Hungarian Savoy Cabbage Casserole is a layered bake with blanched savoy cabbage leaves, a spicy and tomato-y rice and vegan mince mix, plus lots of sour cream. It’s a budget-friendly and comforting dish, that’s very easy to make, and is totally customizable.
This is another meal from my childhood. Savoy Cabbage Casserole, aka Rakott Kel is a popular dish in Hungary. It’s a cheap and easy dish that is full of flavors, thanks to the well spiced rice mixture. Traditionally people use pork in this dish, however my family used to make a vegetarian version of this, by simply omitting the meat completely. I used to make that version myself for a long time, but since vegan minced meat is widely available now in every supermarket, I sometimes like to use it here too.
What I love about this dish (besides reminding me of my childhood) is that you get a little bit of everything in each bite: soft cabbage, spicy tomato-y rice, savory vegan meat, and looooots of creamy and tangy sour cream. It’s all hearty, favorful, delicious, and simply perfect on a cold day.
And even though there are quite some ingredients we use here, it’s still a very easy recipe to make. You can also prepare the rice mixture ahead of time, and there are many ways to change up the filling depending on what you have at home.
Hungarian Savoy Cabbage Casserole is….
- vegan and completely plant-based
- budget-friendly
- easy to make
- comforting and filling
- savory and flavorful
- spicy and tomato-y
- packed with cabbage and rice
- great for meal prep
- perfect for cozy days
- easily customizable
- a delicious Hungarian classic
How to make Hungarian Savoy Cabbage Casserole
Start by making the rice and meat layer. Heat some oil in a large skillet, then add diced onions and vegan mince. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and meat is cooked.
Add tomato paste and paprika paste and cook for another minute. Pour in red wine, then add diced tomatoes, miso, soy sauce, and all your spices. Let everything cook together for about 5 minutes so the flavors can properly develop.
Add (leftover) cooked rice and mix everything well. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
While the filling is cooking, prepare the cabbage leaves. Cut out the thick stems and cut the leaves in half if they’re very large. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the leaves for 20 to 30 seconds, then transfer them straight into cold water. Blanching isn’t absolutely necessary, but it makes the leaves softer and easier to layer, and gives them a nicer texture after baking.
To assemble the casserole, cover the bottom of a large baking dish with a layer of cabbage leaves. Add rice and vegan mince mixture, then cover with the remaining cabbage leaves. Spread vegan sour cream evenly over the top.
Bake at 360°F/180°C for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. Let it cool for a few minutes, then slice, and serve with extra vegan sour cream on top.
Customize it the way you like it!
- If you don’t have savoy cabbage, tuscan kale is a great alternative here
- You can use store-bought vegan mince for this recipe, or go for TVP or crumbled (smoked) tofu instead. Or use one of your favorite homemade minced meat alternative, like chopped mushrooms, lentils, or ground walnuts. Of course, you can also simply omit the meat part completely
- Feel free to play around with the seasoning of your rice layer. Make it spicier, more garlicky, herby….whatever you like. A little Marmite, nutritional yeast, or vegan Worcestershire sauce are all fun extras to add
- You can use store-bought vegan sour cream here, or go for a cheaper and healthier option with my Sunflower Seed Sour Cream. Blended silken tofu is another delicious option
More delicious Hungarian recipes to try:
- Hungarian Potato Casserole
- Stuffed Cabbage with Mushroom and Tempeh
- Mushroom Paprikash
- Hungarian Style Tofu Pasta
- Green Pea Soup w/ Pinched Noodles
- Hungarian Cabbage Noodles
- Bread Dumplings w/ Root Vegetable Sauce & Roasted Mushrooms
- Hungarian Potato Pasta
- Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole
Vegan Hungarian Savoy Cabbage Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 8 large savoy cabbage leaves
- 2 cups vegan sour cream
Rice and Meat Layer
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 7 oz / 200 g vegan minced meat
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp paprika paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
- 1 tbsp miso
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp mushroom powder (ground dried mushrooms)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 3 cups cooked rice
- salt, pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat up oil in a large skillet, then add chopped onions and vegan minced meat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent and meat is cooked.
- Add tomato and paprika paste, and cook for another minute, just so they caramelize a bit.
- Pour in red wine, and add diced tomatoes, miso, soy sauce, and all your seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing everything is cook together.
- Now add cooked rice, and mix everything well together. Taste, and adjust taste if needed.
- While meat-rice mixture is cooking, prepare savoy cabbage leaves. Cut out the stems, and half the leaves if they are too large.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the savoy cabbage leaves, and blanch them for 20-30 seconds, just so they soften a little. Transfer immediately to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. You can also skip blanching the leaves, since it’s not essential, but it makes the leaves easier to work with, plus they get a better texture after baking.
- Arrange leaves in large casserole dish, covering the whole bottom of the dish. Add rice and meat mixture, then the rest of the savoy cabbage leaves. Spread vegan sour cream on top.
- Bake savoy cabbage casserole for 45-60 minutes at 360°F / 180°C, or until the top browns. Serve with extra sour cream on top. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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