Stewed Cabbage: How to Make Epic Bigos, the Traditional Polish Hunter’s Stew

Bigos is a hearty Polish stewed cabbage made with fresh cabbage, smoked prunes wild mushrooms, and a hefty dose of sauerkraut. A perfect cozy meal for a winter day!

This stew cabbage with kraut is mostly served in Poland at Christmas time on New Year’s Day. Traditionally is made with lots of different meats—many of them smoked—and a variety of mushrooms. If you know a Polish person or any Eastern European you know we are crazy about our mushrooms😊. Bigos is my favorite Christmas Eve dish no doubt! Well, straight after dumplings that is 😆.

So today I have a recipe for you that you are going to love! Delicious, aromatic, and very authentic! – it tastes like the traditional version with sausage and bacon. This bigos is just HEAVENLY!- excuse me if I say so myself 😆.

So following the rush of preparing dishes for Christmas and the general autumn-winter weather, I came to the conclusion that I have actually never shared the staple dish I make every single year! Like many houses, there are as many recipes, as many cooks, and as many flavors, spices, and additives. In my family home, bigos has always been vegetarian, no meat was added to it, nothing at all. Not pork chunks or smoked meats. The basis was always sauerkraut, Simple but traditional additions make this veggie stewed cabbage simply very, very tasty.

A little bit of the history of Bigos:

Bigos, often referred to as “Hunter’s Stew,” has a rich history deeply rooted in Polish culinary tradition. Its origins trace back several centuries, making it a dish with enduring cultural significance.

The name “bigos” is believed to have originated from the German word “beige,” meaning “stew” or “pot.” The dish itself is a reflection of Poland’s agricultural and hunting heritage, blending the bounties of the forest with locally cultivated ingredients.

This stewed cabbage also holds symbolic value for the Polish people, signifying continuity and tradition. It became a symbol of national identity, surviving wars, and political changes. Even during times of hardship, the resourcefulness of using preserved and fermented ingredients allowed families to sustain their culinary traditions.

Why this stewed cabbage recipe works:

The success of this Bigos recipe lies in the careful selection and combination of ingredients. The sauerkraut adds a delightful tanginess, the dried mushrooms bring depth and umami, and the smoked prunes provide a subtle sweetness. The slow-cooking process allows the flavors to develop and intensify, creating a dish that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Why you will absolutely love this Stewed cabbage recipe:

Simple yet delicious

Healthy

Meat-less

Easy to make ahead

Perfect for a cozy lunch or dinner

Very hearty!

Possible Supplies Needed:

Large saucepan

Blender

Wooden spoon for stirring

Ingredients to make stewed cabbage with kraut:

white cabbage – Solid, tough, and healthy one should be selected. It is worth remembering to also cut the core that is as nutritious as the leaves. It is not worth throwing it away – after cutting it, you can easily add it to the bigos.

sauerkraut – Sauerkraut adds delicious “spice” to this dish. Kraut helps to achieve that specific sour aftertaste.

dry mushrooms – this is important. You need a good variety of different dried mushrooms. It adds to a specific smoky flavour.

tomato paste – some people omit it I always add tomato paste to mine as it gives nice acidity to this dish.

smoked dry prunes – another important flavor. The smokiness from smoked prunes can’t be substituted.

onion

spices:

bay leaves
whole peppercorns
juniper fruit
marjoram

Simple instructions:

Prep Mushrooms:
Use a blender to grind dry mushrooms into fine pieces, adding a rich umami depth.

Cabbage Prep:
Chop a small white cabbage, ensuring that the core is included.

Check Kraut:
Taste the sauerkraut, adjusting for the right tanginess to balance the dish. If the kraut is quite sour just rinse it once or twice under water.

In a large saucepan, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, creating a flavorful base.
Add the chopped white cabbage to the pan, covering it with water. Simmer for about an hour until the cabbage is tender.
Add your sauerkraut and spices to the pan. Cover and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally to meld the flavors and to avoid burning the bottom of the pan.
Add smoked prunes and tomato paste for a subtle sweetness to complement the savory medley
Let the Bigos cool. For enhanced flavors, refrigerate overnight. Reheat the next day, stirring occasionally.

Optional step but so important:

To intensify Flavors and for a deeper taste, repeat the process over 2 to 3 days.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate. You can keep the stewed cabbage in the fridge for up to a week. After that, if you manage to have any leftovers you can freeze it and it will last up to 6 months.

