Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe (with foraged grape leaves)

Like Stinging Nettle Spanakopita, Stuffed Grape Leaves are another Mediterranean food that we just love. While we aren’t Greek, our community has an amazing Greek festival each year and we never miss it.

Forage Some Grape Leaves

Wild grapevine

My Stuffed Grape Leaves are made with foraged grape leaves, but you can obviously use leaves from your own grapevine or beg some from a neighbor.

Wild grapevines are often found along both wooded and open trails. They are abundant here in the northeast U.S. and belong to the genus Vitis with many species available.

I like to harvest grape leaves when they are still young and tender, and generally choose leaves the size of my hand.

The leaves are stuffed with a simple mixture of ground meat, uncooked rice, and seasonings. Simple and delicious.

Let me know what you think of them when you try them!

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Stuffed Grape Leaves

This traditional Mediterranean dish is easy to make using foraged, or homegrown grape leaves.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: dolmas, grape leaves, stuffed grape leaves

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Ingredients

• 30 - 40 grape leaves, each approximately the size of an adult hand
• 3 cups chicken bone broth
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup white rice uncooked
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Wash the grape leaves and cut off the stems. 
• Make two stacks of leaves with 15 - 20 leaves in each stack. Roll these up like a cigar and tie with string.
• Dip each bundle in salted, boiling water and keep them submerged for about 30 seconds. Remove from the water and allow them to cool. 
• Mix the ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, and seasonings together. 
• Place a tablespoon of meat mixture in each grape leaf (vein side up) and roll up egg-roll style. 
• Arrange the rolls in a baking pan with a lid. Cover the rolls with chicken broth.
• Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350°.