You have half a cabbage lingering in the vegetable drawer and some ground beef in the freezer? That’s pretty much all you need to make kapuska, the Turkish cabbage stew that comes together in one pot in under an hour. A rustic dish, spiced just right, that truly warms you up.
Ingredients :
- Green cabbage — This is the central ingredient, the one that absorbs the spiced broth and gives the dish its melt-in-your-mouth texture. Green cabbage withstands moist heat better than savoy or red cabbage—it doesn’t turn to mush. Choose one that is dense and heavy for its size, a sign it’s tightly packed. Chop it coarsely: pieces that are too fine disappear into the broth, too large and they stay crunchy in the center.
- Ground beef (80% lean) — The 80/20 ratio is important here. Beef that is too lean stays dry after 45 minutes of cooking; too fatty, it drowns the bottom of the pot and overwhelms other flavors. 80% lean browns well, adds flavor to the cooking base, and stays juicy in the broth. Ground lamb—the traditional Turkish version—works very well too: the result is richer, slightly fattier.
- Red onion — Red onion is less aggressive than white when raw, but it caramelizes beautifully under heat and brings a slight sweetness to the pot. Slice it finely so it melts completely during cooking—you don’t want identifiable pieces in the final result.
- Tomato paste — It’s not just about coloring the broth. The tomato paste is cooked directly in the fat with the spices before adding liquid—this 1-2 minute dry cooking intensifies its flavor and removes its raw acidity. Use double-concentrated tomato paste for more depth.
