Try a unique twist on traditional cabbage rolls with this buckwheat mushroom filling. Hearty, flavorful, and perfect for meal prep, these rolls are sure to become a new favorite.
Cabbage rolls have always been one of those classic comfort foods that take a little extra effort but are so worth it. There’s something about the combination of tender cabbage, flavorful filling, and savory sauce that just feels like home. While the traditional version is made with rice, I decided to switch things up by using buckwheat instead. It’s a perfect substitute, bringing a nutty flavor and hearty texture that pairs so well with the meat. And of course, I couldn’t resist adding mushrooms to both the filling and the sauce — because let’s be real, mushrooms make everything better, right?
These buckwheat mushroom cabbage rolls are a wonderful twist on the classic, and they’re just as delicious (if not more!) than the traditional version. The buckwheat gives the filling a deeper, richer flavor, and the mushrooms add an earthy taste that complements the savory meat and spices perfectly. Whether you’re making them for a cozy family dinner or meal prepping for the week ahead, this recipe is super versatile. The cabbage rolls reheat beautifully, so they’re a great make-ahead meal, and they freeze wonderfully too — perfect for busy nights when you don’t have time to cook.
If you’re looking for a comforting, hearty meal with a little twist on a classic, these buckwheat mushroom cabbage rolls are the way to go. They’re satisfying, flavorful, and a great option to make in batches for later!
Ingredients:
Cabbage rolls:
1 medium savoy cabbage
1 lb ground pork (you can also use ground beef, turkey or chicken)
½ Tablespoon butter or oil
1 onion, minced
1 carrot, finely shredded
¼ cup dry chanterelle mushrooms, rehydrated and minced
4 oz. fresh button mushrooms (or any other fresh mushrooms), chopped
½ cup raw roasted buckwheat
salt
ground black pepper
Sauce:
½ Tablespoon oil
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 small carrot, shredded
1 celery stalk, minced
4 - 6 oz fresh button mushrooms, chopped
1 -2 garlic cloves, minced
salt, pepper
Garnish:
fresh dill, parsley
sour cream
How To Make Buckwheat Mushroom Cabbage Rolls
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut out the core from the cabbage head and submerge the cabbage in the water. Cook in the boiling water until the cabbage leaves have softened, 5 minutes or some. Remove the cabbage from the water and set aside until it is cool enough to handle. Save the water that it was cooking in, since you will use a bit of it later.
Cook the buckwheat until it's just slightly underdone.
Rehydrate the dry mushrooms in some boiling water, set them aside for about 10 minutes, drain and then mince. Chop the button mushrooms.
In a skillet, heat the butter or oil and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. 
Cook, covered, for about 8 more minutes, until all the ingredients have softened and the mushrooms have turned a golden brown. Cool slightly.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. 
Add the carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. 
Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5-10 minutes. You can also add any kind of dry or fresh herbs.
Mix the ground meat, cooked buckwheat and the sautéed mushroom mixture. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, freshly ground black pepper and again mix to combine. 
Separate the cabbage leaves from the head and cut off the hard rib on each leaf with a paring knife and discard. Place about ¼ cup of the meat and mushroom filling into the bottom center of each cabbage leaf, fold the side edges of the cabbage over the filling and roll it up over the filling to form a cabbage roll. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage leaves and the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cover the bottom of a 13x9 inch deep baking dish with sauce. Nestle the cabbage leaves on top of the sauce and cover them with more sauce on top. Pour about ⅓ - ½ cup of the remaining cabbage water on top of the cabbage rolls. 
Bake in the preheated oven, covered, for about 45 minutes. Serve with fresh herbs and a dollop of sour cream.
Buckwheat Mushroom Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
Cabbage rolls:
- 1 medium savoy cabbage
- 1 lb ground pork you can also use ground beef, turkey or chicken
- ½ Tablespoon butter or oil
- 1 onion minced
- 1 carrot finely shredded
- ¼ cup dry chanterelle mushrooms rehydrated and minced
- 4 oz. fresh button mushrooms or any other fresh mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup raw roasted buckwheat
- salt
- ground black pepper
Sauce:
- ½ Tablespoon oil
- 1 large can 28 oz crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 small carrot shredded
- 1 celery stalk minced
- 4 - 6 oz fresh button mushrooms chopped
- 1 -2 garlic cloves minced
- salt pepper
Garnish:
- fresh dill parsley
- sour cream
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut out the core from the cabbage head and submerge the cabbage in the water. Cook in the boiling water until the cabbage leaves have softened, 5 minutes or some. Remove the cabbage from the water and set aside until it is cool enough to handle. Save the water that it was cooking in, since you will use a bit of it later.
