Haluski
If you’re looking for a quick and simple meal that is easy on the budget and everyone loves, then haluski might be the next one you’ll want to try out! It’s perfect for those busy weeknights when time is not a luxury and you need to make something fast. And because it uses such minimal ingredients, you can make it practically any time you want!
What is Haluski?
Haluski is a Hungarian noodle dish made with cabbage and bacon. It’s somewhat considered a struggle meal as it’s cheap to make, so you can find haluski on many a Great Depression Era food list. Some recipes call for onions, but in many circles cabbage is the only vegetable that goes into it.
Not only Hungary, but other eastern European countries also enjoy haluski. Many of these countries have their own version of it and the ingredients can vary from household to household.
Do I Have to Add Bacon?
Definitely not! In fact, many other countries’ versions of haluski consist only of noodles and cabbage. This isn’t surprising considering it was once a struggle meal for hard times. My baba (grandma in Serbian) only ever made her version of haluski with cabbage and noodles, never bacon or onions. So leave out the bacon and enjoy this for your next meatless Monday!
What’s the Best Pasta for Haluski?
Traditionally people made haluski using egg noodles, but almost any type of pasta works. The noodles are ideal because they grab the cabbage and bacon well. If you’re feeling really ambitious, make your own noodles using the fresh pasta dough recipe on this site! There are some short pasta shapes that do a great job with this, so farfalle, rotini or shells are perfect to use. My baba used to use broken lasagna noodles!
I hope you’ll give this amazingly tasty and nourishing dish a try soon. You’ll find it makes a few slices of bacon go a long way and it’s such an awesome way to use cabbage. Even picky kids will like this! So give it a try and don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out for you!
Haluski
Ingredients
- 2 cups egg noodles, uncooked ½ pound
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 slices bacon
- 5 cups cabbage, finely diced about half a small
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the first ½ teaspoon of salt. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. When done, drain the noodles and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium and add bacon. Cook until it is no longer floppy but not crispy either, turning often. Remove the bacon and set on paper towels to drain.
- Meanwhile in the same skillet, reserve the bacon fat. Add the cabbage and cook on medium, stirring frequently. Add the ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Fry the cabbage until it becomes soft and just starts to change color; this takes about 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile chop the bacon into little pieces and add it to the cabbage. Lower the heat and add the cooked noodles. Toss together well to heat the bacon and noodles through. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.