Greek Dolmades
Stuffed Vine Leaves — tender parcels of herbed rice, slow-cooked with olive oil and fresh lemon.
Tender vine leaves wrapped around herbed rice, slow-cooked with olive oil, lemon, and love. This is Mediterranean comfort food at its finest. Bursting with fresh parsley, dried mint, oregano, and sweet grated tomatoes, these parcels turn silky, melt-in-the-mouth tender, and irresistibly juicy after a gentle simmer.
Before you start
Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.
Method
- 1
Prepare the Leaves & Filling
If using fresh leaves, blanch them for 3 minutes; if jarred, rinse off the brine. Trim any hard stems.
- 2
In a large bowl, mix the rinsed short-grain rice with the grated tomatoes, grated onions, chopped parsley, dried mint, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- 3
Roll & Layer
Lay a vine leaf flat on a clean surface, textured/vein-side up, with the stem end facing you. Place 1 teaspoon of filling near the base of the leaf. Fold the bottom up over the filling, tuck in both sides snugly, and roll tightly forward like a small cigar. Repeat with the remaining filling.
The rest of this recipe
There’s 8 more ingredients and 6 more steps to go.
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Ivana Sanshia’s note
50–60 dolmades serves about 6–8 people as mezze.
Do not skimp on the olive oil! In traditional Greek cooking, rice-filled stuffed vegetables are classified as Ladera (oil-based dishes). The olive oil emulsifies with the grated tomato and onion juices, producing that signature silky, glossy texture that keeps the rice rich, tender, and moist even when served cold the next day.
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