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a spoon of Lebanese unstuffed cabbage (Malfoof) with rice and ground beef
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5 from 6 votes

Unstuffed Cabbage-Malfoof

This Unstuffed Cabbage-Malfoof recipe combines all the delicious flavors of stuffed cabbage rolls with a lot less time and effort.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keyword: deconstructed cabbage rolls, Inside-out cabbage rolls, lazy cabbage recipe, unstuffed cabbage, unstuffed malfoof recipe
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Lama

Ingredients

  • 1 cabbage heads large
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cups short grain rice
  • 2 onions cubed
  • 10 garlic minced
  • ¾ tablespoon seven spices or all spice
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon salt or to taste
  • ½ cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

The Broth

  • 6 cups warm water
  • 3 bouillon cubes

Instructions

The Stuffing

  • Boil 1 head of cabbage for 30-40 minutes or until the leaves get soft . Once done, strain then cut around the root of the cabbage then remove the root.  Cut cabbage in half then cut in slices vertically then horizontally to chop into cubes. 
  • In a separate large pot (easier to mix ingredients) add 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions to cook for about 3 minutes then add the ground beef and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until meat is cooked.
  • Now add the washed and drained rice, seven spices, sumac, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, ½ cup olive oil oil and the lemon juice.  Then add the cubed cabbage and mix well.
  • Pour the broth mixture over. Taste the broth and adjust salt to your liking. Mix well while on high heat and the broth has come to a boil. Cover then simmer for 30 -35 minutes.  (You will notice that the rice will be moist when the meal is finished, that is perfect and how it should be served).

The Broth

  • In a large bowl, mix the ingredients until the bouillon cubes have dissolved.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge. 
Make Ahead Tips: You can  prepare the cabbage in advance and store it in the fridge. 
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is because it is measured perfectly. However here are some few substitutions:
  • You can use ground lamb instead of ground beef.
  • Avoid using brown rice because it takes longer time in cooking.
  • You can cut the recipe in half.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 1042mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg