For Cabbage That's 10x More Filling, Make It Polish-Style

Cabbage enjoys international appreciation, which we noted when learning how to enjoy this leafy veg Japanese-style with sesame oil and seasonings. If you're tired of your normal cabbage recipes or simply want to upgrade it to main dish status — understandable, since cabbage is very nutritious — egg noodles are your secret ingredient to a total, filling transformation. We can't take credit for this idea, as much as we'd love to. Sautéed cabbage in butter with egg noodles is a spin on a Slavic dish often called "haluski" that appears in multiple Central and Eastern European cuisines. While other nations add more to really amp up their plates (more on that in a sec), the Polish version keeps it simple and satisfying with cabbage, noodles, butter, and perhaps onions.

All you have to do is sauté your shredded cabbage until it's tender. Consider starting the veg in a hot, dry pan so that you get some delightful crispiness to the leaves. At the same time, get your egg noodles cooking. You're going to combine the cabbage shreds with cooked noodles, all tossed together with a lot of butter plus salt and pepper to taste. The traditional version might also incorporate fried white onion, although the haluski will be fine without it. 

This rustic dish isn't meant to be fancy or complicated. Its hearty, comforting simplicity is the appeal. We've read that it's often served on Christmas Eve and alongside fish dishes during Lent, but we'd happily enjoy it all year long. Vegetarians and even vegans can savor this one, especially if a non-dairy alternative is used in lieu of butter. 

Looking to make your haluski an unforgettable entrée? It's easy to round out your cabbage and noodles with various additions to make it even heartier. Other countries' takes on the dish add kielbasa — which we love in baked beans for a nostalgic spin on beanie weenies! — or ground sausage for meaty heft. We've also seen goat cheese added for creaminess and a tiny bit of protein. Remember when we suggested adding Alfredo sauce to sautéed cabbage for a big flavor boost? It's a tiny hop-skip-jump to spike your haluski with a few tablespoons of Alfredo for creaminess and umami goodness. Garlic definitely has its place in the pan, as far as we're concerned, and you also can't go wrong with some Parm if that's more of your ideal cheese. You can also get some red pepper flakes in your skillet and add a touch of heat to your cabbage and noodles.

When we saw that dumplings (usually homemade ones) are an alternative Slavic take on Polish haluski with egg noodles, we couldn't help thinking of gnocchi ... and we weren't the only ones. Shreds of cabbage bathed in butter and adorned with pillowy gnocchi sound absolutely dreamy as a dish and even more filling since gnocchi are denser than egg noodles. We'd imagine that, while not "authentically" Polish, your haluski probably wouldn't be too picky when it comes to your choice of noodle. This is peasant cooking at its core, so thriftiness and adaptability are both virtues. Use what you have, and savor the winning combination of butter, tender cabbage, and filling noodles!