Authentic Hungarian recipe passed down by my great grandmother who emigrated from Austria-Hungary…
An authentic Hungarian fried cabbage and noodles recipe passed down by my great grandmother who emigrated from Austria-Hungary… Also known as Haluska, Krautfleckerl, or Káposztás Tészta, this simple buttery caramelized cabbage recipe packs a lot of flavor for VERY little money!
hungarian cabbage and noodles
It was easy to tell when fried cabbage and noodles was on the menu for the evening. My mom would come home from the grocery store with an enormous green cabbage and a bag of No Yolks noodles. Even if I missed her unbagging the groceries, the smell of the cabbage cooking was a dead giveaway.
Back then, she’d always save some of the plain noodles before mixing the rest with the cabbage. I’d coat them with some melted butter and top them off with a generous shake of Parmesan cheese. Much as my own daughter does these days — pure comfort food!
But as I’ve grown older, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the Hungarian recipes my family has passed down. Also, I’m a sucker for budget-friendly dinners. And you can’t get much more economical than this delicious dish! I mean, cabbage is always affordably priced, AND it’s available year round.
Case in point: I picked up an massive green cabbage for $0.49/lb. and a bag of wide egg noodles for $1.99. Add in a little butter, salt, and pepper, and you’ve got a dinner big enough to feed an army for under $5 total.
Or at least a dinner that’s enough to feed MY army!
cabbage and noodles ingredients
This simple dish starts with a package of No Yolks egg noodles. My mom used these pantry staple egg noodles in everything, including this fried cabbage and noodles recipe. But also in chicken paprikash, chicken noodle soup, tuna casserole, you name it.
These smooth, firm, and fluffy noodles are incredibly versatile! So it’s only natural that I continue to use them myself all these years later. My mom (and I) use the No Yolks Broad noodles variety most often. But they also come in Extra Broad, Fine, Kluski, Dumplings, and Stir-Fry cuts.
additional ingredients:
a large head of green cabbage — look for a head that’s crisp, firm, and feels a bit heavy for its size.
lots of butter — SIX tablespoons of butter to be exact… And please use real butter!
salt and pepper — note that the salt is added at different times in the cooking process, first to aid in wilting the cabbage and later to season the dish.
That’s it! Three simple ingredients just like my dédanyja always made it. As easy dinner recipes go, you can’t get much easier.
recipe for fried cabbage variations
As I’ve mentioned before in this sour cream cucumber salad post, it’s common to find many variations on a recipe within a culture.
I consider them ALL to be “traditional versions” of a dish, even if they’re different from my family’s authentic recipe. I realize that our cabbage and noodles recipe is a pretty stripped down, basic dish. But please know that it DOES NOT mean that I forgot an ingredient!
Some common ingredient variations:
- caraway seeds — if you enjoy the flavor and texture of caraway seed, you can stir in a teaspoon along with the pepper when the cabbage is almost done cooking.
- caramelized onions — slice up a yellow onion and then sauté the sliced onions until translucent. Add cabbage and continue with the original recipe. I find the resulting cabbage onion mixture is a little sweeter than just cabbage alone.
- cooked bacon or bacon fat — many recipes call for sautéing the cabbage in bacon grease and/or adding cooked bacon to the cabbage and noodles. Polish Haluski recipes may add kielbasa sausage instead of bacon.
- sour cream or cottage cheese — if you’re looking to add a creamy component to this dish, you can stir in some sour cream or cottage cheese. Or you can simply top the basic dish off with either one.
Read through the comments for more variations on this recipe for cabbage and noodles. Sugar, paprika spread, walnuts, and Szalonna are mentioned, along with many others. Fascinating stuff!
NOTE: There’s also a LOT of overlap in Eastern European cuisines. For example, you may be more familiar with this recipe as Polish Haluski (vs. Hungarian Haluska)…
how to make fried cabbage and noodles
Just as No Yolks noodles are versatile, so is cabbage. This hardy vegetable stays crispy in the produce drawer for AGES. Meaning you can keep a head on hand to make this comforting dish at a moment’s notice!
Start by removing the core from a whole head of cabbage. Slice the cabbage very thinly with a sharp knife. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and add the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle a half teaspoon salt over top, and give it a stir.
Cover and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, stirring often. At this point, you can remove the lid and turn the heat up.
Add the remaining half teaspoon of salt, and cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the cabbage is tender and caramelizes to a deep amber color.
In the meantime, cook the egg noodles in a large pot of water according to the package directions and drain well. Fold the sautéed cabbage mixture into the cooked noodles. Season with additional salt and the pepper and serve.
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