Cabbage and Noodles

This is a simple dinner that is easy enough to whip up when you want buttery egg noodles – with perfect caramelized cabbage and onions, and a whole lot of herby caraway flavor. It is my favorite simple dinner – and is really easily made vegan, simply swap for oat butter or olive oil.

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Noodle HaLuski

While a lot of people call this dish Haluski or Halusky and it is called that in a lot of America – there are actually two types of Halusky. This version is using store-bought egg noodles – not puffy, light, homemade noodles like those typically used in Slovakian and Eastern European Hal?sky.

For a perfect Potato Halusky with traditional noodles and a flavor like Bryndza cheese, please head to my friend Brandy’s Potato Halusky recipe.

Cabbage and Noodles Recipe Ingredients

To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:

• 12 oz egg noodles – The hearty base of the dish, egg noodles add a comforting, chewy texture and soak up the buttery cabbage and onion flavors perfectly.
• 1 small head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced – The star of the recipe, cabbage turns tender and slightly sweet as it cooks. It brings a mellow earthiness and just a touch of crunch that balances the softness of the noodles.
• 4 tablespoons butter – Butter adds richness and depth, and also helps caramelize the cabbage and onions for a deeper flavor.
• 1 medium onion, diced – Onion provides a sweet and savory backbone, developing a golden flavor base as it cooks in butter. It enhances the cabbage’s sweetness and rounds out the dish.
• 3 cloves garlic, minced – Garlic adds warmth and aromatic depth, infusing the dish with subtle pungency that complements the buttery cabbage and noodles.
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds – A traditional flavor in many cabbage dishes, caraway gives a slightly nutty, licorice-like note that cuts through the richness and adds a distinctive, earthy aroma.
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs – A blend of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary adds a fragrant, herby lift to the dish, bringing complexity and brightness to the buttery base.
• Salt and pepper, to taste – Essential for balance, salt enhances all the other flavors while pepper adds a gentle kick and warmth that keeps the dish lively.

Steps to Make Cabbage and Noodles

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:

Brown Onions

Add butter to pan and melt. Stir in diced onions, then cook until soft and lightly browned.

Stir in Cabbage

Stir in cabbage, stirring as it lightly browns, softens, and reduces.

Season

Stir in seasonings and garlic.

Brown Cabbage

When cabbage is browned, caramelized, and reduced, stir in extra butter for sauce.

Add Boiled Egg Noodles and Toss

Stir in cooked egg noodles, toss to coat noodles and mix.

Serve and Enjoy!

Serve and enjoy – we love this with no knead bread or some warm and comforting slow cooker cider.

Tips and Tricks to Perfect Noodle Halusky

Thinly Cut Cabbage: Slice the cabbage thinly so it cooks evenly and softens quickly without turning mushy.

Brown Onions: Let the onions cook low and slow in butter until golden for the best flavor base.

Let Cabbage Caramelize: Don’t rush the cabbage—give it time to caramelize slightly; that gentle browning adds a nutty sweetness.

Toast Caraway: Toast the caraway seeds in the butter for 30 seconds before adding the vegetables to bring out their aroma.

Use Wide Egg Noodles: Use wide egg noodles for the best texture—they hold up well against the cabbage and soak up the buttery sauce.

Add Pasta Water: Reserve a little pasta cooking water to loosen the dish if it feels too dry when tossing everything together.

Season Gradually: Season in layers—add a pinch of salt when cooking onions, another when adding cabbage, and finish with a final taste at the end.

Add More Butter: For extra richness, stir in a knob of butter just before serving.

Add Lemon: A squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar can brighten the flavors if it tastes too heavy.

Add Meat: Add crispy bacon or sausage for a heartier meal, or top with a fried egg for an easy, comforting dinner.

Reheating Leftovers: Leftovers reheat beautifully—warm them in a skillet with a little butter or water to restore their silky texture.

Butter Noodles With Cabbage FAQs

This recipe is super-simple to make vegan – replace the butter with Oat Butter, or simply use olive oil in place of butter.

Cabbage and noodles are really easy to reheat – add to pan and toss until warm, adding more butter if you need to restore the velvety, silky texture.

Browned ground sausage, sliced smoked sausage or kielbasa, browned ground beef, or crispy crunchy baked baconwork perfectly in this recipe!

What to Serve With Buttered Noodles and Cabbage

Easy Chicken Schnitzel Recipe

Best Hungarian Goulash Recipe

Slow Cooker Mulled Cider

Sautéed Cabbage and Onions