Polish National Dishes

Polish Sauerkraut and Pea Dish (Kapusta z Grochem z Radziwiłłowa)

Excerpt: This thick Mazovian dish folds soft sauerkraut, yellow peas and mashed potatoes together with onion browned in clarified butter.

Polish National Dishes
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Wide view of a dense Polish sauerkraut, yellow pea and potato dish with browned onion.
Yield 4 servings
Serving size one quarter of the finished pot, about 400 g
Dietary classification vegetarian when made with clarified butter; contains milk; use oil for dairy-free
Prep time 20 minutes
Ingredients ↓
Recipe at a glance

Polish Sauerkraut and Pea Dish (Kapusta z Grochem z Radziwiłłowa)

Excerpt: This thick Mazovian dish folds soft sauerkraut, yellow peas and mashed potatoes together with onion browned in clarified butter.

Kapusta z grochem z Radziwiłłowa comes from Radziwiłłów Mazowiecki in the Mazovian region. Its local character lies in the combination: sauerkraut is cooked until soft, while peas and potatoes are prepared separately, then mashed and folded through the cabbage. The result is a substantial, cohesive dish rather than a broth or a loose side.

The recorded local version is described as uneven in texture, gray with a light green cast, and mildly sour, salty and slightly sweet. Onion is browned in clarified butter or lard. The traditional-product record gives this sequence but no complete measured household recipe, so the quantities here form a practical four-serving home version. It uses water where the historical description mentions an unspecified little stock and does not borrow bacon or seasoning details from similar dishes in other regions.

Yellow split peas are soaked in the refrigerator and cooked in fresh water. Sauerkraut simmers separately until tender, and potatoes are boiled until they mash smoothly. Combine all three with golden onion and warm gently until thick. Taste before adding finishing salt because sauerkraut brine varies considerably.

Tips for success

Tips for success

  • Soak peas in a covered bowl in the refrigerator, then drain and rinse them; discard the soaking water.
  • Cook the peas, cabbage and potatoes separately so each reaches the right tenderness before combining.
  • If the sauerkraut tastes very salty, rinse it briefly; otherwise keep its natural tang and do not rinse.
  • Use floury potatoes and mash them while hot for a cohesive finish.
  • Brown the onion slowly in clarified butter without letting it darken or burn.
  • Add salt only after combining and tasting; sauerkraut can supply plenty already.
  • If the finished mixture is too stiff, loosen it with reserved pea water or cabbage cooking liquid a spoonful at a time.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Peas

  • 200 g dried yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
  • 1.2 L cold water, for soaking; discard after soaking
  • 1.2 L fresh water, for cooking
  • 2 g fine salt

Sauerkraut and potatoes

  • 750 g sauerkraut, drained
  • 150 ml water, for simmering the sauerkraut
  • 500 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces
  • About 900 ml water, for cooking potatoes; use enough to cover
  • 1 g fine salt, for potatoes

Onion and seasoning

  • 2 medium onions, about 220 g total, finely diced
  • 35 g clarified butter, or 30 ml neutral oil for a dairy-free version
  • 0.5 g ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 0–3 g fine salt, to taste after combining
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Soak the peas.Cover the rinsed peas with 1.2 L cold water in a covered bowl. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and discard the soaking water.

  2. Cook the peas.Put them in a 3 L saucepan with 1.2 L fresh water and 2 g salt. Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer gently for 40–50 minutes until completely soft. Drain, reserving 150 ml cooking water, and mash coarsely with a little of it.

  3. Simmer the cabbage.Put drained sauerkraut in a 4–5 L pot with 150 ml water. Cover and simmer gently for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add small splashes of water if it dries; keep the cooking liquid. If unusually salty, rinse briefly before cooking.

  4. Boil the potatoes.Cover potato pieces with water by about 2 cm, add 1 g salt, bring to a boil and simmer 18–22 minutes until very tender. Drain well and mash smooth.

  5. Brown the onion.While the potatoes cook, warm clarified butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden. Stir it and the butter into the mashed peas.

  6. Combine and serve.Fold the mashed potatoes and pea-onion mixture into the cabbage. Warm gently for 5–8 minutes, stirring from the bottom, until thick and cohesive. Loosen with reserved pea water or cabbage liquid if needed. Taste, season with pepper and only as much salt as needed, then serve hot.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

  • Energyabout 390 kcal per serving
  • Proteinabout 18 g
  • Fatabout 9 g
  • Saturated fatabout 5 g
  • Carbohydratesabout 62 g
  • Sugarsabout 10 g
  • Fibreabout 18 g

Contains milk when made with clarified butter; check packaged sauerkraut for its ingredients. For a dairy-free dish use the stated neutral oil. Keep the pea soak refrigerated, cook all components until tender, chill leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74°C.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

Serving, make-ahead and storage: Serve hot while the cabbage strands remain visible in the thick pea-and-potato base. This home formulation follows the documented Radziwiłłów sequence, but its measured quantities are not a registered producer's exact formula. Clarified butter follows the local record's butter option; neutral oil makes a dairy-free version.

Serving, make-ahead and storage: The peas can be soaked overnight in the refrigerator. Cooked components can be prepared ahead and chilled promptly in shallow containers. Refrigerate the finished dish within 2 hours at 4°C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat thoroughly to 74°C, adding a little water if needed; do not leave it at room temperature for extended holding.

Contains milk when made with clarified butter; check packaged sauerkraut for its ingredients. For a dairy-free dish use the stated neutral oil. Keep the pea soak refrigerated, cook all components until tender, chill leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74°C.

Sodium: about 1,050 mg

Estimate basis: one quarter of the recipe, calculated from standard food-composition data; sauerkraut sodium and retained cooking liquid vary, so values are approximate.

In closing

In closing

  • Radziwiłłów-style kapusta z grochem combines soft sauerkraut, mashed peas and potatoes.
  • Golden onion and a thick, cohesive texture define this measured home version.
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