Low-Carb Stuffed Vine Leaves with Creamy Lemon Sauce (Dolmades with Avgolemono)
Martina Slajerova- Ready in 1h
- 5.2 g net carbs
- 279 kcal
- Serves 10
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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.
Step-by-step
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.
Recipe
Low-Carb Stuffed Vine Leaves with Creamy Lemon Sauce (Dolmades with Avgolemono)
★★★★★4.7Grain-free Mediterranean stuffed vine leaves made with cauliflower rice and ground beef, served with a creamy ...
- Hands on
- 30m
- Overall
- 1h
- Servings
- 10
- 5.2 g
- Net carbs
- 12.9 g
- Protein
- 22.5 g
- Fat
- 279
- kcal
Ingredients makes 10 servings
- Dolmades:
- Avgolemono:
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 + ¼ cup avgolemono
Carbs 8%Protein 19%Fat 73% of calories
- Net carbs
- 5.2 g
- Total carbs
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 1.8 g
- Sugars
- 1.8 g
- Protein
- 12.9 g
- Fat
- 22.5 g
- Saturated fat
- 5.8 g
- Calories
- 279 kcal
- Sodium
- 404 mg · 17.6% RDA
- Magnesium
- 23 mg · 5.68% RDA
- Potassium
- 364 mg · 18.2% EMR
Nutrition by ingredient
| Per about 5 dolmades + 1/4 cup avgolemono | Net carbs | Protein | Fat | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onion, white, fresh | 0.8 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 4 |
| Beef, minced (ground), raw, grass-fed | 0 g | 8.6 g | 10 g | 127 |
| Parsley, fresh (spices) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Mint, fresh | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Cauliflower rice, homemade (cauli-rice, KetoDiet app) | 1.4 g | 0.9 g | 0.1 g | 12 |
| Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Pepper, black, spices | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Grape leaves, vine leaves | 1.8 g | 1.3 g | 0.1 g | 15 |
| Water, still | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Olive oil, extra virgin | 0 g | 0 g | 10.8 g | 95 |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) | 0.1 g | 1.9 g | 1.4 g | 21 |
| Lemon juice, fresh | 1 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 3 |
| Total | 5.2 g | 12.9 g | 22.5 g | 279 |
Serving size about 5 dolmades + 1/4 cup avgolemono
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Nightshade free
- Pork free
- Avocado free
- Coconut free
- Shellfish free
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Comments & ratings (22)
Thank you so much for the sauce recipe. Will make this evening. Boyfriend taught me how to make the stuffed grape leaves and I used bagged cauliflower rice. Squeezed it through a strainer very good. Pretty much like your recipe. Can't wait to try your sauce. Sherri from Florida.
Thank you Sherri! I absolutely love stuffed grape leaves. I always did even before going keto 😊
This Recipe is great!
The only issue I had was that the cauliflower completely disintegrated and disappeared as they cooked. I wonder of parcooking the meat mixture without the cauliflower, letting it cool, adding an egg or two for binding, THEN the cauliflower, then stuff the leaves and shorten the remaining cooking time would help it not to “melt away”...
Thank you for your feedback! I think in that case it's either better to cook the cauli-rice for only 2-3 minutes (or skip the cooking altogether) and then adding to the meat and onion mixture. You still need the meat to be sticky so it's best to use raw meat before stuffing.
Right. What I’m saying, though, is that I did not precook the cauli-rice at all, not even for 2-3 minutes. However, the amount of time that was needed to cook the dolmades was too much for the cauli-rice. That’s why I mentioned slightly precooking and then cooling the meat and onions, then adding the cauli-rice, and using the egg to make the mixture sticky. Then rolling them and finishing the cooking.
I don’t know, it’s just an idea. I haven’t tried it.
I think that as long as you can keep the meat fairly sticky (before rolling), it shouldn't be an issue.
Do these freeze well? If so, would you recommend freezing before or after they are cooked?
I think you can freeze the wraps but without the avgolemono sauce. That will have to be prepared fresh.
What temperature do you set the oven?
I can't seem to find this information anywhere on the page...
So, I'm going to ask. 😊
Ann
Hi Ann, there isn't any oven needed, it's all done on the stove. I hope this helps 😊
Thanks so much for this. I am new to the Keto lifestyle and IF. I am passionate about Greek Food, and can't wait to make these.
Thank you Howard!
Hi, love the recipe! I am in Greece on holiday at the moment and can't wait to test it out when I get him. Just confused about the nutritional information - how many serves is the info based on is it based on 10 serves or 4-6 as a main? Many thanks, Emily
Thank you! It is about 5 of them - I'll add it now 😊 It is only an appetiser so you will need to add more for a main.
Maybe instead of cauliflower, I can add hemp hearts?
That's an option although I haven't tried it in this recipe. The problem is that you will need to use a large amount which will affect the nutrition facts - and it will be quite pricey.
thanks for the great idea to add cauliflower to the dolmades instead of rice! So fun to be able to add this dish to my low carb diet.
Somehow for us, the 4 cups of cauliflower was too much, or maybe I riced it too finely because the result was too watery for our taste. When I looked again at the photos of your bowl of ingredients, I see a higher meat to cauliflower ratio than I used... oops.
For my next attempts, I used about 2 cups cauliflower rice and also substituted my home-made Greek lamb/venison sausage meat instead of ground beef and it resulted in a more dense, less watery version.
Always experimenting!
Hi Nicole, thank you for your feedback! I would always go by weight, just in case (I use a kitchen scale to weigh all ingredients). I'm glad you liked it! 😊
Could I use Quorn (veggie) mince for this instead of meat? What's you view on using Quorn products or even tofu in recipes, e.g this or lasagna for instance? Thanks!
Hi Vicky, I'm not familiar with Quorn (I've heard about it but never tried it) - but I did check their website and I'm not a fan. The nutrition label for the ground meat substitute lists many ingredients to be avoided on a healthy diet. I suppose you could try them with some mushrooms instead (chopped and cooked in ghee and roasted onion)?
I love this recipe but where does the olive oil come in? I don't see it in the instructions or did I miss it
Thank you Anni, it's in step 7 - I hope this helps!