Christmas Eve sauerkraut with mushrooms

What it is

Sauerkraut is a winter staple for every mountain family, and it was indispensable on Holy Evening. Ivan Franko wrote that in Boyko tradition, the dinner began with sauerkraut, followed by pyrohy, stuffed cabbage, and fish.

The most common variant is sauerkraut stewed in oil with onions and dried mushrooms. Lemkos in Viliya would serve beans with sauerkraut and peas, while Boykos would use 'kolocheny' peas with sauerkraut, carrots, and oil, which the book 'Boyko Cuisine' mostly refers to as a Holy Evening dish.

The dish is lean: without lard or cracklings, made with oil. On regular days, the same sauerkraut is mixed with millet and topped with cracklings, but that is a different, richer dish.

History and name

According to Franko, the Boyko Holy Evening began with sauerkraut, followed by pyrohy, stuffed cabbage, fish, and dried fruits, and finally kutia. Kupchanko in the Bukovinian calendar of 1875 mentions pyrohy and knishes 'with sauerkraut.'

According to Lemko memories recorded by Radio Svoboda in Ivano-Frankivsk (2012), beans with sauerkraut and peas were a must on Viliya. According to 'Boyko Cuisine', potatoes with sauerkraut, beans, peas, and mushrooms were the main food for Boykos during fasting.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: stewed with dried mushrooms

Sauerkraut1 kgShredded cabbage, fermented with salt in a barrel; a winter supply for every mountain family.

Dried porcini30–50 gWinter supply of a mountain family — for soup, machanka, and lean holubtsi.

Onion2 pcs.Fried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

Also: sunflower oil (4–5 tbsp.), salt (to taste), bay leaf (1–2 leaves, optional), black pepper (to taste, optional)

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: lenten · vegan · gluten-free

Variant: with peas (boyko variant)

dried peas, sauerkraut, carrot, onion, sunflower oil, salt

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: lenten · vegan · gluten-free

Variant: with beans (lemko variant)

dry beans, sauerkraut, onion, sunflower oil, salt, black pepper

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: lenten · vegan · gluten-free

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 6–8 servings

• Sauerkraut — 1 kg
• Dried porcini — 30–50 g
• Onion — 2 pcs.
• Sunflower oil — 4–5 tbsp.
• Bay leaf — 1–2 leaves
• Black pepper — to taste
• Salt — to taste

1. Rinse the dried mushrooms and soak them for 2–3 hours, then boil them in the same water for 20–30 minutes. Chop the mushrooms and strain the broth.
2. If the sauerkraut is very sour, rinse it with cold water and squeeze it out.
3. Place the sauerkraut in a pot with a thick bottom, pour in some mushroom broth, and stew it covered for 40–60 minutes, stirring occasionally until it softens.
4. Chop the onion and fry it in oil until golden, then add the mushrooms and fry for a few more minutes.
5. Mix the onion and mushrooms into the sauerkraut, add the bay leaf, season with black pepper, salt if needed, and stew for another 10–15 minutes.
6. For the variant with peas or beans: soak them overnight, cook separately until soft (the peas can be mashed), and mix with the stewed sauerkraut, carrots, and onions in oil.

How it is served

Warm or cold, with bread; on Holy Evening — one of the lean dishes, often the first.

Variants

Rich sauerkraut with cracklings or millet is a dish for regular days and weddings (see sauerkraut with millet). Kapusniak is a separate dish, a soup made from sauerkraut.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

Boykivshchyna, Lemkivshchyna, Halychyna, and Bukovina; stewed sauerkraut for Holy Evening is also prepared outside the mountains. The area is approximate, and the villages on the map are places of recordings.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Christmas Eve · Lent

In tradition

Sauerkraut is one of the simplest and most common dishes of the Holy Evening among Boykos, Lemkos, and Galicians. The traditions of Holy Evening and Christmas in Ukraine have been included in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage (No. 105 and 106 n.c.h.), with a separate element — the Tradition of Holy Evening in Bukovina (No. 107 n.c.h.; order of the Ministry of Culture dated 24.04.2025 No. 268).

Safety

Forest mushrooms — only purchased or identified by experts.

FAQ