Kapusta (Polish Braised Cabbage)
Our Kapusta recipe transforms simple cabbage into a flavorful Polish side dish that is studded with bacon!
Polish Cabbage
Kapusta (pronounced kah-POOS-tah) is not so much the name of a dish as it is the name of the main ingredient. You see, in Polish, 'kapusta' means 'cabbage'.
So, to say there is only one way to prepare authentic, Polish kapusta, would be like saying that there is only one way to prepare black eyed peas in the Southern United States. Or, like saying there is only one way to prepare green peas in England.
It's just silly.
The many faces of Kapusta
Kapusta can be thick, like mashed potatoes, or runny, like a soup. It could be thickened with flour, or not. It could be seasoned with paprika, or bay, or dill, or sugar, or just simply salt and pepper. Or, it could include tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, or some form of pork.
You're starting to get the picture.
It doesn't even have to start off with cabbage. Well, it doesn't actually have to start off with fresh cabbage. Some cooks use sauerkraut as the base for their kapusta, while others use a mixture of half sauerkraut and half fresh cabbage.
The real confusion comes in because, while each of these preparations may have their own proper (long) name, (kapusta kiszona, for example, is the actual Polish term for sauerkraut), it is quite common to hear all of them simply referred to as 'kapusta'.
Our Polish Kapusta Recipe
When we traveled in Poland, the kapusta that we encountered was more often savory, rather that sweet or tart.
While some restaurants may have blended fresh cabbage and sauerkraut, many of them lacked a sour tang, making us think that they were using entirely fresh cabbage. These versions they served alongside pierogi, sausages, pork chops, you name it. They were what we simply considered a cabbage dish, rather than something closer to a German sauerkraut.
So, it is a recipe for that savory version of kapusta that we are sharing with you today.
It is such an incredibly simple dish, you might find yourself wondering where all the flavor comes from.
One word.
BACON!
A simple braising with bacon and onions, and a little salt and pepper is all that a nice head of cabbage needs. These ingredients transform it into something super flavorful and comforting.
Will you give it a try?
We're curious! If your family is Polish, what kind of kapusta did you grow up with? Leave us a comment, and tell us about it!
Kapusta (Polish Braised Cabbage)
Ingredients
- 2 oz (3-4 strips) bacon, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ small head cabbage (roughly 1 lb), shredded
- 2 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the diced bacon in a medium sauté pan with a lid, over medium high heat, 2-3 min.
- Add the diced onions. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the onions are golden. (At this point, if there is a lot of fat in the pan from the bacon, drain some off, leaving just enough bacon grease to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.)
- Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the shredded cabbage and water. Cover the pot and simmer for 7-10 minutes, until the cabbage has softened.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt and pepper. Taste your kapusta, and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Serve with polish sausage or pierogi.
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
My Dad was Czech and his Mom made it by boiling the chopped cabbage, drain then cook up bacon and use the bacon drippings to make a thickener or Rue with flour,
Put the bacon and rue into the drained cabbage then Add tomato juice, my Dad always added some sugar to cut the acidity of the tomato flavor also brought out the flavor of the dish.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing Janice!
We are polish and grew up on kapusta. I was searching for this particular recipe because this is the same recipe I'm used to. The only difference being that instead of bacon, my dad started with rendered pork fat, same difference to a degree.
We usually had capista with braised pork steak and gravy and kartofla (sp) mashed potatoes.
And sometimes a glass of buttermilk with salt and pepper that you could dip your fork full of mashed potatoes into. Mmmmm... Those memories! So thank you for this recipe I am definitely going to make this myself for the delicious memories.
Kim S
Yum! Thank you for sharing Kimberly.
Ukrainian Grandmother married to Polish Grandfather, always made kapusta as a soup. She braised beef short ribs with cabbage, onions, couple of bay leaves, caraway seeds, salt, pepper and water to cover. Slow cooked for several hours on the back of the stove and just writing this makes me remember the smell - delicious.
Yum! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sarah, your recipe for Kapusta looks amazing! Whether you are cooking one, or many Pierogi, it's always the same word. Pierogi!! Enjoy, Julie
Thank you Julie!
