Cabbage rolls with tomato sauce are one of the most beloved dishes in traditional Polish cuisine. Known in Poland as gołąbki w sosie pomidorowym, these hearty stuffed cabbage rolls are a staple in Polish kitchens and for good reason.
This particular Polish cabbage rolls recipe was given to me by a group of real Polish housewives in a village high in the Carpathian Mountains. Compared to my usual gołąbki recipe, the ingredients are quite similar, but the tomato sauce is a little different, and it’s delicious.
What Makes This Gołąbki Recipe Unique?
While many gołąbki recipes are baked in the oven and topped with a chunky tomato sauce filled with bacon and onions, this version is:
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Cooked on the stovetop rather than baked
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Simmered in a light broth instead of a thick sauce
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Topped with a smooth, tangy tomato sauce before serving
It’s a slightly different take, but still undeniably Polish and wonderfully comforting.
About That Tomato Sauce…
I’ve always wondered about Polish-American recipes that use Campbell’s tomato soup in the sauce. Since Campbell’s isn’t available in Poland, I was surprised to find that the sauce in this recipe tastes remarkably similar. So if you’ve been tempted to use that shortcut, go ahead! No judgment here. It’s actually quite close to what I tasted in that tiny mountain village.
Watch the Video Tutorial!
Want a little help assembling your stuffed cabbage rolls? I’ve put together a short instructional video to walk you through the process.
A Special Polish Food Memory
These gołąbki were just one of the recipes we prepared during a Polish cooking class on the 2023 Polish Housewife culinary tour. Sixteen blog readers, my amazing virtual assistant Debbie, and I spent a week exploring Kraków and Zakopane with Poland Culinary Vacations—and we added our own 5-day pre-tour to Warsaw, Poznań, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and Auschwitz.
All 16 travelers joined us for the pre-tour, and we’re planning another food-filled adventure this fall. Many from the original group are returning, making it a delicious reunion of sorts. We’ll visit museums, try hands-on cooking classes, and enjoy everything from humble milk bars to elegant fine dining—basically, eating our way through Poland.
What About You?
For me, these cabbage rolls with tomato sauce will always bring back the warm kitchens and welcoming smiles of that village in the Highlands. What memories do cabbage rolls bring back for you? A family dinner? A grandmother’s kitchen?
Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your story.
Smacznego!
Lois
Polish Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce (Gołąbki w sosie pomidorowym)
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
Learn how to make traditional Polish cabbage rolls (gołąbki) with a smooth tomato sauce—just like the ones made in a Highland village.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pearl barley, rice, or buckwheat groats (cooked according to package directions)
- 1 head green cabbage
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 slices of bacon
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 14 ounces tomato sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
- Cook your grain of choice and cool.
- Remove the core and place the cabbage in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.
- As the outer leaves soften, carefully remove them from the head of cabbage and set aside.
- Trim the thick rib in the cabbage leaves.
- Cook the onions in butter until translucent.
- Combine pork with cooked grain, onions, salt, and pepper.
- Add bacon and any leftover cabbage to the bottom of a large pot.
- Put 1/4 – 1/2 cup of meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf, folding the sides over the meat, and roll up the leaf.
- Pack the rolled cabbage leaves into the pot. Cover with chicken broth.
- Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 90 minutes.
- After cooking, use 4-5 cups of the broth to thin the tomato paste. Stir in sour cream.
- Check the sauce for seasonings and add salt if needed.
- Ladle tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls before serving.
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
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