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9 Eastern & Central European-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

Explore the rich culinary traditions of Eastern and Central Europe with a few delicious recipes from countries like Poland, Ukraine and Germany. From savoury delights to sweet treats, these nine dishes offer a flavourful experience that is sure to feed your wanderlust!

1. Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are a warm, savoury and comforting dish featuring tender cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned meat and rice in a rich tomato sauce. The dish has roots in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Hungary, with each having its own variation of the recipe. Our layered version here is admittedly less traditional, but no less flavourful!

2. Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is a rich and creamy dish featuring sautéed beef, onions and mushrooms in a sour cream (or yogurt-based) sauce. Serve this luscious slow cooker version over noodles, for a flavourful meal the whole family will love.

3. Cabbage, Potato and Kielbasa Soup

This hearty and rustic soup is popular in Poland, but also in countries like Ukraine and Germany. Highlighting the cozy flavours of smoky sausage, tender potatoes and sweet cabbage, it’s a very satisfying dish on a cold day.

4. Borscht

Borscht is a vibrant beet-based soup with a sweet yet earthy flavour. It originated in Ukraine, but is beloved in many other countries, like Poland, Lithuania and others, each with its own variation on the dish. This version features beef for richness and potatoes for added heartiness.

5. Chicken Kyiv

Associated with Ukraine, chicken Kyiv is a popular dish that’s known worldwide. It consists of a chicken breast half that’s crispy and golden on the outside, and filled with a garlic and herb butter in the middle that oozes when you cut into it. Juicy and flavourful, serve it with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies for a meal that’s sure to impress!

6. Pierogis

These delicious dumplings can be filled with a variety of savoury and even sweet fillings, like potatoes, cheese, meat or fruit. Our version here is stuffed with sauerkraut and two kinds of mushrooms. Originating in Poland, they’re often topped with sour cream and caramelized onions–we added more mushrooms, too–for a richness that can’t be beat.

7. Blinis

Blinis are small, dollar-sized buckwheat pancakes often topped with sour cream, caviar or smoked salmon. They’re traditionally served during Maslenitsa–also known as “pancake week”–which is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent in Eastern Slavic cultures.

8. Kolaczki

These delicate cookies, filled with cream cheese and fruit jam, come from Poland. Often served over Christmas and Easter, these festive treats have a light texture that complements their sweet and creamy filling.

9. Apple Kuchen Cake

This sweet cake has a texture that’s reminiscent of bread and features tender apples. In Germany, kuchen is traditionally made with fruits and nuts, and is often served to company with a cup of coffee.