Ahh, Hungarian Cabbage and Potatoes 🇭🇺🥔🥬
Simple, humble, and deeply comforting—this is the kind of dish every Hungarian grew up with. It’s often called Káposztás krumpli or made as a rustic paprika stew.
Here’s a traditional, no-nonsense recipe, plus a couple of authentic variations.
🇭🇺 Hungarian Cabbage and Potatoes (Káposztás Krumpli)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp lard or oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1½ tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 small head green cabbage, shredded
- 3–4 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 2–3 cups water or broth
- Optional but traditional:
- Smoked sausage (kolbász), sliced
- Caraway seeds (½ tsp)
- Bay leaf
Instructions
1. Start the base
Heat lard or oil in a pot.
Sauté onion slowly until soft and lightly golden.
2. Add paprika (important!)
Remove pot from heat.
Stir in paprika quickly so it doesn’t burn.
3. Build the stew
Add cabbage, potatoes, salt, pepper, and caraway if using.
Stir to coat everything in paprika.
4. Simmer
Add water/broth just to barely cover.
Add sausage and bay leaf if using.
Cover and simmer on low heat 40–50 minutes, until potatoes are tender and cabbage melts.
5. Adjust & serve
Taste and adjust seasoning.
The dish should be soft, slightly soupy, and paprika-rich—not thick.
🍽️ How Hungarians Serve It
- With fresh white bread
- Sometimes topped with a spoon of sour cream
- Pickles or hot peppers on the side
🔁 Traditional Variations
- Szeged-style: Stir in sour cream at the end
- Poor man’s version: No sausage, just onion, paprika, cabbage, potatoes
- Smoky: Use smoked paprika or extra kolbász
- Caraway lovers: Adds a very Hungarian aroma
💡 Hungarian Cooking Secrets
- Always remove pot from heat before adding paprika
- Lard gives the most authentic flavor
- This dish tastes even better the next day
If you want, I can also share:
- 🇭🇺 Hungarian cabbage dishes most people don’t know
- 🥘 Difference between cabbage stew, goulash & paprikás
- ❄️ How to store or freeze cabbage-potato dishes
- 🍲 What Hungarians traditionally eat this with
Just tell me 😊
