I love stuffed foods (website name: Peaceful Dumpling). But why limit yourself to dough, bell pepper, zucchini, or tomato? Pretty much any vegetable can be stuffed: Sweet potato, for instance, or even cabbage. Cabbage is no one’s favorite vegetable, but this humble staple lends itself well to a variety of dishes, even entrees. And like other cruciferous veggies, cabbage’s natural sweet flavor emerges when it’s baked with a bit of oil. And this flavor goes so well with sundried tomato and bread stuffing, which is a kind of an easy sofrito. Try other variations on the stuffing: peas and carrots, or brown rice and mushrooms, for instance. Just make sure to use cooked grains, and get creative!

Stuffed Baked Cabbage

Serves 2

1 small cabbage (about 4″ diameter)

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 cup vegan stuffing or croutons

about 1/2 cup water

about 8 sundried tomatoes, chopped

a pinch of dried thyme

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Wash and trim the cabbage, then cut in half crosswise. Then, gently loosen and separate the leaves, stacking them on top of one another with a little room between each. Take out the inner core of the cabbage (set this aside for a stir-fry later in the week), leaving an empty space of a tennis ball.

2. Using a spoon, drizzle the leaves with a bit of oil. You can also rub it in with your hands for the best thin coating.

3. In a small skillet, cook the onions with about 1 tsp oil until translucent. Add water, and then the stuffing, combining with a spatula until just fluffy. Sprinkle with thyme and mix in the chopped sundried tomatoes.

4. Spoon the stuffing mixture in between cabbage leaves, and then in the empty space in the middle. Salt and pepper, then put in a baking dish, cover, and bake at 400 degrees until cabbage leaves are translucent and soft, about 40-50 minutes, depending on the size of the cabbage. Take the cover off and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the top of leaves is browned nicely.

Related: Vegan Seitan Marsala

Crispy Risotto Cakes

Amazing Baked Falafels

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Photo: Peaceful Dumpling