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Polish Kapusta

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polish kapusta recipe

Three simple ingredients combine to create this flavorful and traditional Polish dish. If you are a fan of crock-pot cooking, this is an excellent meal to start in the morning and then forget about all day. This recipe comes together in about an hour on the stove-top or it can be simmered through the day in the crock-pot. (For what it’s worth, I am not a fan of sauerkraut and I still enjoyed this meal.)

My sister married into a food-loving family and they have given us some truly fabulous recipes. Her mother in law grew up making kapusta with her grandmother. Her family traditionally serves this dish with pierogies and the combination is delicious. I’ll be sharing how to make the pierogies tomorrow!

polish kapusta recipe
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Polish Kapusta
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 28 ounce jar of sauerkraut
  • 2 lbs Polish/kielbasa sausage NOT smoked (If you can't find a non-smoked polish sausage, bratwurst will work in a pinch.)
  • 1 28 ounce jar of marinara sauce, or 1 recipe Five Minute Marinara
Instructions
  1. Pour the sauerkraut into a strainer over a bowl in the sink. Rinse thoroughly with water for at least 2-3 minutes. It is very important to remove the brine for this recipe. Let the rinsed sauerkraut rest in the strainer and drain while starting the rest of the dish.
  2. STOVE-TOP DIRECTIONS: Place the sausage links in the bottom of a large pot over medium high heat. Turn them over as needed, to brown each side. Add the rinsed sauerkraut and the marinara to the pot and reduce to low heat. Bring to a slow simmer and cover with lid. Simmer for 1 hour, or all day long over very low heat. Stirring occasionally. If desired, remove the sausages and slice just before serving. Enjoy!
  3. CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS: Place the sausage links in a skillet over medium high heat. Turn them over as needed, to brown each side. (Feel free to skip the browning step, if you like. Browning the sausages will add a little extra flavor, but it isn't required.) Place the sausages, rinsed sauerkraut and the marinara in the crock-pot over low heat. Simmer all day, from 6-10 hours. Stirring occasionally, if desired (although it isn't necessary). If desired, remove the sausages and slice just before serving. Enjoy!

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    • I'm from Upstate NY and the Kapusta my Polish family cooked was strictly potatoes mashed, dried peas (soaked overnight in water), sauerkraut, and cabbage, fried salt pork in real small pieces. The texture was like a soup, green in color and tasted fantastic.
      Reply

    • I grew up on the green pea one also.......maybe not exactly as this one but never with marinara sauce tho I think it sounds good
      Reply

  2. I had something similar last night for tea. Although I didn't add sauerkraut, I added spring onions, carrots and cauliflower. Don't call my sauce marinara (had to look yours up but has the same ingredients) although one difference the addition of lemon zest must try this. Mine was unimpressive to look at (hence no blog or photo) but dam good to eat!
    Reply

  5. there is also a dish called "młoda kapusta/ young cabbage". Very similar recipe instead of sauerkraut you have to use a young white cabbage and add a lot of dill.
    Reply

  6. and you have to try this one http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/polish_hunters_stew/

    but without beer, mustard or horseradish, but definitely with smoked dry prunes, tomatoes and two vodka shots :) enjoy
    Reply

    • Hi Rosemary,

      That is not information that I track. However, if you want nutritional information for a recipe, it is very simple to enter the recipe into Calorie Count, which will calculate it for you. Here's a link: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php You can cut and paste the full recipe into the calculator and you won't need to enter all the ingredients separately.

      I hope that helps!
      Mary
      Reply

    • Rosemary, i tried this new analyzer: http://happyforks.com/analyzer . What is more important, by pasting recipe you can chech nutrition values per 100g (not per serving) which is more useful when you want compare recipe to other recipes. You can check many nutrition values in option "advanced" - by one click! I use it for every recipe. greets!
      Reply

  8. I grew up eating this stuff...especially during Christmas my father would make a huge pot of "bigos". That's how it's called in Polish. But, ours wouldn't come with Marinara sauce. Since I've been diagnosed with gluten intolerance, I cook with gluten-free sausage only. It's still yummy, tho:)
    Reply

  10. I have to say I am so glad I found your blog!! Okay so when I saw this recipe I was not so sure about mixing sauerkraut and spaghetti sauce together let alone with kielbasa. For some reason I was drawn to this recipe. So I made it yesterday. All I can say is THANK YOU Mary!! My family loved this!! I was not sure I wanted to try it..lol but I am so glad I did! The recipe should be followed exactly as you wrote it!! I so wanted to add things to it...but am so glad I did not!! You also suggested pierogis with the dish. We cannot have pasta of any type here so I baked a spaghetti squash and had that on the side...the guys loved and I mean loved it!! They mixed their food all together and ate it up!! Thank you again for this awesome keeper!!! If I could rate this is would be a 10!!! I cant wait to try other recipes!!
    Reply

  12. For 47 yrs we traditionally have had Kaputa every holiday. I take 1 bag kruat squeeze brine out or lightly rinse it , leaving it somewhat sour . . Cut up med heard fresh cabbage in thin strips., 1 thinly sliced 1 sweet onion , 1 thinly sliced package mushrooms , 2 pouches dry onion soup mix , slice up 3 lbs Polish sausage , black pepper . . Put all gradients in very large pot, bring to a boil. Turn banner door and cover pot , cook on medium heat for 2 hrs . People that say they don’t like kaputa , have tried this and say they love it . My father -in-law was polish and he loved it .
    Reply

  14. Why does it have to cook so long in the crock pot ,? I would think 2 hrs on hi should be enough since all the ingredients are not raw
    Reply

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