White bowl of golden braised sauerkraut stew with chunks of pork and sliced smoked sausage on a wooden table. — Photo: Xylotet · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Eastern European · Lunch · Dinner

Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

Name: Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 125 min
Total time: 150 min
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (about 15 g) Dried porcini mushrooms; 1 cup Hot water, for soaking mushrooms; 3 1/2 cups Sauerkraut, drained; 1/2 medium head White cabbage, finely shredded; 500 g Lean pork loin, cut into 2 cm cubes; 100 g Smoked kielbasa, sliced; 2 medium Onions, chopped; 3 cups Brown (cremini) mushrooms, sliced; 8 Pitted prunes, chopped; 2 tbsp Tomato paste; 1 tbsp Rapeseed (canola) oil; 3 Bay leaves; 5 Whole allspice berries; 6 Juniper berries, lightly crushed; 1 tsp Caraway seeds; 1 tsp Ground black pepper; 2 cups Water, for simmering

Bigos

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · How we make recipes

A deeply savoury Polish stew of tangy sauerkraut and sweet fresh cabbage, slowly simmered with lean pork, a little smoky kielbasa, wild mushrooms and prunes. This lighter version keeps all the classic flavour with less fat and plenty of vegetables.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 125 min
Total: 150 min
Serves: 6

Medium
High protein

15%

Per serving295kcal15% of a 2,000 kcal day

24gProtein

25gCarbs

12gFat

8gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 33% · Fat 35% · Protein 32%

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Ingredients

For 6 servings

1/2 cup (about 15 g)Dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup250 gHot water, for soaking mushrooms
3 1/2 cups500 gSauerkraut, drained
1/2 medium head700 gWhite cabbage, finely shredded
500 gLean pork loin, cut into 2 cm cubes
100 gSmoked kielbasa, sliced
2 medium220 gOnions, chopped
3 cups200 gBrown (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
860 gPitted prunes, chopped
2 tbsp32 gTomato paste
1 tbsp14 gRapeseed (canola) oil
3Bay leaves
5Whole allspice berries
6Juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 tspCaraway seeds
1 tspGround black pepper
2 cups500 gWater, for simmering

Steps

1
Soak the dried porcini in the hot soaking water for 20 minutes.
2
Lift out the porcini, chop them and keep the soaking liquid, leaving any grit behind.
3
Rinse the sauerkraut briefly in a sieve to wash off some of the salty brine, squeeze it lightly and roughly chop it.
4
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
5
Brown the pork cubes in batches, about 6–8 minutes, then set aside.
6
Add the onions to the pot and cook for 5–6 minutes until soft and golden.
7
Add the kielbasa and fresh mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
8
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
9
Add the sauerkraut, shredded cabbage, browned pork, chopped porcini, their soaking liquid and the simmering water.
10
Add the prunes, bay leaves, allspice, juniper, caraway and pepper and stir well.
11
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pork is very tender and the cabbage is soft; add a splash of water if it gets dry.
12
Uncover for the last 10 minutes to thicken, then remove the bay leaves and taste; the sauerkraut and sausage usually make extra salt unnecessary.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use smoked turkey or chicken sausage instead of pork kielbasa for a lighter smoky flavour.
Swap the pork loin for boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut the simmering time to about 45 minutes, and cook until the chicken is tender.
For a vegetarian version, leave out the pork and kielbasa, double the fresh mushrooms, add a can of drained white beans and a pinch of smoked paprika.
If you can't find dried porcini, use extra cremini mushrooms and a splash of vegetable or beef stock in place of the soaking liquid.

Storage

Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container for 3 to 4 days, and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. Bigos also freezes well for about 2 to 3 months; thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Make ahead

Bigos is a classic make-ahead dish: cook it fully a day or two in advance, chill it, and reheat gently on the stove, since the flavour deepens overnight. You can also soak the porcini and shred the cabbage and onions the day before and keep them covered in the fridge.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

No major allergens in the ingredients.

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (516 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	295 kcal	57 kcal
Protein	24.1 g	4.7 g
Carbohydrates	25.4 g	4.9 g
of which sugars	11.9 g	2.3 g
Fiber	7.6 g	1.5 g
Fat	12 g	2.3 g
of which saturated	3.5 g	0.7 g
Sodium	769 mg	149 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.