I have the feeling that traditional Polish cuisine—our classic dishes and ingredients—is often being neglected and replaced by foreign culinary influences. Not that I have anything against outside influences: I love Asian, Mexican, or even African cuisines (don’t know what fufu is? You’ll find out soon, because there’s a packet of it waiting for its turn in my cupboard of magical ingredients).
Interestingly, from what I see on chef forums and in professional discussions, a reversal of this trend seems to be coming. Many chefs are now preparing new menus inspired by early 20th-century or even older Polish cookbooks. I’m fascinated by this kind of culinary reconstruction, and I’ve already recreated dishes such as bigos based on recipes by Ćwierciakiewiczowa and from Compendium Ferculorum.
Of course, no one today intends to reproduce old recipes exactly as they were written centuries ago. Our taste preferences, cooking techniques, and even the products we use have changed. But there’s also a deeper reason: cuisine is alive—it constantly evolves. You can see this in how every family has its own version of dishes like bigos or pomidorowa (tomato soup). It’s also impossible to recreate recipes precisely because most ingredients aren’t standardized—each tomato or parsley root tastes slightly different, holds more or less water, and spices vary in age and intensity. Even standardized ingredients like flour can change with humidity or time.
Cooking by “feel” alone is the surest road to disaster—tears at the stove and grinding of teeth at the table.
And since I cook plant-based, I’m naturally forced to modify most traditional recipes. That necessity—to adapt, experiment, and improvise—gives me enormous joy. The best reward is when a plant-based dish passes the “carnivore test”—when a meat-eater is delighted by it.
Cabbage rolls (gołąbki) are something every Pole knows and loves, even if they claim to prefer kale chips with a Jerusalem artichoke smoothie. Served with a classic tomato sauce, they’re the ultimate Polish comfort food. Every family has its “only correct” version. I even have notes for several traditional fillings waiting to be written up, because in winter, along with dumplings and vegan burgers, cabbage rolls were one of the dishes I obsessively filled my freezer with.
Today, though, I’m offering a free-form culinary improvisation inspired by cabbage rolls — a baked casserole with rice, cabbage, and vegan mince.
INGREDIENTS:
- 40 g dried mushrooms
- 250 g (about 300 ml) dry rice (500 g when cooked)
- 100 g dry soy mince (about 400 g when cooked)
- 200 g (two large) onions
- 500 g white cabbage
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp ground juniper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Rapeseed oil
METHOD:
Cook the soy mince according to the package instructions in water with soy sauce and spices — cumin, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and garlic powder. Let it sit in the broth for a few hours (it’s best to cook it the evening before). I usually prepare more soy mince at once — enough for several days — and keep it marinating in the fridge to use as a plant-based protein substitute in various dishes. Generally, use soy mince wherever dark meat would appear in traditional recipes. For poultry-type dishes, I recommend tofu.
Soak the mushrooms in hot water for several hours — you can do this overnight or in the morning.
Cook the rice in plenty of water until al dente, drain, and cool. (You can use the “home shock chill” trick.)
Dice the onions finely.
Cut the cabbage into 2 cm squares.
Slice the soaked mushrooms and keep the soaking water—it’s full of flavor.
Heat oil in a large pan, add the onions, and fry over medium heat. When they start turning golden brown, add the drained soy mince and mushrooms.
Fry for about 5 minutes, then add the cabbage. Pour in some of the mushroom-soaking liquid and cook until the cabbage is glossy and tender.
Mix everything with the rice (this is when you’ll understand why gloves are a cook’s best friend).
Transfer to a baking dish, cover, and bake at 180°C for 30–40 minutes.
VARIATIONS:
- You can use fresh mushrooms or even button mushrooms instead of dried ones.
- Or skip mushrooms altogether — just strengthen the flavor with something else, like adding the “Big Three” to the soy mixture (soy sauce, balsamic cream, Marmite).
- Instead of soy mince, use tofu or mashed chickpeas.
Treat this recipe as a base — just like with cabbage rolls, you can create countless variations with different fillings.
TO SERVE:
Best enjoyed with a classic tomato sauce.
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