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Chef Caroline Ishii’s vegan and gluten free cabbage rolls from her book, “The Accidental Chef: Lessons Learned in and out of the Kitchen.” Photos courtesy: Caroline Ishii.

For many Canadians, cabbage rolls bring back memories of holiday meals and comfort food, especially in the colder months. Cabbage rolls are common to the cuisines of Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. When immigrants came from these countries to Canada, they brought many delicious recipes, including their version of cabbage rolls.

But much of Western Asia, Northern China, and parts of North Africa have their own take on cabbage rolls, making it a truly multicultural dish. As a result, it’s been difficult to confirm the origin of the cabbage rolls, and multiple groups of people may have invented it at the same time some 2,000 years ago.

While living in Japan, I was surprised that cabbage rolls are also a popular comfort food in the winter. According to Just One Cookbook, a Japanese recipe website, Japanese households have enjoyed cabbage rolls since 1895, when the women’s magazine, Jokan, introduced a recipe for cabbage rolls using western green cabbage leaves. It soon became a staple of households as a western-style dish or yoshoku.

Western produce, such as celery, carrots, tomatoes, and green cabbage, was first grown in Japan for Western visitors in or near port towns in the 1850s, such as Yokohama, which opened to foreign ships in 1859. And today, green cabbage is Japan’s third most-consumed vegetable, according to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (2017), following daikon radish and onions.

Making cabbage rolls for the healthy take home food line in Ottawa. Photo courtesy: Caroline Ishii.

What about napa?

Originating in China, napa cabbage, called hakusai in Japanese, has been an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine since the 15th century. In Japan, when I referred to hakusai as napa, as I do in Canada, it often resulted in confused looks because “napa” is the Japanese term for leaf or leaves.

My aunts Helen and Betty in Toronto loved cabbage rolls and used to prepare their version of cabbage rolls, placed among the Japanese dishes at family gatherings. I thought this slightly odd at the time, but now understanding the history of cabbage rolls in Japan, this makes sense. Also, the dish combined their love of gardening, using fresh cabbage and tomatoes from their gardens, with their love of cooking and sharing food with others. And this always made sense.

In the spirit of the holidays, I’m sharing my vegan version of cabbage rolls from The Accidental Chef.

Front: Caroline and Akiko making cabbage rolls as part of a Japanese-themed pop-up dinner in Ottawa. Photo courtesy: Caroline Ishii.

The recipe uses tempeh, made from fermented soybeans formed into a block. Tempeh differs from tofu, which is made from soy milk that is curdled and pressed. Tempeh originated in Indonesia and is used in many dishes there. With a high protein content and many vitamins and minerals, it’s usually found in the freezer or refrigerated section of natural food or grocery stores and can be used like ground meat. However, because of its slightly bitter taste, it is best baked in a sauce before use or combined in strong-flavoured dishes.

You can replace the tempeh in the recipe with other plant-based products like veggie ground round, a popular ready-to-use product for your dishes found in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets. However, it is often not gluten-free, containing wheat and other ingredients.

Cabbage rolls provide comfort to people worldwide, and sharing them with family and friends brings us closer together, contributing to joy and world peace. Wishing you a holiday season and a new year filled with delicious taste memories!

With love and gratitude to Nikkei Voice for continuing to invite me to contribute articles, and to you, the reader, for following me on my journey.

—Caroline

Cabbage Rolls (vegan and gluten-free)

Yield: About eighteen rolls.

To make the tomato sauce:

1. Put the tomatoes and red wine in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for twenty minutes.
2. Near the end, add the vinegar and sugar and simmer, stirring for a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the filling:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and spices and stir for a few minutes. Stir in the tempeh and cook for a few minutes. Then, add the carrots and rice.

To prepare the cabbage rolls:

1. First, core the cabbage with a sharp paring knife. Bring to boil a large pot with water. Carefully place the cored cabbage in hot water.
2. Using tongs, gently transfer the outer leaves of the cabbage to a colander as they blanch and come off easily when ready.
3. Rinse the leaves with cold water. Lay on towels to dry. Then lay the cabbage leaves, rib side down, on a flat surface. Run a rolling pin over them to crush the spine.
4. Spoon about ¼ cup or more of the filling onto each leaf, just above the stem. Fold the end and sides over the filling and roll up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
5. Place the finished rolls, seam side down, in a baking dish with a layer of sauce and cabbage leaves (use leaves that don’t work for rolling) at the bottom.
6. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls, ideally halfway up the side, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
7. Bake in a 350 F oven for about one and a half hours until the leaves have softened. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve the cabbage rolls with sour cream on top or the side. It tastes even better the next day and when shared with others!

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THIS ARTICLE WAS REPRINTED FROM NIKKEI VOICE’S HOLIDAY 2022 ISSUE. 

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