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
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
- 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.
- 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!
- 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!
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Glass Noodles with Sriracha Honey Broccoli
TWO YEARS AGO TODAY: Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Anonymous says
Do you cook the sausage whole or sliced in the sauerkraut/marinara sauce? Thanks, Judy
Mary says
Hi Judy,
We cook the sausage whole and then remove it to slice just before serving. I'll add a note to the recipe. Thank you!
Mary
Anonymous says
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.
Anonymous says
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
Magnolia Verandah says
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!
Kalyn Denny says
Oh my, loving the sound of this!
Rebecca {foodie with family} says
Wowza, lady. You cook food I want to eat all the time.
Anonymous says
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.
Deb says
I was looking for something to serve with Pierogi and this was perfect! I went the crockpot route since I was super busy with my fresh Pierogi. It was quick, simple, and delicious-thank you!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you are enjoying the recipes, Deb!
Anonymous says
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
M Nordman says
Bigos, as many families as there are in Poland is the exact number of Bigos recipes.
Ours was handed down from my wife’s parents, Kraut, cabbage, kielbasa, pork chops,onion, diced potatoes, carrots, peas and a little catsup for color. Served with perogies, galumpkis and good rye bread. This year I’m going to try your kapusta. Many thanks for the recipe.
It’s been bringing our extended family together on Christmas for over 40 years..
Enjoy you holidays
Mary Younkin says
I hope you love the kapusta!
Rosemary says
I wish that you could add nutritional values. I love the recipes you share, but hesitate on a lot not knowing the numbers.
Mary says
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
Kim_S says
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!
fieldbarn says
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:)
Peg says
Tried to join your email but it said the publisher was not accepting new ones.
Mary says
I’m not sure why that would have happened. If you click this link: http://bit.ly/the-little-things-email you should be able to sign up to receive my emails.
Diana Downie Bristow says
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!!
Mary says
I am thrilled that you enjoyed it so much! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell me.
Barbara Baumgartner says
Could you par boil the sausage instead of frying it, then add it to the crock pot with the sauerkraut?
Mary says
Sure, that would work fine.
Martin Kolakowski says
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 .
Vicki says
That’s not kapusta. kapusta is fried fat back or salt pork, you make a gravy from then cook with the kraut.
Regina Hudson says
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
Mary says
Feel free to adjust it however you like. We like the results with the time listed.
Kim says
Quick, easy, filling and delicious!
Pair w bread or Pierogies
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you are enjoying the Kapusta, Kim!