Delicious Savory Tart Cherry Dolmas feature Montmorency cherries, almonds, herbs and spices. Delicious and elegant, these stuffed grape leaves are easier to make than you may think.

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Tart cherries bring sweet and citrus-like notes to these Delicious Savory Tart Cherry Dolmas

The unique sweet-tart flavor profile of U.S. Montmorency tart cherries lends itself to both sweet and savory dishes perfectly. And they really deliver another layer of complexity to these stuffed grape leaves. It’s one of the reasons I was so excited to use them in this recipe for Delicious Savory Tart Cherry Dolmas.

The cherries blend beautifully with the warm spices and herbs. They also enhance the natural floral notes of the Jasmine rice.

Although there’s not a lot of salt added to the filling, the finished dolmas are perfectly seasoned during the cooking process when the preserved grape leaves release some of their briny goodness into these little elegant edibles.

If you’re fortunate enough to have grape vines in your yard, you can actually harvest and preserve your own grape leaves from season to season. However, if that seems a bit “much”, you can just pick up a jar at your local grocery. Look for them by the international foods. You’ll find them in both the Greek and/or Middle Eastern foods sections and sometimes mixed in with the pickles, so look around.

Repeat after me, “I can do this!”

This recipe for Delicious Savory Tart Cherry Dolmas does require a little prep time, but they are so worth it! And once you break down the steps, they are really quite easy to make. Honest!

Not only can you do this, you’ll want to add this recipe to your meal prep rotation. They make a great quick lunch or snack that you can nosh on all throughout the week.

After preparing the filling, allow it to cool completely. While you’re waiting for the filling to cool, drain and pat dry your grape leaves. Pick out the biggest and best of the bunch. Save any broken or odd shaped leaves for lining the pan during the cooking process.

Step 1. Lay out a grape leaf flat on your work surface. Spoon approximately two Tablespoons of filling into the palm of your hand and give it a little squeeze until it holds its shape like a little football. Lay the filling football in the center of your leaf as shown bottom center of the picture.

Step 2. Fold the sides of the grape leaf over the filling football as shown middle-left of the picture.

A pan is lined with lemons and grape leaves. Savory Tart Cherry Dolmas are lined up neatly in the pan - ready to be steamed. — **Pan lined with lemon & grape leaves**

Step 3. Gently roll upwards, tucking in the sides of the leaves as you reach the top as shown middle-right of the picture. The dolmas should be snug, but not overly-tight. You need a little room for the rice filling to expand as it cooks.

Step 4. Once you’re finished rolling, you’re ready to start filling your pan and cooking.

Step 5. Prepare a shallow pan with a lid as shown right. Slice a lemon and lay it across the bottom of the pan. Using the broken or odd-shaped grape leaves, cover over the lemons. This creates a protective layer for the dolmas as they are cooking. Arrange the dolmas in a single layer as shown right. Pour 2 cups of boiling hot water over the dolmas and lay a plate over the top to hold them down. The plate will keep them from floating up in the water during the cooking cycle. Cover with a lid and simmer as directed below.

Want to know more about Michigan Tart Cherries?

I wanted to share this recipe for Delicious Savory Tart Cherry Dolmas with you because I love the versatility of this fruit! Although I will never turn down a slice of pie, a muffin or a salad bursting with tart cherries, I hope this recipe sparks your inner-chef to experiment with Montmorency tart cherries in savory dishes as well. Enjoy!

For more information on Michigan tart cherries or other great recipes that feature U.S. Montmorency Tart Cherries, check out my post, Spilling the Tea on Michigan Tart Cherries or visit usacherries.com.

Savory Tart Cherry Dolmas

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Depending on the size of your grape leaves, this recipe will yield between 18 – 24 dolmas. Two dolmas equal one serving.

Ingredients

For the dolmas
1 cup (1/2 lb.) cooked ground beef or Beyond Meat.
1/2 cup white onion, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, fine chop
1/2 cup uncooked Jasmine rice, rinsed and drained.
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup dried U.S. Montmorency cherries, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. dried mint
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
For rolling and cooking the dolmas
1 whole lemon (for lining the pan during the cooking process).
One jar preserved grape leaves (see note below) for rolling. Use the extra leaves to line the pan during the cooking process.
2 cups boiling water

Directions

Prepare the filling
In a medium-size skillet, over medium-high heat, saute the ground beef (or Beyond Meat for a vegetarian version) until golden brown. Use your spoon or spatula to break the protein up into small crumbles. Approximately 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same saute pan, add the olive oil, onions and almonds to the pan. Cook over medium heat until onions start to become translucent – approximately 5 minutes. Add the rice and cherries and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Keep the rice moving so it does not brown.
Add the lemon juice and water to the rice mixture.
Add the protein, herbs and spices to the rice mixture and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely while you begin to prep the grape leaves and pan for cooking. The rice will still be hard at this point and that’s OK. It will finish cooking during the steaming process.
Prepare a pan for cooking and assemble the dolmas
Prepare a pan for cooking the dolmas by lining it with lemon slices. Cover over the lemons with any broken or odd-shaped grape leaves.
Lay a large grape leaf flat across your work area.
Using the instructions and pictures provided above as a reference, scoop approximately 2 Tbsp. of filling into the palm of your hand and give it a little squeeze. The filling will adhere to a little football shape. Lay the filling football across the center of the grape leaf and begin to fold and roll as shown. Be careful not to roll the dolmas too tight or they might split as the rice expands during cooking.
Place the rolled dolma in the prepared pan and repeat until the filling is gone. Depending on the size of your grape leaves, you should get between 18 – 24 dolmas total.
Once you are done rolling and have placed the dolmas in the pan, place a small plate on top of the dolmas. Pour the two cups of boiling water over the dolmas. Over medium-high heat, bring the water back up to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid and allow the dolmas to cool completely before transferring them from the pan to a storage container or serving platter. Carefully remove the plate and discard the cooked lemon slices and grape leaves.
Enjoy warm or cold. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

Preserved grape leaves can be found in most major grocery stores in the international food section. Look for the Krinos brand near the Greek food section or the Middle Eastern food section. They can also be found online.