Overview: Behind every great family recipe is a remarkable story. Discover the incredible twist of fate that saved a family from the Titanic and brought them safely to a new life—complete with family heirlooms and a legendary tradition of hospitality. Bring a taste of history and pure comfort to your kitchen with (gluten-free/dairy-free) Bubbie Ruth’s Cabbage Rolls, tender meat-and-rice rolls simmered low and slow for hours in a rich, sweet, tomatoey sauce. Serve it warm with a big hunk of challah to soak up every last drop!
I will tell you about this beloved family recipe in a moment, but first let me share a story: In 1912, my Great Bubbie Annie—my Bubbie Ruth’s mother—was six years old. She and her sister Rose, who was then three, and their mother were supposed to board a ship to meet my great-great-grandfather in New York. But when they tried to leave Poland for England to meet the ship about three weeks before it was scheduled to depart, they were told that they needed to pay $200 as a “departure tax” to leave the country—more than they could afford. It turns out this twist of fate saved my entire family and is the reason I was born. They didn’t get on that ship to New York—a certain boat named the Titanic—and in the end, they relocated to Canada instead. The journey wasn’t an easy one, and their only possessions of value were the beautiful brass candlesticks that they’d lit every Friday night for generations to welcome Shabbat.
My Bubbie Ruth is one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to food. She was always hosting meals at her house, and it didn’t matter whether she’d known you her whole life or for five minutes; when you walked in, you were family—and you were fed. There would be a million different chocolate-covered treats in bowls, dishes of roasted peppers and jams, and plates upon plates of food. One of my favorite recipes of hers was this meat-and-rice-stuffed cabbage dish, which she grew up making with her mom. From the time I was seven, I was requesting that she make it for me. I loved—and still do—how buttery the cabbage gets from cooking low and slow for hours in a sweet, tomatoey sauce. My favorite way to eat this dish is to sop it all up with a big hunk of challah! To have a serving is to know a bubbie’s love.
Bubbie Ruth’s Cabbage Rolls
(Dairy-Free / Gluten-Free)
For the Sauce
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large white onion, halved
For the Filling
- 1 large head of cabbage (make sure it’s nice and firm)
- 1 pound lean (80/20) ground beef
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Make the sauce: In a large pot, stir together the crushed tomatoes, stock, brown sugar, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the onion halves and 1 cup water, stir, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until it tastes delish, about 1 hour.
Prep the cabbage: Peel off any damaged or wilted outer leaves of the cabbage. Then place the cabbage on a cutting board, stem side up. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut a cone-shaped incision around the core, cutting deep enough so that you can remove the entire core. Gently pull out the core and discard.
Make the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and boil until the outer layers are soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
Carefully remove the cabbage from the pot and allow it to cool just enough so you can handle it comfortably. Peel off the soft leaves from the tougher inner leaves and set aside. Return the center of the cabbage to the pot and boil until soft, another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cabbage and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice, egg, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix until thoroughly combined.
Assemble the rolls: Lay one cabbage leaf on a cutting board or clean work surface. Scoop a handful of the filling mixture into your palm and gently roll into a log. Place the filling at the bottom of the cabbage leaf, then tightly roll the cabbage over the filling. Repeat until you’ve used all the filling.
When the sauce is done simmering, carefully nestle the rolls into the pot so they are all submerged. Cover and cook until the cabbage is buttery soft and the filling is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove the onion from the sauce and discard or freeze to use at a later date for veggie broth.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Ladle a layer of the sauce into the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the rolls in a single layer in the dish, then pour any remaining sauce from the pot over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Gently flip the rolls and bake for another 30 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbly and the cabbage leaves are tender and easily pierced with a fork or knife. Serve warm.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Spoon them over rice or enjoy with a nice bowl of chicken soup.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In her debut cookbook, Everything Delish: 100+ Simple Recipes for Making What You Want to Eat and Nailing It Every Time (September 2026), Jamie Milne offers an answer. The Everything Delish creator shares approachable, flavor-packed recipes designed to help home cooks get dinner on the table with less stress, including meals that can come together in 30 minutes or less. Jamie has built a community of more than four million followers by making cooking feel clear, achievable, and worth looking forward to. Drawing on her background as a teacher, she breaks down recipes in a way that helps parents spend less time planning, avoid dinner decision fatigue, and feel more confident in the kitchen.
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Cover photo is courtesy of Avery Publishing
