Polish National Dishes

Paszkówka Kaszanka with Braised Sauerkraut (Kaszana – kiszka z kapustą zasmażaną)

Introduction: Serve Polish barley kaszanka with gently braised sauerkraut, root vegetables, caraway and a light roux in this home version inspired by the Paszkówka dish.

Polish National Dishes
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A wide table view of barley kaszanka and pale braised sauerkraut with carrot, parsley root, celeriac and chopped parsley.
Yield 4 servings
Serving 150 g kaszanka with one quarter of the cabbage
Diet pork; contains gluten and dairy
Prep 20 minutes
Ingredients ↓
At a glance

Paszkówka Kaszanka with Braised Sauerkraut (Kaszana – kiszka z kapustą zasmażaną)

Introduction: Serve Polish barley kaszanka with gently braised sauerkraut, root vegetables, caraway and a light roux in this home version inspired by the Paszkówka dish.

In Paszkówka, Małopolskie, this warm meal pairs prepared kaszanka with sauerkraut cooked ahead. The regional description highlights short cabbage strands, caraway, carrot, parsley root, celeriac, parsley and the aroma of a light roux. The dish is listed on Poland’s Lista Produktów Tradycyjnych.

Kaszanka is a cooked Polish groat-and-blood sausage, but its ingredients vary by maker. The documented Paszkówka version is associated with barley groats. Choose a fully cooked barley product, keep it refrigerated, and read its label: other brands may contain buckwheat, additional cereals or different allergens.

This measured home version serves four with one 150 g sausage portion and a generous serving of lightly thickened cabbage. It follows the documented pairing and visual character, while making no claim to reproduce one producer’s exact formula. Warm the sausage gently according to its package so the casing stays intact.

Tips

Tips

  • Buy a product labeled fully cooked or ready to heat; do not use raw sausage with this method.
  • Keep the sausage chilled until you are ready to warm it, and follow its package directions.
  • Taste the sauerkraut before cooking. Rinse it briefly only if it is unusually sharp or salty.
  • Cut long cabbage strands and the root vegetables into short, fine pieces so each serving is easy to eat.
  • Keep the cabbage at a gentle simmer; add a splash of water if the pan starts to dry.
  • Whisk hot cabbage liquid into the roux gradually to prevent lumps.
  • Heat leftover sausage to 74 °C / 165 °F in the centre; do not split the casing with high heat.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Kaszanka

  • 600 g fully cooked barley kaszanka or kiszka, four 150 g portions, refrigerated

Braised sauerkraut

  • 600 g sauerkraut, drained; reserve some brine
  • 80 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 60 g parsley root, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 60 g celeriac, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 2 g caraway seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 300 ml water
  • 15 ml neutral oil
  • 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 0–5 g sugar, optional and only if needed after tasting

Light roux

  • 20 g unsalted butter
  • 20 g plain wheat flour
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Prepare the vegetables.Keep the kaszanka refrigerated. Taste the drained sauerkraut; rinse it briefly only if it is unusually sharp or salty, then drain well. Cut long strands into short lengths. Cut the carrot, parsley root and celeriac into fine matchsticks.

  2. Braise the cabbage.Heat the oil in a lidded 4 L saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until slightly softened without browning. Add the sauerkraut, caraway, bay leaf and water. Cover and simmer gently for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but still structured. Add a little water if the pan becomes dry.

  3. Thicken lightly.Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes without browning. Gradually whisk in about 100 ml hot cabbage liquid until smooth, then stir it into the cabbage. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, taste, and add up to 5 g sugar only if the cabbage needs balancing. Stir in the parsley.

  4. Warm the kaszanka.Follow the product’s package directions. For a covered-pan method, add 30 ml water to a skillet, cover and warm the sausage gently, turning once, until steaming hot throughout. When reheating leftovers, check that the centre reaches 74 °C / 165 °F. Follow any stricter package instruction; avoid high heat that splits or dries the sausage.

  5. Serve.Divide the cabbage among four plates and serve one 150 g portion of hot kaszanka with each.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

  • Energyabout 470 kcal per serving
  • Proteinabout 17 g
  • Fatabout 27 g
  • Saturated fatabout 9 g
  • Carbohydrateabout 32 g
  • Sugarsabout 8 g
  • Fibreabout 7 g

Contains barley and wheat (gluten) and milk. Kaszanka labels vary and may list buckwheat, other gluten cereals, mustard, soy, egg or celery. Check the selected package for ingredients and allergens. Wash hands and utensils after handling food packaging; keep chilled products cold, refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours (within 1 hour if ambient temperature exceeds 32.2 °C), and reheat leftovers to 74 °C / 165 °F.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

Serving and storage: Serve the cabbage soft but not puréed, with the carrot and pale roots still visible. The regional description presents this pairing as a warm lunch or supper; crusty bread is optional but is not included in this recipe.

Serving and storage: Refrigerate cooked leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if ambient temperature exceeds 32.2 °C), at 4 °C or colder, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat covered on the stove or in a microwave to 74 °C / 165 °F throughout. Keep packaged kaszanka chilled and follow the use-by date and its storage directions. Do not freeze the opened sausage unless its label permits it.

Contains barley and wheat (gluten) and milk. Kaszanka labels vary and may list buckwheat, other gluten cereals, mustard, soy, egg or celery. Check the selected package for ingredients and allergens. Wash hands and utensils after handling food packaging; keep chilled products cold, refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours (within 1 hour if ambient temperature exceeds 32.2 °C), and reheat leftovers to 74 °C / 165 °F.

Sodium: about 1,450 mg

Approximate for one quarter of the recipe; modeled using a producer-label example, so actual values vary by sausage brand and salt level. Not laboratory analysis.

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