Traditional Homemade Stuffed Cabbage for Simchas Torah
Call it what you want, stuffed cabbage is a must on Simchas Torah, and this one is just like my grandmother used to make it!

I don’t think I know any two people who actually call it the same thing, pronounced the same way.
Stuffed cabbage
Chaluptches
Kapusta
And that’s just to name a few! But regardless of what it’s called, we all eat it on Simchas Torah night. Stuffed Cabbage is traditional then, as the rolled-up cabbage represents the rolled-up Torah scrolls we dance with.
For years, my grandmother always made this for us, and as a girl, I never really cared for it. At most, if I was eating it, I would peel off the cabbage (which, by the way, is now my favorite part!) and eat the inside.
I remember going to my grandmother’s house and watching her make it. I was fascinated by the way she rolled the cabbage and made each one so perfectly. When I got older and wanted to make it myself, no matter how many times she attempted to describe the process to me on the phone, I never understood it — until I went to visit her and watched her do it in person — which is why I’ve included here a video of me rolling the cabbage.
This dish is definitely a labor of love. It’s not my typical easy, one-bowl, dump dish, but it’s well worth it. And it can be made in advance as it freezes amazingly.
(I have a little secret to tell you. I actually once served stuffed cabbage that I had frozen very well from the previous year! My guests all raved over how amazing it was and I only told them after they ate it that it was so old. No one believed me!)


Many stuffed cabbage recipes call for raw rice and for years I made it that way, but I never found that the rice cooked properly, even when I slow-cooked the stuffed cabbage. So I started making it with pre-cooked rice and it comes out much better.
I know that stuffed cabbage is traditionally made on the stovetop, but there’s no way I am going to stand over a pot of cabbage rolls watching it cook. I like to make it directly in a nice oven-to-table dish. It’s easier to serve that way and looks pretty on the table. Making it in the oven comes out just as delicious as stovetop cooking, without the hassle and with no pot to wash!


Homemade Stuffed Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cabbage
Meat Filling
- 1¼ cups cooked rice
- 1 egg
- 2½ lbs. ground beef (approx.)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Sauce
- 1 24-oz. can crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce*)
- 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Freeze the head of cabbage for 24-48 hours, the longer the better. Let it completely defrost. This will soften the leaves.
- Preheat oven to 350℉ for regular baking, 200℉ for overnight.
- Remove the outer 4-6 leaves and discard. Separate remaining leaves, being careful not to rip them.
- In a bowl, combine all filling ingredients.
- Take a small handful of filling and place in the center of a cabbage leaf. Fold in the sides and roll up.
- Place in a pan or oven-to-table dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together sauce ingredients and pour over cabbage rolls.
- Cover tightly and bake on 350℉ for 2 hours. Alternatively, you can bake overnight on 200℉ for 8 hours. (This gives it a delicious, deep flavor.)
Notes

Recipe by Faigy Murray | https://mykitchenmystudio.com/traditional-homemade-stuffed-cabbage-for-simchas-torah/