and petite diced tomatoes.
  • Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 90 minutes or until a thermometer stuck into the center of the largest roll reaches 160°F.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 11gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 296mgPotassium: 448mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1248IUVitamin C: 19mgVitamin D: 1µgVitamin E: 1mgVitamin K: 74µgCalcium: 49mgFolate: 18µgIron: 2mgZinc: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

8 thoughts on “Stuffed Kale Rolls”

  1. I stumbled upon your recipe looking for ways to use an abundance of kale. I just made these with Red Russian kale from my garden. They were amazing! So much better than cabbage rolls. I cooked them in a crock pot with tomato sauce for several hours. Kale was very tender and the filling was moist & tasty. Thank you for a fantastic recipe.

    Reply
  2. Just wondering, is the meat not fully cooked then when you put it in the rolls? I wasn’t sure, you said just mix it till combined so the rice is almost complete uncooked and the beef would be not very cooked before wrapping, right?

    Thanks! The recipe sounds yummy and I can’t wait to try it :)

    Reply
  3. What would be a good side dish for these? Looks amazing and my garden is BURSTING with kale right now. What a creative way to use it up!

    Reply
    • I usually make a side of roasted parsley potatoes since they can roast in the oven along with the rolls on the second rack. If you are afraid of having both rice and potatoes, we do also like roasted broccoli and cauliflower both vegetables pair well with the red sauce from the rolls. Standard fare on our table is also a fresh salad made from diced or sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and sweet white vidalia onions. I do hope you enjoy it. Thanks for taking the time to stop in and leave a comment.

      Reply

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