A simplified but incredibly delicious recipe inspired by the traditional Ukrainian kapusta dish passed down from my Grandparents. This version is unbelievably morish, and spooned over Chickapea elbow noodles makes a meal that is both tasty and packed with nutrients.  

Kapusta Smothered Elbow Noodles

• Prep Time:  10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Course: Dinner
• Cuisine: Ukrainian
• Servings:  3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Chickapea Elbow noodles
• 2 Tbsp table salt (for boiling pasta)
• 4-5 Tbsp vegan butter, divided
• 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 jar of sauerkraut, approximately 3 cups 
• Vinegar packing liquid from 1 jar of sauerkraut 
• 3 Tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ package Big Mountain Foods Big Brat Veggie Links, chopped into bite sized pieces
• ¼ cup Green onion, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. In a large pan heat 3 Tbsp of vegan butter over medium-low heat
2. Add the onion and 1 tsp of salt 
3. Sauté the onion until it becomes golden brown
4. Drain 3 cups of sauerkraut over a bowl, reserving the vinegar liquid
5. Add the sauerkraut, 1 cup of sauerkraut packing vinegar, 1-2 Tbsp vegan butter, ketchup, sugar and black pepper to the pan and mix in well
6. Adjust the heat to medium and cover the pan with a lid
7. Cook the kapusta for 1 hour 
8. Stir the mixture well every 10-15 minutes 
9. With 15 minutes remaining, add ½ the package of chopped big brat veggie links
10. Brown the veggie links while continuing to mix the contents of the pan well to avoid the mixture sticking
11. At the end of one hour the kapusta should be a light brown colour and slightly moist. 
12. Meanwhile, prepare the Chickapea Elbow pasta to package specifications (heat 16 cups of water and 2 Tbsp salt in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add the pasta to the water and decrease the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Stir and cook the pasta for 6 minutes)
13. Drain and rinse the pasta with warm water
14. Plate the portions of pasta 
15. Top each portion with a generous helping of kapusta
16. Sprinkle each serving with green onion and lemon juice to taste
17. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• This dish was inspired by traditional Ukrainian kapusta. It is a modified version of the dish that was taught to me by my Dido. It has been modified to be vegan and take less time than traditional versions of kapusta
• Traditional kapusta is made using a combination of fresh cabbage and rinsed sauerkraut along with kielbasa and/or bacon. It is generally also baked instead of fried
• For a milder flavour or less of a vinegar taste, the sauerkraut can be rinsed and vegetable broth may be used in place of the sauerkraut packing vinegar
• If at any point the mixture becomes too dry or the kapusta begins to burn, add more of the packing vinegar and reduce the heat slightly
• Big Mountain Foods Brat veggie links are a great vegan substitute in this dish for kielbasa but can be replaced with traditional kapusta ingredients or omitted