Polish Kapusta

The second there’s a chill in the air, all I want to eat are piping bowls of X, Y, or Z. Oatmeal, soup, chili, thai food, you name it. Last night I had a pregnant-lady strength craving for kapusta.

Kapusta is a traditional Polish dish that my grandma used to make. It’s kind of like golabki (stuffed cabbage), only without the meat. Plus you don’t have to do any of the work of stuffing and rolling the cabbage, it’s a one pot meal. Well, meal for me, probably more of a side dish for others.

There are a ton of different versions of kapusta – some are sauerkraut-based, some have mushrooms, and some have salt pork. Our family’s version is more tomato based, with tons of onions and cabbage.

Polish Kapusta

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of green cabbage, cut into chunks
• Some kind of tomatoes (you could use diced, fresh, stewed, anything but sauce)
• 1/2 onion, diced
•  1-2 T. sugar
• salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 T. butter + 1 T. oil
• 1 c. water

1. Saute onion and garlic in butter/oil until transparent
2. Add in cabbage, water, and tomatoes. Liquid should just about cover the cabbage.
3. Turn the heat on low, let simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Add in sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
5. Let simmer for another hour or so (until the cabbage is tender and the liquid has thickened)

I served mine with greek yogurt (usually it’s served with kielbasa and sour cream). And I ate about four bowls. And it was amazing. Such a simple recipe, but it’s one of my favorites.

 
The best part about kapusta is that it stays good for at least a few days to a week, and it’s like chili in that it just gets better after sitting in the fridge.

Na zdrowie!