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Kielbasa and Cabbage – Polish Summer Hunter’s Stew

July 22, 2019 by Edyta 17 Comments

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Edyta
Author at Eating European
Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes
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Latest posts by Edyta (see all)
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Kielbasa and Cabbage come together to form a perfect Polish summer hunter’s stew. It’s made from young cabbage, that is at its peak at the begging of the summer, with the addition of smoky Polish sausage and fragrant dill. It makes for a delicious European treat. It is different from traditional Bigos also know as Hunter’s stew where you would use sauerkraut in addition to fresh cabbage and different cuts of meat in addition to kielbasa. This summer version is much lighter and it’s perfect for entertainment.

This post may contain affiliate links. I get commissions for purchases made through the affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy HERE.

Kielbasa and Cabbage in a skillet with a spoon

Kielbasa and Cabbage – Popular Summer Dish

Kielbasa and Cabbage pair together to form one of the most popular Polish dishes. It’s repeated often when the summer arrives with its abundance of young (new) cabbage. Almost every home cook will have their own particular spin on it. They may differ by types of meat, or spices, or other additions like wine or tomato paste.

And some other folks may skip the kielbasa altogether and make this summer hunter’s stew only with vegetables. For a vegan version, you may add mushrooms instead of sausage (like in this Kapusta (Sauerkraut with Mushrooms) recipe. )Β 

Kielbasa and Cabbage (Hunter's stew) on a serving plate with spoon

What to Serve This Kielbasa and Cabbage Stew with

It’s best served with a side ofΒ New Dill Potatoes or Potato Pancakes. It can be featuredΒ as dinner or as a side dish. I love the smokiness of Polish kielbasa in this stew, so for me, this is the best version. Oh, and did I mentioned that my husband wouldn’t touch the cabbage without meat in it?

So when I was making this Kielbasa and Cabbage I asked my husband if I could challenge him. Cabbage is on his short list of excommunicated ingredients. I promised him that this dish was really good and he would like it (he just needs to give me a chance). I believe that he just never developed a taste for cooked cabbage, as it is not a popular dish in America. Every Polish kid likes it, and I certainly don’t think we have different tastes buds. Rather, we were just exposed to so often that we developed a taste for it.

It’s the same story with sauerkraut and beets. I love all of these veggies, while my husband doesn’t care for them. However, I think it’s all in the preparation. He claimed not to like spinach but he likes my Greek Spinach Rice. He claims to not like sauerkraut but he likes my Sauerkraut and Mushroom Pierogi.

And so I did challenge my hubby with this one too. He tasted it….looked at me….& said: “Not bad,” which is HUGE for him! He even took it to work for lunch the next day. If that’sΒ not a good testimonial of how good itΒ is, then I don’t know what would be πŸ™‚

Summer hunter's stew with kielbasa and cabbage on a serving plate

How to Make Kielbasa and Cabbage (Summer Hunter’s Stew)

This Kielbasa and Cabbage skillet is pretty simple to make. You’ll need:

  • Young new cabbage (it’s the one that you can find from late spring to late summer with green outside leaves);
  • Carrot;
  • Onion;
  • Vegetable or chicken bullion ;
  • Tomato paste;
  • Polish Kielbasa (if you’re lucky to have a Polish store around then get the one from there; if not, Polish Kielbasa from a supermarket will do the trick).

The step by step instructions can be found below in a printable recipe card.

Kielbasa and Cabbage in a skillet with kitchen towel

I like to use aΒ Pre Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet (12.5 inches) Β for these kinds of dishes. I especially like to cook the kielbasa on it to give it a nice sear; that gives it an amazing golden brown color. If you like cabbage and the sausage then I am conferment that you will really like this Polish Kielbasa and Cabbage dish. And if you’re leery, then ‘I challenge you.’

Other Polish Recipes To Try:

  • Bigos -Polish Hunter’s Stew
  • Dill Pickle Soup
  • Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese
  • Polish Potato Salad with Pickles and Eggs
Cabbage and Kielbasa come together to form a perfect Polish summer hunter's stew. It's made from young cabbage, that is at its peak at the begging of the summer, with the addition of a smoky Polish sausage and a fragrant dill. It makes for a delicious European treat.