I braise some beef ribs or if I can’t find those I use beef shanks , once braised I put them into the cabbage along with mushrooms , caraway seed and 2 diced medium Granny Smith apples and let that simmer for a couple of hours . I then add a jar of sauerkraut and let it all simmer another hour or two , you can use more kraut if you like according to your taste .
Yum! Thank you for sharing!
Our version of Kapusta i had as a kid included potatoes, sauerkraut, cabbage, a few bay leaves, a package of Lipton onion soup mix, and sliced Polish sausage. Cooked all together in a pot. As I got older I decided to add some apple cider vinegar to it.
Yum! Thanks for sharing Tracy!
I'm German descent, and grew up with this braised Polish Kaputa! DELICIOUS, except we add a little sugar to taste!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your addition!
My paternal grandparents were both born in Poland and we had Polish food, especially at Christmas and Easter. Mom was Southern, so cooking with bacon was a given. I'd never seen the recipe for Polish braised cabbage. It's exactly how we always cooked it in the South. Makes me happy that we celebrated with a recipe common to both cultures.
What fun memories. Thanks for sharing!
My mother in law’s parents were from Ukraine. Our Kapusta was just bacon, onion, cabbage, HEINZ ketchup. Cuz we’re from the burgh!
Thanks so much for sharing!
@Patty,
I get it,lol Yay Pittsburgh!!!
Ours was made with onion fried in butter, thickened by making a roux with flour before adding cabbage, cabanossi, caraway seeds and pepper and cooking it down until just soft. Relish!
Delicious!
Very simple. Fry out the bacon to render the fat. Add shredded cabbage. Fry to remove moisture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Result should be tender cabbage with no moisture. Just the bacon fat remaining. Use a good quality, fresh ground pepper...
Thanks for sharing Mark. Sounds delicious!
This Irish girl married her Polish boy 35 yrs ago and didn't have a CLUE when my husband asked me to make Kapusta! He told me how his Mom and Grandmas Kapusta tasted when they made it. He wasn't sure HOW they made it, just what he remembered being in the dish. So I gave it a try! Basically I do the same thing but I thicken it at the end with some flour and water and add vinegar. My husband and oldest son LOVE it. The son now making it himself LOL
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Kinda been wondering if I was doing it right all these years!
How fun! Great tip for thickening. It is such comfort food!
We grew up on Kapusta. Fresh Kielbasa, red potatoes, cabbage, garbanzos, and water to cover everything. Boil until the cabbage and potatoes are cooked.
I cannot get fresh Kielbasa in my area. I have modified it to the lowest sodium smoked sausage I can find. Also, I only use 1/2 the cabbage in the water and stir fry the rest of the cabbage with 1/2 onion, olive oil and powdered ginger. My grandmother used to tell us ginger would help with the gas.
Delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I have been craving this
Thank you
We have it with braised county ribs or kielbasa
Served over mashed potatoes with fried salt pork cubes
Everyone is on Statins
Glad you enjoyed it! Sounds like a wonderful meal!
I use country spareribs in mine (about 2 lbs) I sear them until they are done and remove and cut up and add to the cabbage, salt, pepper, garlic, and 1T soy sauce. I serve it as a side and have kielbasa on the table as well. I always serve it as a side on Christmas and Easter.
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for posting this kapusta recipe! It was just what i needed to add to my family cookbook of treasured favourites. I had long lost the entire recipe of my dear babcia's, and just have a point form of additions left on my page from a long ago time when we made it together. I just wanted to share with the world her best advice to me when it came to cooking "use what you have, and what you like". When it came to kapusta, my babcia would add to the base recipe you posted: diagonally cut chunks of kielbasa, or sausage, or both lol, as well as an apple, 2- 3 tomatoes, 3tblsp of brown sugar, a splash of vinegar, and fresh dill. She would also brown 3tblsp of flour in butter to help thicken the consistency. Shhhhh by the way, babcia's secret!
Thank you so much for sharing! We're glad you found us!