Reheating. You can reheat a needed portion in a pot over medium heat. If using a frozen one just let it thaw first and then reheat.

Serving suggestions

Stewed cabbage in my house is served many ways and every single time is as good😆 . But below are my top 3 serving suggestions:

• bread
• mashed potatoes
• gnocchi – my favorite 😉

Expert tips:

• The basis of a successful stewed cabbage in this recipe is good-quality sauerkraut. If the saukraut is too sour for you just quickly rinse it in a colander under the running water. I never rinsed it, I only mixed it half and half with thinly shredded white cabbage as in the recipe below. Besides the kraut gives a nice tangy flavour to the dish.
• Time – the flavours in this dish develop over a longer cooking period so you need to give t time. We cook bigos for a very long time and melt in the mouth.
• Beautiful mushrooms..Use as many different kinds of mushrooms as you can, and definitely try to find dried porcini – most bigos recipes call for it. I used dried wild mushrooms. I use a ready mix in my local Polish shop, so u use whatever you can grab in the shop near you as many shops carry now dry mushrooms.😆.
• smokiness – that usually is from smoked meat and sausage. For this reason, smoked prunes play a big role in flavor development.

Bigos improves with age, too, which is why this recipe makes so much. Your leftovers will taste even better the next day as the flavor develops.

IMPORTANT:

We cook Bigos over low heat because cabbage easily burns. If this happens, quickly transfer the dish to another pot, add wine corks! This way, we rescue the dish from the smell of burnt, allowing it to regain its original flavor. Continue to simmer the cabbage. At the end remove the corks.”

Frequently asked questions:

Can I use fresh mushrooms instead of dry ones

Yes, you can substitute dry mushrooms with fresh ones. Adjust the quantity based on your preference.

Can I freeze some portions of this stewed cabbage?

You can also freeze it or put it hot in jars, close it, leave it to cool, put it in the fridge, and consume it for up to 2 weeks.

Is it necessary to let the stew sit overnight?

Like, I mentioned before, while not mandatory, letting the stew rest overnight enhances the flavors. It’s worth the wait!

Can I add different vegetables to customize the recipe?

Certainly! Feel free to experiment with additional vegetables like carrots, and parsnip that would go well in this recipe.

Other Vegan recipes you might want to try

Vegan white sausage

Delicious buckwheat pancakes

Amazing orange poppy-seed cake!

P.S. Do you want to make something sweet and delicious for the holidays? I recommend you a recipe for vegan gingerbread and gingerbread pancakes. Both items are insanely delicious and easy to make.

Time to roll up your sleeves and enjoy its taste. It is also a great opportunity to show your family that vegan food can be healthy and delicious at the same time!

If you try this recipe for Stewed Cabagge with kraut, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating. And if you share a photo of your healthy and delicious soup on Instagram please tag me at @pronounced and use hashtag #pronounced as I LOVE seeing your remakes! HAPPY COOKING 🍽️!

Bigos -stewed Cabbage with kraut

Bigos is a hearty Polish stewed cabbage made with fresh cabbage, smoked prunes wild mushrooms, and a hefty dose of sauerkraut. A perfect cozy meal for a winter day!

5 from 32 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 days d 2 hours hrs

Course dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Servings 12 people and more

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 small white cabbage
• 1 kg sauerkraut
• 2 big handful of dry mushrooms
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 20 smoked prunes
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp juniper berries, optional
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorn
• 2 tbsp dried marjoram

Instructions

 

• Grind your dry mushrooms in a blender into small pieces.
• Chop your white cabbage including the core.
• Taste your kraut to see if it is not to sour.
• Heat your large saucepan add your oil. Add your onion and fry till transuculent.
• Add you chopped white cabbage and water just enough to cover the cabbage.
• Cook the cabbage for about 1 h. You want your cabbage to be nice and soft.
• Add your sauerkraut and all the spices. Cover and cook for another hour. Keep stirring once in a while making sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you feel that the stew is drying out add some water.
• You can now take it of the heat and let it cool down.
• I take my stew and leave it in the coldest room in the house overnight and I reheat the cabbage the next day, stirring it once in a while.
• I find that if I do it 2 to 3 days in a row the flavours really develop fantasticly.
• Your stewed cabbage is ready to devour!
• ENJOY!

Keyword bigos, christmas dish, christmas main dish, easy christmas meal, easy dinner, easy vegan dinner, fermented cabbage, hunter stew, polish bigos, polish christmas, polish hunter stew, polish stew, stewed cabbage, stewed cabbage with kraut

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