Here’s a classic Hungarian dish: Cabbage Paprikash (Káposztás Paprikás) 🌶️🥬—a simple, comforting, vegetarian-friendly meal that highlights paprika and cabbage, the heart of Hungarian home cooking.
🥬 Hungarian Cabbage Paprikash
🧾 Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1 medium head of green cabbage (about 1 kg / 2 lb), shredded
- 2 tbsp lard, butter, or oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2–3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp hot paprika (optional, for spice)
- 1–2 tomatoes, chopped or 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1–2 tsp sugar (optional, balances acidity)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1–2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- ½ cup sour cream (tejföl), optional for richness
- Fresh parsley for garnish
👩🍳 Instructions
- Sauté onions
- Heat lard or oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Cook onions until soft and golden.
- Add paprika & garlic
- Remove pot from heat briefly and stir in paprika.
- Add garlic and stir quickly to avoid burning the paprika.
- Add cabbage
- Add shredded cabbage and stir to coat with the onion-paprika mixture.
- Add tomatoes & seasoning
- Stir in tomatoes (or tomato paste), sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in enough broth to just cover the cabbage.
- Simmer
- Cover and simmer 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender.
- Add more broth if necessary to prevent burning.
- Finish with sour cream
- Remove from heat and stir in sour cream (optional).
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Serve with boiled potatoes, dumplings (nokedli), or crusty bread.
- Often eaten as a main dish in Hungary, especially in winter.
⭐ Tips for Authentic Flavor
- Use fresh, crisp cabbage; green cabbage works best.
- Paprika should be high quality Hungarian paprika for the signature flavor.
- Simmering slowly brings out natural sweetness.
If you want, I can also give a meat version called “Cabbage Paprikash with Sausage or Pork”, which is even more traditional in Hungarian households.
Do you want me to do that?
