Vegan Rice Dolma

Delight your taste buds with these Vegan Rice Dolmas, a Middle Eastern-inspired dish that's as beautiful as it is flavorful. Tender grape leaves envelop a fragrant filling of short-grain rice, fresh herbs like dill, mint, and parsley, and a hint of warm spices like allspice and cinnamon. Enhanced with pine nuts, tomato paste, and a splash of zesty lemon juice, this plant-based recipe is simmered to perfection in savory vegetable broth for maximum flavor. Perfect as an appetizer, light main course, or party favorite, these dolmas can be served warm or at room temperature with fresh lemon wedges for a tangy finishing touch. Easy to prepare yet impressively elegant, this recipe will satisfy vegans and non-vegans alike while bringing bold Mediterranean flavors to your table!

Nutriscore Rating: 71/100

Prep Time:30 mins

Cook Time:60 mins

Total Time:90 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 25 pieces grape leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 pieces garlic cloves
• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice
• 0.25 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1.5 cups vegetable broth

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the grape leaves in cold water to remove excess salt. Pat them dry and set aside.

Step 2

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

Step 3

Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Add them to the skillet and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in the rice, tomato paste, dill, mint, parsley, lemon juice, pine nuts, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Cook everything for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 5

Add 1.5 cups of water to the skillet, bring to a simmer, and cover. Cook until the rice is half-cooked and the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.

Step 6

Lay a grape leaf flat on a clean surface with the vein side facing up. Place about a tablespoon of the rice mixture near the stem end of the leaf.

Step 7

Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling and roll up from the stem end to make a neat dolma. Set aside, seam side down, and repeat with remaining leaves.

Step 8

In a large pot, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom and arrange some unused grape leaves to prevent the dolmas from sticking.

Step 9

Place the stuffed grape leaves seam side down in the pot, arranging them tightly in layers.

Step 10

Pour the vegetable broth and remaining 0.5 cup of water over the dolmas, ensuring they are submerged. If needed, add more water.

Step 11

Place a heavy, heatproof plate on top of the dolmas to keep them submerged and prevent unrolling.

Step 12

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and cook for 50 minutes or until the grape leaves are tender and the rice is fully cooked.

Step 13

Carefully remove the dolmas from the pot and let them cool slightly before serving.

Step 14

Serve warm or at room temperature with additional lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1481.5g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1078.4

Total Fat 59.1g	0%
Saturated Fat 8.6g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 10.9g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 3257.5mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 125.7g	0%
Dietary Fiber 16.4g	0%
Total Sugars 21.7g
Protein 21.8g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 422.2mg	0%
Iron 12.3mg	0%
Potassium 1920.0mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 47.4%

Protein: 7.8%

Carbs: 44.8%