Dolmades, a vegetarian recipe from Greece

Name: Dolmades
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Greece
Ingredients: 1 jar vine leaves in brine (about 50 leaves); 250 g short-grain rice; 2 onions, very finely chopped; 4 spring onions, sliced; 40 g pine nuts; 1 bunch dill, chopped; ½ bunch mint, chopped; 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 150 ml olive oil; Juice of 2 lemons; 1 tsp salt and black pepper

Dolmades

Local name: Ντολμάδες

Vine leaves rolled around herby rice with dill, mint and pine nuts, gently simmered in olive oil and lemon and served cold.

Published on 19 December 2025·Updated on 10 September 2026

VeganGluten-free#greek#vine leaves#rice#meze#lemon

Method

Rinse the vine leaves, blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and snip off the stems.
Heat 80 ml of the oil and soften the onions and spring onions for 8 minutes. Add the rice and pine nuts and stir for 3 minutes.
Pour in 200 ml hot water, cover and let it absorb for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the herbs, the juice of one lemon, salt and pepper. Cool slightly.
Lay a leaf vein-side up, put a teaspoon of filling near the base, fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Repeat.
Line a saucepan with a few torn leaves and pack the rolls in snugly, seam down, in layers.
Pour over the remaining oil, the second lemon's juice and enough hot water to just cover. Weigh down with a plate and cover with a lid.
Simmer on the lowest heat for 40 minutes, then cool in the pan. Serve cold with lemon wedges.

Meatless rice dolmades are traditionally served cold and called “yalantzi”, meaning “fake”, to distinguish them from the meat version. They keep for three days in the fridge.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the rice only part-cooked for five minutes?

It has to stay very firm when you roll, because it finishes cooking in the pan as it drinks up the water, oil and lemon. Rice that is already tender would keep swelling through the forty-minute simmer and split the leaves open.

Do brined vine leaves need blanching?

Yes, three minutes in boiling water draws off excess salt and softens the leaf so it rolls without tearing. Rinse them first, and cut away the stems, which are too tough to eat.

Why put a plate on top of the rolls while they cook?

It keeps them tight and submerged. Without that weight the dolmades float, unroll and lose their filling into the broth. Pack them closely too, seam down, so they hold each other in place.

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Dolmades

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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