- Cook the buckwheat until it's just slightly underdone.
- Rehydrate the dry mushrooms in some boiling water, set them aside for about 10 minutes, drain and then mince. Chop the button mushrooms.
- In a skillet, heat the butter or oil and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, for about 8 more minutes, until all the ingredients have softened and the mushrooms have turned a golden brown. Cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5-10 minutes. You can also add any kind of dry or fresh herbs.
- Mix the ground meat, cooked buckwheat and the sautéed mushroom mixture. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, freshly ground black pepper and again mix to combine. Separate the cabbage leaves from the head and cut off the hard rib on each leaf with a paring knife and discard. Place about ¼ cup of the meat and mushroom filling into the bottom center of each cabbage leaf, fold the side edges of the cabbage over the filling and roll it up over the filling to form a cabbage roll. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage leaves and the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cover the bottom of a 13x9 inch deep baking dish with sauce. Nestle the cabbage leaves on top of the sauce and cover them with more sauce on top. Pour about ⅓ - ½ cup of the remaining cabbage water on top of the cabbage rolls. Bake in the preheated oven, covered, for about 45 minutes. Serve with fresh herbs and a dollop of sour cream.
Thanks for this recipe, Olga. My husband is Russian and introduced me to golubtsi when I was in Moscow a couple of years ago and loved them. We will be using this recipe for years to come!
I'm so happy to hear that, Halee.
A tip to the cook who asked about the tough cabbage: my Babka always FROZE the leaves after they were steamed and separated. This is partly because she could prepare the cabbage ahead of time and always have the leaves ready to go to make holuptsi (which she made weekly, at least in my memories!) However, freezing the scalded leaves also softened them up and made them easier to roll. You can thaw them really quickly in the microwave.
Wow, Olga!!! This is an amazing recipe! I've always felt intimidated to make those cabbage rolls. This recipe looks so simple and delicious.
Thank you, Lena. I hope you enjoy them.
Olga!
I'm making your stroganoff meatballs this morning and I just saw this on your recipe search.
I love galumpkis! I cant wait to try your version with the buckwheat. I need to but this buckwheat and try it out.
Thank you for all the delicious recipes!
Christine
can i use napa cabbage?
hey can i use napa cabbage?
hey can i use napa cabbage?
I've never used napa cabbage in this recipe, Natasha, but you can give it a try.
I just made these tonight and they were delicious! I just used mushrooms to make them vegetarian, but they were still a hit with my half Russian/half American dinner group in Moscow 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe!
That's awesome, Jessica! Thanks for taking the time to write.
When these rolls are done baking, should the cabbage leaves become soft or still be kind of crunchy? I made these tonight and they taste very good but the cabbage leaves didn't become soft. I put the dish back in the oven for another 20 min and they still didn't soften. I did have more tomato sauce than you have on the picture. Could that be the problem? I am thinking that maybe the tomato sauce was the reason why cabbage remained crunchy.
It depends on your cabbage, Nadia. I don't think the sauce should make a difference either way. Sometimes the cabbage that you buy is much harder than others and no matter how long you cook it, it can't seem to soften.
Just got a big ole cabbage for making Holubtsi for next weekend! I'll have to try the buckwheat-mushroom combination!
I hope you enjoy it, May:).
Hello Olga, I love your blog, you're doing a great job. Keep at it! I was wondering if you have made any "golubtsi" with grape leaves instead of cabbage?
Thank you so much, Inna. It means so much for me to hear you say so.
I don't have a recipe for stuffed grape leaves, although my Mom used to make them. I'll have to get her recipe.
My husband took борщ to work one time and his coworker was looking at this red soup. So then my husband added some sour cream and the guy was like " it looked edible until u made it pink." My husband told him that sour cream was optional. 🙂
Ha ha! Great story, Alena.
Thank you sweetheart for wonderful recepie!!! It sounds very good!!! Thanx for sharing it with us!!! God bless!!! By the wY love to read all ur stories!!!:)
Thank you, Tanya:). I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy my writing too.
Olya,
Thank you so much for sharing your success with us!!! You have an amazing talent to convert scraps into new meals!!! You go girl!!! Looking forward to every post! Also, neat story about your little one, starting 4 year's of age, they become so picky!!! At times I am left in tears because after slaving away in the kitchen for hours, all my 5 year old child will want is a cereal or ice cream. Really?!!! I so hope that my child will start eating and enjoy proper food and that it happens soon. 🙂 Keep up the good work Olya!!!!
It is so frustrating trying to get little ones to eat something nutritious. Good luck!
I have been dreaming of making golubtsi and this is just the perfect recipe! Thank you so much, can't wait to make it!