Galumpkis Stuffed Cabbage is a delicious addition to your tried and true recipes. An old family favorite, this dish is perfect for chilly nights!
One night, my husband and I were discussing our favorite foods from our childhood. My mom’s stuffed flounder was at the top of my list! I loved it so much that I would request it for every birthday dinner! My husband, on the other hand, told me that his favorite meal was his grandmother’s “gawumpkis.” I had never heard of them before and was curious to see if I could make them for him. When I asked him what “gawumpkis” were he said he wasn’t sure, but they have meat and rice in them.
“Meat and rice? Are you serious? That’s all you can tell me?”
I honestly had no idea where to start. So after spending an enormous amount of wasted time googling – I realized that I should have started with spell check.
You see, for some reason, I always thought his family was calling them “gawumpkis.” So I started searching online for a gawumpki recipe and I kept coming up blank. I googled and googled and googled some more – yet my research told me there was no such thing as a gawumpki!
I finally decided to interrogate my father-in-law about them one night. The second I asked him how to make a gaWumpki he looked at me like I was mad and said, “You mean: gaLumpki?”
Ummmmm yeah, those.
Apparently, I had some letters mixed up. There should have been an “L” instead of a “W.” So “gaWumpkis” are actually “gaLumpkis” – and they are also known as Polish stuffed cabbage rolls. Regardless of what I thought they were called all along, they’re delicious – and very hard to spell!
*Edit: Over the years, our readers have sent us little love notes letting us know that these little, stuffed cabbage rolls go by several other names and spellings like Gołąbki, Golumpki, Gwumpki, Golabki, and even Halupki in Slovak areas!
Galumpkis Stuffed Cabbage
Galumpkis Stuffed Cabbage Ingredients:
- Cabbage (1 head)
- Ground beef (1 lb)
- White Rice
- Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Tomato Soup (1 can)
Galumpkis Stuffed Cabbage Directions:
Step 1: Core the cabbage. Place in boiling water and peel the leaves off with tongs as the leaves loosen up. After removing, trim stem/rib from the leaves. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with the extra leaves (I shredded them).
Step 2: Mix the ground beef with your cooked rice. Add in a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Add the filling to the middle of the cabbage leaf. Roll them up and tuck under like a little purse.
Step 4: Line the cabbage purses up in the casserole dish. Pour the can of tomato soup over the top.
Step 5: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350 for 60 minutes.
Thanks for Reading!
Daniele
Like family recipes like our Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls? So do we – here are some more of our favorite family recipes:
- The Best Crockpot Chili (Brennan’s Slow Cooker Chili)
- Best Baked Crab Dip Recipe
- Doreen’s Chicken Chow Mein
- Split Pea Soup with Crunchy Garlic Bread
I am of Polish descent and stuffed cabbage is a staple in Polish homes. One hint you might like to try which I find easier is instead of boiling the cabbage, freezing it instead. You need to purchase several days ahead, cut out the core, freeze it. The day before you are ready to make it, remove the cabbage from the freezer and let it defrost and drain in a sieve or a colander until it is somewhat dry. The leaves will be soft and you can start stuffing them. No big pot to clean and no cabbage smell. We also added browned onion and bacon to the sauce for more flavor. Also used half pork and half beef.
75% Italian 25% Polish which means I can cook and I can read too. (Just made that up…and only joking of course)
I love your freezing the cabbage and will try that immediately (just put cabbage in freezer) Have been making my guest Corned Beef & Cabbage recently, and think I would like to try stuffing the cabbage with corned beef and boiled potatoes.
Thanks for your idea.
Joe
Hi Joe, OMG – I just reread your comment again and burst out laughing! Us Polish peeps get such a bad rap! Thanks for stopping by our blog – let us know if you ever did try making it with potatoes.
I make stuffed grape leaves (Greek Dolmas). I mix meat with uncooked rice or bulger wheat. With your cooking time, the rice will cook (and expand). Do not roll too tightly if using uncooked rice.
Oh, I love stuffed grape leves. I’ll have to try this out!
There’s not such thing as galumpkis or golumbki for that matter. The correct spelling is gołąbki (no “s”; it’s already plural), pronounced goh-womp-key. (“l” with a line through it makes the “w” sound; “a’ with a cedilla gives the “om” sound.
I am Polish and my Mom made great stufffed cabbage and I make them the same way. My receipe is pretty much like yours, but I add a sauted onion which i use butter and then top the finished rolls with Bacon. So good.
Bacon? I’ve never tried it that way, but bacon always makes everything taste better, so… 🙂
my grandma uses tomato juice and puts a pound of bacon on top better than soup
If you want to make these richer, use half pork and half hamburger. My Mom and her sisters (all 7 of them) used to fight over how my Babci made Golumbki. They are SO good and I make them at Easter, or any time my relatives want some – time consuming, but SO WORTH IT! I use 3 heads of cabbage and rotate them for steaming – use a colander in a large pot to steam the leaves.
I bet the 50/50 blend would be a nice touch. Thanks for the tip!
Greg makes them all the time…but we spell it Golumbki.
: )
Actually the proper Polish spelling is: gołąbki
Never the less, no matter how they’re spelled it’s the taste that matters right??
Daniele that has all of my favorite ingredients all wrapped up in one…I can not wait to try it next week..I will post my outcome….Thanks for all the things you two moms know.