Follow us 148.4k
Stuffed vine leaves, also known as dolmades, are a beloved dish across the Mediterranean, with variations found in both Greek and Turkish cuisine. Traditionally made with rice and seasoned meats, this dish is hearty and flavorful.
In this recipe, we’ve made a low-carb, keto-friendly version by swapping out the rice for cauliflower rice, keeping all the classic flavors while making it lighter and grain-free. The lemony, creamy avgolemono sauce perfectly complements the savory stuffed vine leaves, adding a refreshing tang that ties it all together.
Note: This recipe is adapted from My Greek Dish who made a traditional rice-based version. With just a few adjustments, we made it grain-free and low-carb.
Recipe Tips and Swaps
This recipe makes 8-12 appetizer-sized portions or 4-6 main servings, perfect for a family meal or meal prep for the week. Here are some tips for swaps you can try:
- Vine Leaves: If you can’t find jarred vine leaves (grape leaves), fresh ones are a great alternative, especially if you can find them at a local Mediterranean or Middle Eastern grocery store. Fresh leaves may need a quick blanching in hot water to soften them before use. Can't fins vine leaves at all? Try Swiss chard leaves instead!
- Cauliflower Rice: If you’re short on time, pre-riced cauliflower (frozen or fresh) works just as well. Just be sure to squeeze out any excess moisture before mixing it into the filling to avoid soggy dolmades. Not a fan of cauliflower rice? Try palmini rice instead! Here's more about palmini rice.
- Meat Alternatives: Ground beef is traditional, but you can swap it with ground lamb, turkey, or even a mix for a different flavor profile. If you're vegetarian, you can replace the meat with more cauliflower rice and finely chopped mushrooms for a meaty texture.
- Herb Variations: While parsley and mint are classic, you can experiment with other herbs like dill or oregano to suit your taste.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Dolmades can be eaten cold or reheated. To reheat, gently warm them in a skillet with a little olive oil or microwave in short intervals.
Follow us 148.4k
Hands-on Overall
Serving size about 5 dolmades + 1/4 cup avgolemono
Nutritional values (per about 5 dolmades + 1/4 cup avgolemono)
Net carbs5.2 grams
Protein12.9 grams
Fat22.5 grams
Calories279 kcal
Calories from carbs 8%, protein 19%, fat 73%
Total carbs7 gramsFiber1.8 gramsSugars1.8 gramsSaturated fat5.8 gramsSodium404 mg(18% RDA)Magnesium23 mg(6% RDA)Potassium364 mg(18% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 10 servings)
Dolmades:
- 1 small white or yellow onion (110 g/ 3.9 oz)
- 500 g minced beef (1.1 lb)
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
- 4 cups riced cauliflower(480 g/ 16.9 oz)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 250 g drained vine leaves (8.8 oz)
- 3-4 cups water
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
Avgolemono:
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (120 ml/ 4 fl oz), about 3 lemons
- 2 cups stock from cooking dolmades (480 ml/ 16 fl oz)
Instructions
- Prepare the vine leaves. Carefully remove the vine leaves from the jar and separate them. To prevent tearing, rinse them under cold water and let them soak for a few minutes to soften. Drain and remove the stems from each leaf. Set aside any torn leaves to line the pan later.
- Line the pan. Place the torn vine leaves on the bottom of a large casserole dish or deep pan. This will prevent the dolmades from sticking during cooking.
- Prepare the filling. Peel and dice the onion. In a hot pan greased with ghee or olive oil, sauté the onion until soft and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked onion, ground beef, uncooked cauliflower rice, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Mix well until fully combined. To rice the cauliflower, follow this guide.
- Assemble the dolmades. Lay each vine leaf shiny side down on a clean surface, such as a cutting board. Place about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture at the base of each leaf (the side where the stem was removed).
- Fold the bottom part of the leaf over the filling, fold in the sides, and then roll it up tightly, like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling. To see how to wrap the dolmades, check out my quick Instagram video.
