This much Russia knows: the chilly, early days of spring go hand-in-hand with cabbage. Throughout the countryside, rows of cabbages can be found poking through the ground even as the last freeze thaws. The tough, squeaky heads are impenetrable to all but the peskiest of creatures, but give them some attention with a sharp knife and persistent flame and you’ll see why cabbage is the pride of Russian home cooking.

From cabbage rolls to borscht, Russian cookbooks are fat with ideas to use up the spring harvest – and at a mere $2-$3 per head at the market, it’s tempting to attempt them all. But if I had to pick just one, cabbage pie seems to shows off the humble vegetable’s truest potential.

Cabbage. Village Neskuchnoy (1909). Painted by Zinaida Serebriakova (1884-1967), one of Russia’s great female artists, known in part for her depictions of the Russian countryside.

Cook it up with little more than butter, a smattering of onion and lay it between sticky spoonfuls of sour cream batter… bake, then slice into neat squares and you’ll have a feast fit for any potluck. (We took it over to our neighbor’s potluck party; the casserole was cleaned out in mere minutes!)

The ingredients are simple enough…

Ingredients:

For the filling:

1 head cabbage (medium), cored and chopped
1 large onion, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons butter
3 eggs (hard-boiled)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg (raw)

For the batter:

3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups flour
pinch salt

How to make it. 

Personally, I like cabbage pie with character, which means two things: First, take the time to really soften the onion and cabbage in the pan – that’s where the flavor builds…

… second, season generously with salt and pepper (a little extra pepper adds welcome bite). Think of this way: scrambled eggs without a good shake of salt and pepper are terrible. The same goes with cabbage pie, especially since there’s a few hard-boiled eggs in the mix.

Once the filling is cooked and seasoned, the sour cream batter comes together with a few turns of a spatula…

Spread a little batter on the bottom of the pan, add the filling, and then spoon the remaining batter on top. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread evenly across the top. The coating might seem sparse but it puffs as it bakes and turns out to be just right. Wait a few minutes before slicing – the pie holds together better that way.

Enjoy on a chilly spring day – warm or at room temperature.

Remember – there’s great joy in sharing a table with your loved ones.  Take the time to make your meals into adventures… into memories worth reliving.

“At Breakfast” (1914) by Russian painter Zinaida Serebryakova.

Russian Cabbage Pie

Votes: 11 Rating: 4.27 You: Rate this recipe!

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Russian Cabbage pie is a casserole worthy of any potluck. Take the time to wilt the cabbage down fully and season well for best results.

• CourseMain Dish
• LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegetarian
• Food TypeCasseroles, Vegetables

Servings	Prep Time
12 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

80 minutes

Servings Prep Time 12 people 15 minutes

Cook Time 80 minutes

Russian Cabbage Pie Votes: 11 Rating: 4.27 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Russian Cabbage pie is a casserole worthy of any potluck. Take the time to wilt the cabbage down fully and season well for best results. CourseMain Dish LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegetarian Food TypeCasseroles, Vegetables Servings Prep Time 12 people 15 minutes Cook Time 80 minutes Servings Prep Time 12 people 15 minutes Cook Time 80 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 head green cabbage (medium), cored and chopped
• 1 large onions , sliced thinly
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 eggs (hard-boiled)
• 1 egg (raw)

For the batter:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt

Servings: people

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

For the Filling:

1. Cook the cabbage and onion in butter over medium-high until softened. A large wok works best. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper as you work (if it's bland now, it'll be bland later!). The wilting process takes about 20 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat as you go to prevent burning. Stir occasionally.
2. Set the hot mixture aside to cool. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375F and grease an 11x9-inch baking dish.
3. Once the filling has cooled to luke-warm, stir in the chopped hard-boiled eggs and the raw egg to bind.

For the batter:

1. Add the eggs, sour cream, and mayonnaise to a medium bowl. Stir until smooth, then add the dry ingredients.

To assemble and bake:

1. Spread a little less than half the batter evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon on the filling.
2. Top the casserole with the remaining batter, adding it in dollops evenly across the surface and smoothing it with the back of a spoon or spatula to cover the entire surface.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and shiny. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing so that it holds its shape.
4. Serve room temperature or warm. It'd be lovely with a bit of sour cream on the side.