These Chinese Style Vegan "Pork" Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are packed full of flavour! The filling is made with OmniPork, a vegan pork substitute. Get the recipe below.
What are Chinese Style Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?
Stuffed cabbage rolls appear on menus around the world. Regardless of where they are made, the are usually a dish made up of cooked cabbage leaves that are used to wrap up a minced meat or grain based filling. Vegetables, herbs and spices local to the region are used to flavour the filling. In some cultures fermented cabbage leaves are used. Once rolled, the cabbage rolls might be baked, simmered or steamed in a pot. They are then usually eaten hot with a dipping sauce.
My Vegan "Pork" Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are inspired by flavours often found in Chinese cuisine. This recipe also uses the steaming method which is common in China when preparing this dish. I have, however adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for my diet. For example, rather than using pork mince which is traditional, I've used OmniPork, a vegan pork substitute which was made with Asian cooking in mind.
Which cabbage is best for stuffed cabbage rolls?
I mentioned earlier that different cultures use different types of cabbage: usually whichever is native to that region. If this were a more authentic recipe I would have used Chinese Cabbage but I had a savoy cabbage in my veg bag and so opted to use a cabbage type that grows locally to me.
If you do want to use Chinese cabbage the method is pretty much the same. The stems on Chinese cabbage are not quite as thick as on a savoy cabbage though so you can skip the part where we trim off the thickest part of the stem.
What is the vegan pork filling made of?
When I first posted a picture of these stuffed cabbage rolls on my instagram, people thought I had started eating pork again. But no. The filling is made out of OmniPork which, in my opinion, is one of the most exciting vegan innovations that has recently come to market.
The company behind OmniPork did extensive research on Asian food and cooking practices to come up with a vegan pork substitute that was perfect for using in Asian dishes. It's made from shitake mushrooms, peas, soy and rice and looks, feels, and tastes just like pork.
Honestly, since turning vegetarian I've never tasted anything quite like it. I know that this will put off some vegetarians and vegans but if you do enjoy eating meat substitutes then I can't recommend OmniPork highly enough!
Where can I buy OmniPork?
In the UK, OmniPork is available from a limited number of online vegan supermarkets. I buy mine from The Vegan Kind Supermarket.
What can I use instead of OmniPork?
Pork is such an important ingredient in Chinese cooking but I know not all vegetarians or vegans will want to use such a realistic pork substitute. You can make this recipe by finely chopping mushrooms or even aubergine instead of using OmniPork mince. They are both great "sponges" which soak up the seasonings that we add to the filling. They are also good at retaining moisture and so won't dry out during the cooking process. You want a nice juicy filling!
How do you cook Vegan "Pork" Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
You'll find full cooking instructions in the recipe card below. But in short, you place the raw filling into the middle of the cabbage leaf, roll it up and tuck in the sides so that filling is fully encased. You then place the rolls into a steaming basket above a pan of boiling water. The steam then cooks the cabbage leaves and the filling.
Because the steaming is such a gentle process, the filling stays really nice and moist but still ends up piping hot.
How do you serve Vegan "Pork" Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
These rolls would taste great on their own but I've included a really simple dipping sauce with the recipe. It's a classic Chinese dipping sauce that is sharp and salty. Delicious!
The recipe
Chinese Style Vegan "Pork" Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Equipment
- Steaming basket
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 inch root ginger peeled and minced
- ½ bunch coriander finely chopped
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked until soft in boiling water, then drained and chopped finely
- 230 g OmniPork mince
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing rice wine
- 1 ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
- pinch ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the cabbage wraps
- 12 cabbage leaves
For the dipping sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the filling ensuring the herbs and spices are well distributed throughout the mince.
- All the mince mix to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you prepare the cabbage.
- Bring a large bowl of salted water to the boil then drop the leaves, a few at a time, into the boiling water.
- Remove each leaf after a few minutes and then plunge into a bowl of ice cold water.
- Drain and pat each cabbage leaf dry with a kitchen towel.
- In a little oil heated in a pan, saute a small piece of the mince mix to check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
- Take your first cabbage leaf and place 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture in the middle. Tuck in the edges, then roll up from the bottom until the filling is completely encased. Place the roll in a steamer basket and repeat the process until all the mince and all of the cabbage leaves have been used.
- Once all cabbage rolls are in the steamer, place over a pan of boiling water and steam for 10-12 minutes or until just cooked all the way through.
- To serve, mix together a dipping sauce of sesame oil and Chinese black vinegar.
Nutrition
More Chinese inspired recipes
For the full list of recipes head to my Chinese recipe archive.
More recipes from around the world
I'm inspired by flavour combinations and cooking thechniques from across the globe. Check out my international recipe archive here.
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