Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 3 hrs
Servings: 40 servings

Dolmas (also known as stuffed grape leaves, dawali, and dolmades) are eaten throughout the world, all with different variations. They can be found in Mediterranean restaurants, but instead of eating out for this healthy comfort food, make it at home.

This version of dolmas is most closely inspired by the vegetarian rice-stuffed grape leaves of Turkey that are typically eaten cold or at room temperature as an appetizer (meze).

Stuffed grape leaves resting on a plate

​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Ingredients

  • 1 (16-ounce) jar grape leaves

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

  • 1 tablespoon parsley

  • 1 tablespoon basil

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice, long-grain, such as basmati

  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, raw, optional

  • 8 cups vegetable broth, divided

  • 2/3 cups lemon juice, divided, plus more for drizzling

Steps to Make It

Make the Dolmas

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for dolmas gathered

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel 

  2. Gently remove the grape leaves from their jar, then rinse each thoroughly under cold water, taking care not to rip the leaves. Pat the leaves dry and place on a cutting board.

    A grape leaf resting on a paper towel

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  3. Using a small, sharp paring knife, remove the stems from the leaves.

    A grape leaf on a cutting board with the stem removed

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  4. Cover with a paper towel and set aside.

    A grape leaf covered with a paper towel

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  5. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, adding the onion, garlic, parsley, and basil once the oil is hot. Stir continuously until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 6 minutes.

    Onion cooking in a pan

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  6. Add the rice and pine nuts (if using) and sauté, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes longer.

    Rice and pine nuts added to the onions and cooking in a pan

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  7. Add 4 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, adding water if necessary.

    Vegetable broth added to the cooking rice mixture

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  8. Add 1/3 cup of the lemon juice, stirring well to combine, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from heat.

    Lemon juice added to the rice mixture

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Assemble the Dolmas 

  1. Prepare a dry, clean workspace. Place one of the grape leaves, shiny side down, flat on your work surface. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on the lower-middle portion of the leaf, right above where the stem used to be.

    Cooked rice placed in the center of a grape leaf

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  2. Fold in the sides of the leaves over the center.

    Each side of the leaf is folded over the rice

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  3. Then roll the bottom of the leaf over the filling and continue to roll, holding the sides in, until you've rolled the dolma completely and no filling is visible.

    A rolled dolma resting on a cutting board

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  4. Place the dolma seam-side down in a large saucepan or pot that's big enough to fit all of the dolmas in a single layer.

    A Dolma resting, seam-side down, in a pot

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  5. Repeat until all of the grape leaves are used, placing one dolma directly next to the other and leaving no space in between.

    A pot filled with dolmas with their seem-sides down

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  6. Drizzle another 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dolmas, followed by the remaining lemon juice.

    Dolmas in a pot with oil in a small bowl off to the side

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  7. Pour the remaining 4 cups of vegetable broth over the grape leaves to cover.

    Vegetable broth poured over dolmas in a pot

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  8. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour (do not boil). Add water as necessary to keep grape leaves covered.

    A lid placed over dolmas cooking in a pot

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  9. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and let the dolmas cool in the liquid for 20 to 30 minutes.

    Cooked dolmas resting in a pot

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

  10. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the dolmas to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and serve cold or at room temperature.

    A pile of dolmas resting on a plate

    ​The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Tips

  • Dolmas can be served on an appetizer platter or as a side to lunch or dinner; they're easy to cook, easy to wrap, and easy to serve, so they're great for big dinners and parties. Don't be intimidated by the steps; once you've made one batch of dolmas, you'll fly through your next batches.
  • When simmering the dolmas, do not bring the liquid to a boil (this will cause the dolmas to burst while cooking).
  • Take care to keep the dolmas covered in liquid; if you notice that the tops of the leaves are exposed while simmering, simply add additional broth or water to the pot to cover (this will keep the leaves moist, preventing them from drying out).

Recipe Variations

How to Store

Once cooled, the cooked dolmas can be stored in the refrigerator for five days or frozen for three months. You can also form the dolmas and freeze them before cooking; just be sure to wrap them well before freezing.

What does dolma mean?

Dolma is a Turkish word and means stuffed thing. This term is not only for stuffed grape leaves but for other leaves and vegetables that are stuffed with rice and meat fillings.

Where can you get grape leaves?

If you have access to grapevines, you can harvest and preserve your own grape leaves. Otherwise, grape leaves can be bought in grocery stores and online.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
46 Calories
1g Fat
8g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 40
Amount per serving
Calories 46
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 458mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 36mg 3%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 28mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)