I think the most important thing (after not harming animals,
of course) for every new vegan is to be able to eat the dishes that you used to
love. I was raised in Poland, our dishes revolved around potatoes and cabbage.
Bigos- a Polish style cabbage stew, is absolutely one of my ultimate favorite
polish dishes. I was so shocked when I randomly attempted to veganize it, and
it turned out DELICIOUS!
Its main ingredient is sauerkraut. Sauerkraut contains several carotenes and a significant amount of vitamin A; an essential vitamin that acts as an antioxidant, just as do carotenes. However, since it does contain quite a bit of salt, it shouldn’t be included in your everyday meal plan.
Its main ingredient is sauerkraut. Sauerkraut contains several carotenes and a significant amount of vitamin A; an essential vitamin that acts as an antioxidant, just as do carotenes. However, since it does contain quite a bit of salt, it shouldn’t be included in your everyday meal plan.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
-2x white cabbage
-1 jar old fashioned sauerkraut – VLASIC brand is my favorite
(about 1lb/ 600g)
-2x 1 Lb cans of tomato sauce
-2x 8 oz boxes of mushrooms
-2 vegan kielbasas / Tofurky polish style kielbasa works best
with this recipe
-5 bay leaves
-1 Tbsp soy sauce
-½ tsp black pepper
First, wash the cabbage and discard a few of the outer
leaves as they are usually soggy and bitter. I usually divide each cabbage into
quarters to make the chopping process easier, and chop each piece into strips.
Feel free to chop them to the size you feel would work best.
Second, put all the chopped cabbage in a big (the biggest
one you have!) pot along with the bay leaves as well as soy sauce and put just
enough water to cover almost all the cabbage. Bring to a boil and let it simmer
for about 50 minutes.
While the cabbage is boiling, rinse the Sauerkraut with water
to remove any excess salt. I like to put it in a bowl and cover with warm water
to remove as much salt as I possibly can.
In the meantime, wash and chop the mushrooms as well as the
kielbasa and sauté them with pepper on medium heat, about 15 minutes, or until the
mushrooms are soft and have let some of their water out- do not discard of the
mushroom water, it will add flavor to your cabbage stew.
Once the cabbage has been simmering for about 50 minutes, add the Sauerkraut (just the cabbage, none of the water) and both cans of tomato sauce, mix everything together. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the biggest pieces of cabbage that you see are soft.
Add the sautéed mushrooms and kielbasas to the pot and mix well. Let it cool for a little bit and enjoy your polish style cabbage!
Tastes THE BEST with sourdough polish style bread and some Earth Balance butter on top.
