Polish Stuffed Cabbage / Gołąbki

These delicious cabbage rolls are a very unique main dish that is recognized in every region of Slavic Central Europe. “Ga-WUMP-ki”, are a fabulous delicacy often served at family celebrations and holidays. If you make too many, the leftovers will re-heat in the microwave the next day, tasting even better than the day you cooked them. Most families have a secret recipe they follow, and my family has one as well.

Our family recipe was much more time-consuming than necessary. It called for par-boiling the cabbage to make the leaves pliable for the stuffing. It made the outer leaves very soggy and the inside leaves firm. The new method of freezing the cabbage and then defrosting it was an ingenious alternative. I’ll never forget how my mother was beaming the first time she tried it! It opened up a whole new effortless recipe idea that made Polish Stuffed Cabbages easier and dare I say, fun.

My contribution to the new and easier family recipe was to cook them in my slow cooker. You see, cabbage is notorious for burning on the bottom of the pot, even on the lowest of flames, leaving behind a stink in the kitchen unlike any other! The only way to avoid that situation is by lining the bottom of the pot and  diligently watching it simmer all day. Others cooks have baked the cabbage rolls in the oven, but they don’t become tenderized and are much chewier when they are baked.  Our authentic Polish recipe is perfected to today’s standards and is easier without sacrificing taste!