Cabbage Roll in a Bowl

1

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and shallots and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.

2

Add the ground turkey to the skillet. Break it apart with a spatula, cooking until browned and fully cooked, about 5–7 minutes.

3

Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, onion powder, and thyme. Cook for 1–2 minutes, allowing the spices to toast and the tomato paste to caramelize slightly.

4

Add the chopped cabbage to the skillet. Stir well to coat it with the seasonings. Cover the skillet and let the cabbage cook down for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and mix well to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and the flavours are well blended. Add the sauerkraut and its juice to the skillet in the last five minutes of cooking to preserve some of the beneficial gut bacteria!

6

Stir in the fresh dill and taste for seasoning, adjusting with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm over rice.

7

If you'd like to cook the rice directly in the dish for a one-pot meal, follow these adjustments: Once the cabbage has been added and cooked down slightly, stir in ½ cup of uncooked long-grain rice (such as basmati or jasmine) into the mixture. Add an additional 1 to 1½ cups of water or broth to the skillet to ensure the rice has enough liquid to cook. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Proceed with stirring in the sauerkraut and fresh dill then adjusting seasonings as needed.

8

Substitutions: Feel free to substitute the ground turkey for ground beef, chicken or even veggie mince to make this dish vegetarian.

9

Note: There is no mention of adding salt to this recipe and that is intentional! Depending on the sauerkraut you use you may need to add more salt at the end of cooking, taste your dish as you go and add salt slowly if needed.