You don't have to be Polish to love recipes for kielbasa, mushroom-barley soup, cabbage rolls, kolachi and—of course—pierogi...but it sure doesn't hurt.
22 Old-World Polish Recipes Worth Trying Today
Updated on May 04, 2023
Ice Cream Kolachkes
These sweet pastries have Polish and Czech roots and can also be spelled “kolaches.” They are usually filled with poppy seeds, nuts, jam or a mashed fruit mixture. The ice cream is a unique twist on traditional kolachkes, and it’s simplest to use a square cookie cutter to cut the dough. —Diane Turner, Brunswick, Ohio
1/22
2/22
Paska Easter Bread
Total Time
1 hour 30 min
Servings
2 loaves (12 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
Paska is a traditional Easter bread prepared with lots of eggs, making it much richer than ordinary sweet breads. The beautifully braided top will earn you many compliments. —Millie Cherniwchan, Smoky Lake, Alberta
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 342 calories, 6g fat (3g saturated fat), 73mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium, 60g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 2g fiber), 11g protein.
3/22
Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
Total Time
8 hours 25 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I've taken this satisfying soup to church gatherings and family reunions, and it always receives great compliments. Everyone loves it! —Elizabeth Goetzinger, Lewiston, Idaho
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/4 cups: 373 calories, 21g fat (8g saturated fat), 51mg cholesterol, 1707mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 5g fiber), 16g protein.
4/22
Breaded Pork Tenderloin
Total Time
30 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Meat is a hard sell with my teenage daughter unless I make it look like a restaurant dish. Drizzle ranch dressing or barbecue sauce on top and it's a home run. —Donna Carney, New Lexington, Ohio
Nutrition Facts:
3 ounces cooked pork: 338 calories, 20g fat (3g saturated fat), 110mg cholesterol, 327mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 26g protein.
5/22
Polish Pierogi
Total Time
40 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My mother measured ingredients for these using her hand. We've passed the recipe down over the years as the family has grown. —Veronica Weinkauf, South Bend, Indiana
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 230 calories, 6g fat (3g saturated fat), 85mg cholesterol, 500mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 1g fiber), 11g protein.
6/22
Grandma's Polish Cookies
Total Time
50 min
Servings
20 cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
This traditional khruchiki recipe has been handed down through my mother's side from my great-grandmother. As a child, it was my job to loop the end of each cookie through its hole. —Sherine Elise Gilmour, Brooklyn, New York
Nutrition Facts:
1 cookie: 246 calories, 16g fat (7g saturated fat), 65mg cholesterol, 205mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.
7/22
Cabbage Rolls
Total Time
1 hour 55 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
It was an abundance of dill in my garden that led me to try this. My family liked the taste so much that, from then on, I made my old-fashioned cabbage rolls recipe with dill. This is how to make easy cabbage rolls. – Florence Krantz, Bismarck, North Dakota
Nutrition Facts:
2 cabbage rolls: 260 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 50mg cholesterol, 694mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 18g protein.
8/22
Kielbasa Cabbage Skillet
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Spicy kielbasa sausage and plentiful cabbage and potatoes give this dish a pleasing Old World flair. My husband never liked cabbage before I made this, but now he does! —Romaine Wetzel, Ronks, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts:
1-3/4 cups: 489 calories, 23g fat (9g saturated fat), 53mg cholesterol, 978mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 10g fiber), 15g protein.
9/22
Polish Poppy Seed Loaves
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
2 loaves (12 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
Traditionally, these loaves were eaten after sundown on Christmas Eve as part of a 12-course meal. At our house, we never can wait that long to bite into the pretty spiral slices of this tender, coffee cake-like treat. —Linda Gronewaller, Hutchinson, Kansas
Nutrition Facts:
1 each: 234 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 52mg cholesterol, 118mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (20g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.
10/22
Mushroom Barley Soup
Total Time
2 hours 10 min
Servings
about 11 servings (2-3/4 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
A few years ago, a friend at work shared the recipe for this wonderful soup. With beef, barley and vegetables, it's hearty enough to be a meal. A big steaming bowl with a slice of crusty bread is so satisfying on a cold day. —Lynn Thomas, London, Ontario
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 220 calories, 13g fat (0 saturated fat), 43mg cholesterol, 65mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 0 fiber), 14g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch.