- Cook the dolmades. Arrange the stuffed vine leaves in the prepared casserole dish, seam side down, packing them snugly in layers. Place a heavy, heatproof plate on top of the dolmades to keep them from unrolling while cooking. Add 3-4 cups of water, enough to just cover the dolmades. Cover the dish with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 25-30 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid for the sauce. Drizzle the dolmades with olive oil and set aside.
- Prepare the Avgolemono sauce. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Gradually whisk in the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Slowly add about half a cup of the reserved warm (not boiling) cooking liquid while whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling. Once incorporated, whisk in the remaining cooking liquid. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Serve the warm dolmades with the avgolemono sauce drizzled on top. They can also be enjoyed cold with a side of full-fat Greek yogurt or more olive oil.
Dolmades with Avgolemono
Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 small white or yellow onion (110 g/ 3.9 oz)
- 500 g minced beef (1.1 lb)
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
- 4 cups riced cauliflower(480 g/ 16.9 oz)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 250 g drained vine leaves (8.8 oz)
- 3-4 cups water
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (120 ml/ 4 fl oz), about 3 lemons
- 2 cups stock from cooking dolmades (480 ml/ 16 fl oz)
Instructions
- Prepare the vine leaves. Carefully remove the vine leaves from the jar and separate them. To prevent tearing, rinse them under cold water and let them soak for a few minutes to soften. Drain and remove the stems from each leaf. Set aside any torn leaves to line the pan later.
- Line the pan. Place the torn vine leaves on the bottom of a large casserole dish or deep pan. This will prevent the dolmades from sticking during cooking.
- Prepare the filling. Peel and dice the onion. In a hot pan greased with ghee or olive oil, sauté the onion until soft and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked onion, ground beef, uncooked cauliflower rice, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Mix well until fully combined. To rice the cauliflower, follow this guide.
- Assemble the dolmades. Lay each vine leaf shiny side down on a clean surface, such as a cutting board. Place about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture at the base of each leaf (the side where the stem was removed).
- Fold the bottom part of the leaf over the filling, fold in the sides, and then roll it up tightly, like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling. To see how to wrap the dolmades, check out my quick Instagram video.
- Cook the dolmades. Arrange the stuffed vine leaves in the prepared casserole dish, seam side down, packing them snugly in layers. Place a heavy, heatproof plate on top of the dolmades to keep them from unrolling while cooking. Add 3-4 cups of water, enough to just cover the dolmades. Cover the dish with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 25-30 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid for the sauce. Drizzle the dolmades with olive oil and set aside.
- Prepare the Avgolemono sauce. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Gradually whisk in the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Slowly add about half a cup of the reserved warm (not boiling) cooking liquid while whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling. Once incorporated, whisk in the remaining cooking liquid. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Serve the warm dolmades with the avgolemono sauce drizzled on top. They can also be enjoyed cold with a side of full-fat Greek yogurt or more olive oil.
Nutrition (per serving, about 5 dolmades + 1/4 cup avgolemono)
Calories279kcal
Net Carbs5.2g
Carbohydrates7g
Protein12.9g
Fat22.5g
Saturated Fat5.8g
Fiber1.8g
Sugar1.8g
Sodium404mg
Magnesium23mg
Potassium364mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per about 5 dolmades + 1/4 cup avgolemono)
| Total per about 5 dolmades + 1/4 cup avgolemono |
| 5.2 g | 12.9 g | 22.5 g | 279 kcal |
| Onion, white, fresh |
| 0.8 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 4 kcal |
| Beef, minced (ground), raw, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 8.6 g | 10 g | 127 kcal |
| Parsley, fresh (spices) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Mint, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Cauliflower rice, homemade (cauli-rice, KetoDiet app) |
| 1.4 g | 0.9 g | 0.1 g | 12 kcal |
| Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Pepper, black, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Grape leaves, vine leaves |
| 1.8 g | 1.3 g | 0.1 g | 15 kcal |
| Water, still |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Olive oil, extra virgin |
| 0 g | 0 g | 10.8 g | 95 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0.1 g | 1.9 g | 1.4 g | 21 kcal |
| Lemon juice, fresh |
| 1 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 3 kcal |
Do you like this recipe? Share it with your friends!
