German Cabbage and Noodles
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This German Cabbage and Noodles recipe with sausage is a one-pot meal with tender, sweet cabbage, apples, the pungent flavor of caraway, and soft noodles tossed with a delicious mustard sauce.
Recipe Overview
- Type: Traditional German comfort food (Halupsy/Haluskie)
- Flavor: Savory, buttery cabbage with tender noodles
- Time: About 30 minutes start to finish
- Equipment: Large skillet or Dutch oven, pot for noodles
- Best for: Weeknight dinners, Oktoberfest menus, or easy dinners
What I Love About This Recipe
This German Cabbage and Noodles dish, often called Halupsy in my family, is one of those simple, comforting meals that feels like home. Sweet cabbage, tender noodles, and savory sausage come together in a dish that's as budget-friendly as it is satisfying.
It's also a recipe tied to my own German heritage. Growing up, Halupsy made regular appearances at our family table, especially in the fall when cabbage was plentiful. My grandmother made it simply with cabbage and noodles, but over the years, we began adding sausage and a drizzle of mustard sauce -a small twist that has become our own family tradition.
I also love how adaptable it is. Some families prepare it with sauerkraut, others with ground beef or no meat at all. However you make it, this one-pan meal is cozy, filling, and perfect for any night of the week - or for a festive Oktoberfest menu.
For a delicious German treat, try these homemade soft pretzels, too.
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Ingredients for Cabbage and Noodles
Here's what you'll need to make this simple, comforting dish. Measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Noodles: Wide egg noodles are traditional, but any broad noodle will work.
- Smoked sausage: Look for smoked bratwurst (not fresh) to keep the recipe quick. Kielbasa is also a delicious alternative.
- Apple: Adds subtle sweetness and depth. Use your favorite variety, tart or sweet.
- Olive oil & butter: For browning the sausage and sautéing the cabbage.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, caraway seeds, and red pepper flakes. Caraway is a classic ingredient in German cooking, known for its earthy, dill-like flavor. Red pepper flakes add gentle heat - both can be left out if you prefer.
- Onion: Sweet onions are especially nice here, but yellow onions work well too.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is typical, but a mix of green and red adds color. Since red cabbage tends to tint the noodles, I often sauté it separately and add it at the end.
- Garlic: Minced fresh garlic brings a savory, traditional flavor.
For the mustard sauce, you will need Dijon mustard, maple syrup for a natural sweetener, red wine vinegar for a flavor balance, and olive oil.
How to Make Cabbage and Noodles
Here’s how to make this simple German-inspired dish:
- Cook the Noodles: Cook the noodles according to package directions and set aside.
- Brown Sausages: Heat olive oil in a large skillet (I use a 12-inch cast iron skillet) and lightly brown sausages.
- Stir in Apples & Seasoning: Add remaining olive oil, butter, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, onions, and apples and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in Cabbage: Stir in the cabbage and garlic and continue to cook until tender, about another 10 minutes.
- Combine: Add the noodles to the skillet, heat until warmed through, and serve.
Tip: Taste before serving. Salt and pepper are your best friends with this dish. Be generous with the seasoning.
Serving Suggestions & Variations
- With mustard sauce: In my family, we love this dish drizzled with the flavorful mustard sauce I first shared in my German bratwurst meal. It adds a tangy richness that makes the cabbage and noodles irresistible.
- Oktoberfest table: This simple skillet meal fits right in with other Oktoberfest favorites. Serve it alongside soft pretzels, sausages, or a crisp German-style salad.
- Family traditions: While my grandmother often served Halupsy with just cabbage and noodles, we've made it our own by adding sausage. You could also try it with ground beef or leave the meat out entirely for a vegetarian version.
- With other cabbage favorites: If you love cabbage as much as we do, you might also enjoy it tucked into bierocks recipe (German meat pies) or baked into Krautstrudel, a savory German strudel.
- Cabbage swaps: Use all green cabbage, or mix in red cabbage for color. For a tangy variation, substitute sauerkraut for part (or all) of the fresh cabbage.
Recipe FAQs
Halupsy, also known as Haluskie, is a traditional Slavic-inspired dish of sautéed cabbage and noodles. Variations exist across Central and Eastern Europe, and in my German family, it's always been a comfort-food favorite.
Egg noodles are the most traditional choice, but wide butter noodles, spaetzle, or even pasta like farfalle or rotini will work in a pinch.
Absolutely. Some traditional versions of cabbage and noodles use sauerkraut for a tangy bite. You can use all sauerkraut or combine it with fresh cabbage for balance.
This dish is hearty enough to serve on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with a side salad, homemade applesauce, and homemade soft pretzels. For a sweet finish, try this easy apple strudel recipe for a full German-inspired menu.
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German Cabbage and Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles measured dry
- 12 ounces bratwurst (kielbasa or any smoked sausage) sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional or to taste
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 large apple chopped (peeled or unpeeled)
- 6 cups chopped cabbage (see notes)
- 2 clove garlic minced or pressed
- salt and black pepper to taste
Mustard Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet (I use a 12-inch cast iron skillet) and lightly brown the sliced sausages.
- Add the remaining olive oil, butter, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, chopped onions, and apples to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cabbage and garlic and continue to cook until tender, about another 10 minutes. Then, stir in the noodles and cook until heated through.
Mustard Sauce
- While the cabbage is cooking, prepare the mustard sauce by whisking the ingredients in a small bowl.
To Serve
- Spoon cabbage and noodles and generous amounts of sausage onto serving plates and garnish with drizzles of Mustard Sauce.
Notes
- Cabbage: I like to slice and chop the cabbage similarly to the noodle’s width. You can use all green cabbage or, as I’ve done here, a combination of green and red cabbage. The red cabbage color does tend to bleed into the noodles, so I will often saute it in a small skillet and add it to the dish at the end.
- Mustard Sauce: This mustard sauce makes enough to drizzle over individual portions. If you want to toss the cabbage and noodles in the sauce, I recommend making a double portion.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This recipe will always remind me of my German Grandmother’s kitchen. Cabbage and noodles were always meant to be together in her mind– and I agree! The cabbage is sweetly caramelized by the sausage and seasonings, making it an unforgettable and easy meal!
I tried the recipe and it’s very good. I’m thinking the mustard sauce needs work for me. ( I used powder mustard with water…so maybe little too spicy) but I will definitely make again, thank you for all these recipes. I need to add new to the old favs! 🙂
Hi Kate! Thank you for trying the recipe and letting me know how it worked for you. I completely understand about the mustard sauce as we have varying preferences in our family! Sometimes powdered mustard can give a sharper and even “hotter” flavor to a sauce as opposed to Dijon mustard. Other ways to make a homemade mustard sauce less spicy, is to add a small amount of a creamy ingredient like mayonnaise or yogurt. And I’m with you on replenishing recipes on the favs list!