11/22
Mom's Potato Pancakes
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These old-fashioned pancakes are fluffy inside and crispy outside. Onion adds nice flavor. Mom got this recipe from Grandma, so we've enjoyed it for years. —Dianne Esposite, New Middletown, Ohio
Nutrition Facts:
2 pancakes: 171 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 31mg cholesterol, 411mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 2g fiber), 3g protein.
12/22
Grandma's Potato Dumplings
Total Time
25 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Don't be surprised if you make too many mashed potatoes on purpose. Day-old rolls and leftover spuds are scrumptious the second time around, turned into buttery potato dumplings. —Wendy Stenman, Germantown, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 dumpling with 1 tablespoon butter: 255 calories, 17g fat (8g saturated fat), 84mg cholesterol, 322mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
13/22
Blintzes
Total Time
40 min
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These elegant blintzes can be served as an attractive dessert or a brunch entree. The bright cherry sauce gives them a delightful flavor. I sometimes substitute other fruits, such as raspberries, blueberries or peaches. —Jessica Vantrease, Anderson, Alaska
Nutrition Facts:
2 blintzes: 245 calories, 10g fat (6g saturated fat), 97mg cholesterol, 306mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (21g sugars, 1g fiber), 8g protein.
14/22
Roasted Cabbage & Onions
Total Time
40 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I roast veggies to bring out their sweetness, and it works wonders with onions and cabbage. The piquant vinegar-mustard sauce makes this dish similar to a slaw. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup: 183 calories, 14g fat (2g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 636mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 4g fiber), 2g protein.
15/22
Slow-Cooker Golombki
Total Time
6 hours 25 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I modified my mom's classic Polish dish to fit my hectic life. Instead of boiling the cabbage and then filling it with beef, I just toss the ingredients in the slow cooker. It's much easier and tastes just as delicious. —Mary Walker, Clermont, Florida
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/4 cups: 307 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 35mg cholesterol, 1166mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 6g fiber), 16g protein.
16/22
Old-Fashioned Fruit Compote
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
8 cups
From the Recipe Creator:
A perfect partner for your Christmas goose, this warm and fruity side dish can simmer while you prepare the rest of your menu, or make it a day ahead and reheat before serving. —Shirley A. Glaab, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Nutrition Facts:
1/4 cup: 126 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 4mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 2g fiber), 1g protein.
17/22
Polish Potato Salad
Total Time
45 min
Servings
8 cups
From the Recipe Creator:
When my in-laws from Poland visited, I made this Polish potato salad with sausage for them, knowing their fondness for sausage and potatoes. They liked it enough to request the recipe, and I gained the reputation of a good cook. —Odette Dallaire, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup: 182 calories, 12g fat (5g saturated fat), 30mg cholesterol, 650mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.
18/22
Cranberry Rugelach
Total Time
45 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These traditional Polish treats will keep for a long time in an airtight container. One year, I sent a batch to my sister, but the box got lost. She received it 12 days later and reported that the cookies were worth the wait! —Jean Doxon, Omaha, Nebraska
Nutrition Facts:
1 cookie: 103 calories, 6g fat (3g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
19/22
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Total Time
20 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This creamy cucumber salad, a Norwegian favorite, was a staple at all of our family holidays. —Patty LaNoue Stearns, Traverse City, Michigan
Nutrition Facts:
2/3 cup: 143 calories, 12g fat (7g saturated fat), 42mg cholesterol, 416mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
20/22
Hearty Hunter's Stew
Total Time
3 hours 15 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Moist, tender meat and thick, rich gravy are the hallmarks of my classic recipe simmered in a cast-iron pot. —Joyce Worsech, Catawba, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 351 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 96mg cholesterol, 778mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 7g fiber), 31g protein.
21/22
Kielbasa Hot Potato Slaw
Total Time
18 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I like the challenge of cooking lighter meals that pack big flavor. This one, which came from a dear friend, fits the bill. My son rated it a 10 out of 10! —Beverly Batty, Forest Lake, Minnesota
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/4 cups: 305 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated fat), 70mg cholesterol, 1529mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 4g fiber), 21g protein.
22/22
Cool as a Cucumber Soup
Total Time
15 min
Servings
5 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This chilled soup makes a wonderful appetizer or side on a hot summer day. Bright bursts of dill provide pleasant contrasts to the milder flavor of cucumber. —Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
Nutrition Facts:
2/3 cup: 40 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 2mg cholesterol, 279mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 fat-free milk.
