Kapusta - A hearty main dish / side dish from Poland

This Polish dish is a surprisingly hearty dish that doesn't contain meat (although you can certain add a protein to it if you'd like). It's got cabbage and sauerkraut (yes - I know sauerkraut has cabbage) for that good gut health and it hits those tasty sweet and sour notes that go so well together.

This dish takes no time to put together, but the key is letting it simmer slowly on the stove for at least 2 - 3 hours.

The inspiration and basis for this recipe goes out to my cousin Kathy and her Polish heritage who gave me the main stream of consciousness influence for this braised gem. I hope she doesn't mind, but I changed it around to what I had in the pantry - so it has kind of become my variation.

Ingredients

• 1 Medium sized head of green cabbage - washed and coarsely chopped

• 2 Medium Onions - diced into 1/4" pieces (I like 1 yellow onion and 1 red onion)

• 4 Cloves of Garlic - minced

• 2 - 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil

• 1 - 28 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes

• 1 - 14 1/2 oz Can (or Jar) Sauerkraut (do not drain - you want the liquid)

• 1 x 10 3/4 oz Can Condensed Tomato Soup (I ushey ared Campbell's)

• 1 Teaspoon Herbes de Provence

• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Caraway seeds (more traditional but optional)

• 2 - 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

• Water (to adjust level of braising liquid)

Directions

1. In a medium sized pot (I used a medium sized porcelain coated cast iron Dutch oven), place over medium heat, add a heavy drizzle of Canola oil and bring up to temperature (until it shimmers).

2. Add onion and garlic and saute to sweat. Add some salt and black pepper while they are sweating.

3. Continue sweating the onions and garlic until they are beginning to become translucent (about 3 - 4 minutes - you don't want them to brown).

4. Add the Herbes de Provence and Caraway seeds and stir in with the sauteed onions and garlic to brighten the herbs (about 30 - 45 seconds)

5. Add the chopped cabbage and mix to coat with the oil and to combine with the onions and garlic. Continue stirring occasionally, until the cabbage has started to cook (about 4 - 5 minutes.

6. Add the sauerkraut and its juice into the pan and mix together with the sauteed cabbage.

7. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato soup and mix thoroughly with the cooking vegetables.

8. Adjust the amount of water in pot until the cooking kapusta is covered in liquid (I add water to the ingredients cans to clean out the contents of the cans).

9. Bring to a high simmer and cook for 15 - 20 minutes.

10. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for a remaining (I would suggest a minimum of 90 minutes but the longer at "low and slow" the better.

11. Plate by ladling into a nice bowl or this can be served as a nice side dish as well.

TIP: You can put your favorite braising meat - chicken, beef, meatballs etc. into this dish as well. If you'd like to do this, I would suggest browning the meat in the dutch oven, removing it, and then starting to saute the onions. When you have added in all the other ingredients and starting to simmer the soup, I would suggest returning the meat to the kapusta to braise.

As Always Best Regards and BonAppetIT!!!

TheITGourmet