When I made haluska for the first time, the family’s response was, “Ha-whata?” Now they ask for it by name when they know I’m picking cabbage, and even the youngest, my fussy eater, loves it. I kid you not – both boys ate leftover haluska for breakfast this morning. I make an assortment of things with cabbage, including sauerkraut, but this is our family’s favorite.
Haluska – Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles recipe
Adapted from The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 medium head cabbage, shredded or finely sliced
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- 1 pound egg noodles (or Tinkyada GF noodles)
- 1 pound carton sour cream
- Salt and black pepper
Directions
In a large stockpot (I use my 8 quart), put water to boil for noodles. Lately I’ve been using the Tinkyada brown rice spirals or shells, which are gluten free, but wide egg noodles work just fine – your choice.
Chopping the cabbage. Smaller slices cook more evenly, but I’m not too fussy.
Get out a BIG fry pan or Dutch oven and throw in your butter and onions. Saute over medium heat until onions start to get tender, than add the cabbage. The more evenly you cut your cabbage, the better, so it cooks evenly, otherwise you might end up with some tough bits mixed in.
Sauteing the onions and cabbage
If you want, you can throw in the cabbage and onions at the same time, but I like my onions really caramelized, so I start them first. Cook the cabbage and onions 15-30 minutes, flipping and mixing regularly, until tender and showing a bit of browning. Don’t skip the browning! It really add that “extra something” to the flavor of the dish.
Almost done – just a smidge of caramelization and they’ll be perfect.
Meanwhile, your noodles should be cooked according to package directions. aim for “al dente”, not well done, so they hold up better. Drain well.
Add the noodles to the cabbage (or the cabbage to the noodles, whichever way it fits better) and mix well. Add the sour cream and stir until distributed throughout the dish. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 6-10.
Haluska – Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles
If you want to take this recipe low carb, just skip the noodles and cut the sour cream by about half. Gluten free is easy with the rice noodles instead of wheat noodles. You could use low fat sour cream, but it would make me very sad for you, because low fat products are filled with all sorts of weird things. If you wanted to try for casein free, you could probably cook the cabbage in refined coconut oil and try a dairy free yogurt instead of sour cream, but I’m sure the texture would be a little different. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave (or just eat it cold), but don’t overheat it or the sour cream with break and ruin the texture.
Featured on Barn Hop #78.
20 Responses to “Haluska – My Family’s Favorite Cabbage Recipe”
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I bet you could experiment with potatos instead of noodles as well. Yumm …
Hi Laurie – I’m a cabbage virgin. This is the first year I’ve attempted growing it. And now finding what to DO with it all is the challenge. Thank you for this recipe – can’t wait to try it.
Question: How do you best remove all the grit and critters from the cabbage before processing it?
I generally strip off the outside leaves, which gets rid of quite a few hitchhikers. Then I rinse in cold water. You can keep an eye out for any unwanted guests and pick them off and trim damaged areas as you process.
I had to make this! But of course, did not have sour cream and only lasagna noodles inda house. So, used plain non-fat sour cream and 3-4 T. cream cheese and broke up the lasagna. It’s delishous! I been a huge fan of sauteed cabbage and onions to a nice carmelized stage for many years but your recipe puts this right over the top! Oh and I had to use olive oil, outa BUTTA! STill really good. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Sometimes you need to improvise.
Good food is still good food.
If you needed to be dairy free you can make a nice creamy sauce with veggie stock, olive oil and nutritional yeast. It is very flavorful and sort of “cheesy” in a not cheese way. My kids love the stuff.
I wonder if plain yogurt would work instead of the s. cream
Bobbi – I’m sure it would be similar, especially if you used a thicker or strained yogurt.
Laurie,
I have way more cabbage than I can use in salads for my son and myself…so I will have to add sour cream to the grocery list!
This sounds wonderful! It might even convert my cabbage disliking hubby into a cabbage lover
Thanks for sharing
Laurie made this for dinner last Monday. It was delicious!!
She gave me a head of cabbage from her garden so I can try this recipe at our home. All attending her dinner had second and third helpings!
Mother-in-law Jane
Thanks Laurie
That DOES sound good. I had a roomate in college who was Dutch (family immigrated). Her Mom made something with mashed potatoes, cabbage and bacon that was incredible.
I think it’s time to pick up some cabbage.
Several folks have suggested adding bacon. I think next time I’ll have to try it.
Love this site, but this is the first time I’ve commented. I meant to tell Brigid that most recipe sites will include colcannon recipes. Only 4 ingredients, plus salt and/or pepper: mashed potatoes, fried cabbage, onions and bacon.
Brigid …Potatoes prepared the way you describe is called Colcannon and was one of the ways the Irish varied their ways to cook them during their famine, according to what I read.
My mom used to make this for us as children! Funny though, she was irish.
Cabbage love spans many cultures.
Laurie,
After hearing about this a couple of times on your page and then my son had cabbage at a friends for their New Year’s meal. I am braving trying it. Houston actually is having some cooler weather and rainy so am hoping for a “comfort” food appeal. <3 what you have done with the website. Hope your weekend is wonderful and full of happy memories.
Woot! Woot! I hope your family (and you) enjoy it!
My family background is eastern european (Hungarian) and we make this with cabbage, onions, cooked bacon pieces and noodles – cooked, put altogether and baked in the oven. I look forward to trying your version!
That sounds good, too!