Cabbage rolls with meat and buckwheat
by Tavolino
Traditional Polish cabbage rolls with a filling of ground meat, buckwheat, and dried mushrooms, simmered in a delicate tomato sauce.

Ingredients
- dried mushrooms 25 g
- ground meat 700 g
- buckwheat 100 g
- onion 1 piece
- savoy cabbage 1 piece
- broth 1500 ml
- tomato purée 300 g
- tomato paste 1 tablespoon
- all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon
- salt 1 pinch
- pepper 1 pinch
- dried oregano 1 tablespoon
- paprika powder 1 teaspoon
Preparation
- 1
Soak the dried mushrooms overnight. The next day, cook covered until soft for 30 minutes.
- 2
Rinse the buckwheat, cover with 200 ml of water, add salt, and cook for 15 minutes. Let the liquid evaporate and cool down.
- 3
Remove the mushrooms from the liquid and grind them in a food processor together with the onion.
- 4
In a bowl, mix 700 g of ground meat, the ground mushrooms with onion, and the cooked buckwheat. Season with salt and pepper, and knead well.
- 5
Form small, oblong patties from the meat mixture.
- 6
Cut the core out of the cabbage. Place in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, gradually removing the softened leaves.
- 7
Trim the thick veins from the cabbage leaves. Place a portion of the meat mixture on each leaf and roll up tightly like croquettes.
- 8
Line the bottom of a large pot with the remaining cabbage leaves. Arrange the cabbage rolls on top, seam side down.
- 9
Pour 1500 ml of broth over the cabbage rolls, cover, and cook for 45 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
- 10
Add 300 g of tomato purée and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, then gently shake the pot.
- 11
Mix 1 tablespoon of flour with a tablespoon of sauce from the pot to ensure there are no lumps. Pour into the pot and stir.
- 12
Season with 1 tablespoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.