Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Want to enjoy a hearty and satisfying favorite with a little less guilt? If you love Easy Stuffed Cabbage, especially the traditional Middle Eastern take on Malfoof with meat and rice, you’re going to fall in love with this slightly healthier version: Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. A new take on a classic flavorful dish that combines zesty, aromatic, and savory flavors.

---

---

Low Carb Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This recipe is identical to Easy Stuffed Cabbage- Malfoof recipe with one difference- switching out rice for quinoa. That simple swap can make for a change-up in texture, flavor, and more importantly, health benefits. Pretty much everything else from the stuffing ingredients to the sauce is the same! If you’d like to go even healthier or lighter, leave out the meat altogether for a vegan take on stuffed cabbage rolls!

---

---

Why use Quinoa?

Often considered a superfood, quinoa has more nutrients than most grains of its caliber. It is commonly prepared and eaten like oatmeal or other cereal-type grains. It also very popularly prepared like rice and in place of rice like I have done in this Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe.

Quinoa usually has a crunchy texture in its raw form similar to rice. It’s a great alternative for people who have gluten allergies or sensitivity. For a soft texture, it’s usually boiled and is used in soups, salads, or stuffing and can be made into a porridge.

Benefits of Quinoa

Quinoa does have carbs, in fact 21% of its makeup is carbs. In comparison to other grains, it’s not a high percentage, but it’s also definitely not a low carb grain. But, its many other health benefits are important and outweigh most other grains that can be used in the stuffing of this dish, including rice.

• It’s very high in fiber, beating even brown rice and corn
• Full of amino acids which provide a great source of protein
• Packed with iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc
• known to lower blood sugar levels
• may aid in weight loss
• gluten-free
• contains quercetin and kaempferol which have been known to be anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, and anti-viral

---

Ingredients for Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

• cabbage heads

Stuffing

• ground meat
• white quinoa
• onions; minced
• garlic; minced
• seven spices
• sumac
• oil
• salt to taste
• citric acid
• black pepper

Broth

• oil
• warm water
• garlic; crushed
• bouillon cubes
• lemons; juiced
• black pepper
• seven spices

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker (optional)

---

---

Preparing and Cooking Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

1. At the root of the cabbage cut deep with a knife around in square form.  After cutting well, pull the root out with a fork.
2. Place the cabbage head in boiling water for 20 minutes or so, until it becomes tender and leaves start to slightly fall off. 
3. Don’t over boil since leaves will become too soft to roll. Drain cabbage and begin to separate leaf by leaf.  With a knife cut horizontally the tip of each leaf that is hard to smooth out surface and the leaf becomes foldable.
4. Mix all ingredients under “cabbage stuffing”.  You can add more salt to taste. I usually taste the mix (I don’t swallow it) then fix salt to your liking.
5. Put about 2 tablespoons of the meat and quinoa mix in one whole leaf or half the leaf, fold in from the right then the left of leaf and begin to roll.  Line up the rolled cabbage in a pressure cooker or a large pot.
6. Mix all ingredients under “broth”, then pour over rolled cabbage in pressure cooker pot.  Set pressure cooker to 18 minutes.
7. Once done, you can taste it, adjust any flavors in the broth if needed. Note: Once the pressure is released, leave the stuffed cabbage in for about an hour or so, it really allow the flavors to soak in.
8. Drain most of the water out by placing a plate over the cabbage inside the pot. Enjoy with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

---

Other Great Healthy Recipes

• Grilled Lime and Cilantro Shrimp
• The Best Chicken Healing Soup
• Stacked Beef Shawarma Salad
• Honey Soy Glazed Salmon
• Roasted Eggplant Salad
• Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette Chef Salad
• Vegetarian Grape Leaves
• Low Carb Turmeric Cake- Sfoof
• Tuna Salad
• Cauliflower Tahini Bake

---