Kielbasa and Cabbage - Summer Hunter's Stew

Kielbasa and Cabbage come together to form a perfect Polish summer hunter's stew. It's made from young cabbage, that is at its peak at the begging of the summer, with the addition of smoky Polish sausage and fragrant dill. It makes for a delicious European treat.
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: Polish
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 361kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

  • 1 cabbage young, cut into small pieces
  • 1 carrot medium, shredded
  • 1 onion yellow, medium, chopped
  • 2 cups kielbasa sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp dill fresh, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 bay leave
  • 1,5 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

  • In a large braising pan or cast iron skillet, add one tablespoon of olive oil and chopped onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent;
  • Add shredded carrot and chopped cabbage, broth, tomato paste, caraway seeds, and bay leave. Mix well, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Make sure that all cabbage is covered. If not, add more broth or water;
  • Check if after 20 minutes the cabbage is soft. If not, cook for a little longer until all cabbage is cooked through and soft. Season with salt and pepper to your liking;
  • In the meantime, heat up another tablespoon of oil in the cast iron skillet, add sliced kielbasa and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown;
  • Once your cabbage is cooked, add cooked kielbasa;
  • In a separate pan add flour and cook for about 2 minutes, add the last tablespoon of oil and mix; Add about a cup of broth from cabbage pot, mix well; Add the mixture to the cabbage pot and combine; Let cook for two-3 minutes. Add dill and serve.Β 

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1060mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2065IU | Vitamin C: 58.7mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2.1mg
Tried this recipe?Show me @eatingeuropean or tag #eatingeuropean!

This post was originally published on June 18, 2017, and since then it was updated to provide additional information.

Read about the author Edyta here or follow Eating European on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

 

 

 

 

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Mushroom Pork Chops Recipe with Garlic & Butter

Filed Under: Dinner, Ethnic Recipes, European Recipes, Meat and chicken, Polish recipes, Side dish Tagged With: cabbage, kielbasa

Previous Post: « Salmorejo (Spanish Cold Tomato Soup Recipe)
Next Post: Basil Sauce with Garlic & Lemon »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Vicky @ Avocado Pesto

    July 19, 2017 at 9:19 am

    5 stars
    Having a Russian background I can totally relate to loving cabbage and beets! They’re the best and frequently used in Russian cooking as well – my mom makes a dish similar to this too! Definitely not highly used ingredients in American cooking though.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 19, 2017 at 9:37 am

      I know our cuisine are similar Vicky πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Jeni @ Coquette Kitchen

    July 19, 2017 at 10:03 am

    5 stars
    Your cabbage is beautiful! I grew up int eh American South, so cabbage was common on our table and I like it. I cook it down for a while on the stove with lots of butter, salt, and beer πŸ™‚ I love the look of this. I don’t eat kielbasa (pescetarian) but I will sub some spicy veggie sausage and try this. Cabbage is so comforting! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 19, 2017 at 10:14 am

      It really is comforting. I bet it will taste delicious with some veggie sausage πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Online Sunshine

      November 13, 2020 at 10:10 pm

      5 stars
      I had a store bought package of kielbasa and I googled recipes for it and found yours. It looked good and I had a head of regular cabbage so I went ahead and made it, using half of the large head. I didn’t have caraway seeds, so I used fennel instead; dried dill instead of fresh; and Better Than Bouillon (Chicken flavor) instead of vegetable broth. I saw a commenter mentiin sauteeing their cabbage in butter, so I did that before putting it in the big pot. I ended up using 3+ cups of liquid. My version made less than 4 servings but OH! did it taste yummy! This is definitely going in my recipe book and I look forward to making it again very soon!

      Reply
  3. Kristina @ Love & Zest

    July 19, 2017 at 10:39 am

    This looks AMAZING! I am going to have to make this very soon!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 19, 2017 at 11:00 am

      Thank you Kristina!

      Reply
  4. Rebecca

    July 19, 2017 at 10:45 am

    ohhhh sign me up! this looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 19, 2017 at 11:00 am

      Thanks Rebecca

      Reply
  5. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy

    July 19, 2017 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    Ok…so I am Ukrainian…and this is right up my alley. Nothing like simple cooking with great ingredients….wins them over every time!!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 19, 2017 at 11:08 am

      Great, we share common traditions πŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl)

    July 21, 2017 at 9:21 pm

    This looks so delicious πŸ™‚

    Reply
  7. CraigO

    August 1, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    4 stars
    I have a polish deli where I get fresh kielbasa and wedding kielbasa, I also stir fry a coleslaw blend ( it’s all ready shredded with carrots and cabbages) 1 tablespoon butter, garlic minced onions sliced peppers, baby bella mushrooms with a little balsamic vinegar.

    Reply
  8. Amber

    May 30, 2021 at 8:16 am

    I’m just using regular green cabbage, how many lbs is a young cabbage?

    Reply
  9. Sara C.

    May 31, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    Can someone explain the flour part of this recipe? First, the amount is listed as “1,5 tbsp”. I’m not sure what that means. Then, do I brown the flour in a pan before adding the oil and broth? Finally, I guess I add that mixture back to the whole, but why? What does the flour mixture add to the dish? Any help is appreciated!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      August 5, 2021 at 4:31 pm

      It means one and a half tablespoons of flour. It’s done to thicken the cabbage. You may skip it if you don’t like it.

      Reply
  10. Restaurants in Nashville

    August 16, 2021 at 5:50 pm

    5 stars
    I do not come across much polish food in Nashville but I wish I did. This dish looks great and I may have to give it a go.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
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