Eastern European cuisine is more vegetable-forward than you might think

Ever since I studied Russian in college and traveled through countries beyond the former Iron Curtain, food from the region has intrigued me. Far from lazy generalizations of soggy cabbage and sad potatoes, I’ve encountered tangy sour cream, earthy buckwheat, pickles and sauerkraut made pleasingly piquant through fermentation, plentiful dill and other herbs and spices, and an extremely diverse set of cooks influenced by centuries of trade, imperialism, occupation and migration.

I’ve also found a bounty of vegetables.

In a pocket of the world notorious for political turmoil but blessed with biodiverse soil, simple, vegetable-centric cooking emerged naturally, Alissa Timoshkina writes in “Kapusta: Vegetable-Forward Recipes From Eastern Europe.” Her book devotes a chapter to each of the staple vegetables from the region: cabbage (the titular “kapusta” means cabbage in Ukrainian, Polish, Russian and other Slavic languages), beets, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms, plus chapters on dumplings and pickles and ferments.

“Kapusta” joins other recently published Eastern European cookbooks, including “Danube” by Irina Georgescu; “Sour Cherries and Sunflowers” by Anastasia Zolotarev; and “Chesnok” by Polina Chesnakova. Notably, the authors live outside their home region, lending a note of nostalgia tempered with critical distance.

Like many other cuisines, the Eastern European table encountered by outsiders often centers meat. But at home, people follow the seasons, cooking what’s available from the garden or pantry. “To think of Eastern European cuisine as one abundant in vegetable dishes requires a mindset change for many of us,” Georgescu writes in “Danube.”

The vegetable-forward inclination was natural for Timoshkina. “It’s the way I cook at home, and, I think, the same as with my first book as well, it’s finding a natural connection between how I cook, my cultural culinary background and the wider food trends in the U.K. or the globally Western world,” she said in a video call from her home in London. Her recipes for beets go beyond the expected borshch while also including three variations on the Slavic soup, with only one containing meat. Chebureki (Crimean Tatar savory hand pies) remove the typical meat, opting instead for spiced carrots and lentils.

And in the mushroom chapter, Hungarian paprikash turns vegetarian with widely available button or cremini mushrooms swapped in for the traditional chicken, a substitution that further illustrates that vegetables can have the same main character energy usually bestowed on meat. Packed with nearly two pounds of the fungi, the dish became a staple in Timoshkina’s repertoire — she even had leftovers in the fridge when we talked. “It goes down a treat with the kids, has good balance in terms of nutrition, but also this super distinct Eastern European flavor, because of the sour cream, herbs, paprika and mushrooms,” she said. “It ticks all the boxes for me.”

Best of all, it’s easy, though it does require a bit of knife work. Slice an onion and red bell pepper, then while they’re softening in a large pot, slice the mushrooms. Once their juices release, a whole 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika (Timoshkina prefers Spanish over Hungarian, which in her experience too easily turns bitter) and a little dried marjoram add instant depth, while a scant cup of sour cream thickens the sauce. Serve it with pasta or potatoes to ensure you soak up every last drop.

Along with illustrating that plants can easily stand in for meat in many dishes, “Kapusta” thoughtfully depicts the diversity of people that make up Eastern Europe. The region’s dominant culture may be Slavic, but Timoshkina found it important to challenge and question that narrative, especially in light of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. “The way people use food to preserve their identity, and celebrate their identity, that was an important element,” she said. You’ll find recipes such as qistibi, a potato-stuffed flatbread staple to Volga Tatars and Chuvash, both Turkic ethnic groups living in the Eastern European side of Russia. From an old cookbook, Timoshkina adapted a recipe for a Romani cabbage and chestnut pie, in which cabbage leaves enrobe a mushroom, chestnut and buckwheat filling. She embraces her family’s history, too, with Ashkenazi dishes including knishes, tzimmes and kreplach.

“All these ethnic minorities went through so many different waves of oppression,” Timoshkina said, and many don’t have a voice in the culinary world. At an event last year, she was approached by someone from the Crimean Tatar community. “She said something so moving, that she felt really touched to see her culture and her food represented in such a respectful and also a joyful way, made beautiful and appealing and celebrated,” Timoshkina said. “It was just really special to hear that.”

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Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash Stew

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola

1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), halved and thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

½ teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more as needed

1¾ pounds white button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons smoked paprika, preferably Spanish*

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

Scant 1 cup (7 ounces) sour cream

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for optional garnish

Cooked pasta, such as pappardelle or egg noodles, for serving

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, stir to coat, then cook, covered, until the vegetables are soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the mushrooms with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms cook through and release their liquid, 10 to 12 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the paprika and marjoram, and cook, stirring halfway through, until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the sour cream, mixing well to form a cohesive sauce, then reduce the heat to low. Season lightly with black pepper, then taste, and add more salt and pepper, as desired. Simmer gently, increasing the heat as needed (don’t let the mixture come to a boil), until the sauce slightly thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and let the stew rest for a few minutes. Serve warm, with the pasta on the side, or stir the cooked pasta right into the stew, tossing until the noodles are evenly coated. If desired, garnish with parsley.

Servings: 4-6 (makes 6 cups)

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Leftovers taste even better, as the flavors really develop with a little rest.

* Where to buy and note: Spanish smoked paprika can be found at well-stocked supermarkets, spice shops and online. Spanish smoked paprika is preferable here, as Hungarian paprika has a tendency to turn bitter. If you have a strongly flavored paprika or prefer less smoke, start with 1 tablespoon, adding more to taste.

Substitutions: For yellow onion, use white onion. For dried marjoram, use dried oregano.

Nutritional information per serving (1 cup stew), based on 6: 159 calories, 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 11 g carbohydrates, 209 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar.

— Adapted from “Kapusta: Vegetable-Forward Recipes From Eastern Europe” by Alissa Timoshkina (Quadrille, 2025).