Gołąbki is a cabbage roll common in Polish cuisine made from lightly soft-boiled cabbage leaves wrapped around minced pork or beef, chopped onions, and rice or barley, which are baked in a casserole dish and are usually served with a creamy tomato sauce.
Gołabki translates literally as “little pigeons.” Once these cabbage rolls are nestled in a casserole dish, it isn’t hard to see where they got their name! Gołąbki are also referred to as golumpki, golabki, golumpkies, golumpkis or gwumpki.
Recipe for tomato sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) cooking oil
1 tbsp flour
1 can (8 oz/225 g) tomato paste
2 tbsp sour cream
water or broth
optional: salt, pepper, garlic, dried herbs, sugar
1. Lightly fry the oil and add in flour, mixing quickly to prevent lumps.
2. Add in the tomato paste, mixing quickly, and then the sour cream. If the sauce is too thick, add in some water or broth.
3. When you achieve a uniform color, add herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, or sugar to taste.
Recipe for Gołąbki
1 head of white cabbage
½ lb (500 g) ground beef
1 onion
3 cups (750 g) cooked white rice
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 qt (1 l) of broth
1. Submerge the whole cabbage head in boiling water, and cook on low heat for about 5–10 minutes. Take the cabbage out, let it cool, then carefully peel off the cabbage leaves. Put aside a couple of the outermost leaves, they will be used to cover the baking dish.
2. Prepare the filling: Fry the ground beef and diced onion in cooking oil until browned. Cook the rice and mix well with the ground beef, onion, egg, salt, and pepper.
3. Place about a quarter cup of filling in the center of each cabbage leaf, then fold two opposite sides of the leaf about 1 inch (2.5 cm) towards the center, and roll the leaf from the third side to the opposite end.
4. Grease an ovenproof baking dish, and place some single cabbage leaves on the bottom. Put in the cabbage rolls tightly side by side and completely cover with the broth, which can be made from vegetables or a bouillon cube.
5. Cover the dish and bake in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. You can also cook the cabbage rolls in a deep frying pan on low heat for the same amount of time.
Smacznego! Enjoy your meal!
