Cabbage and Apple Strudel

Cabbage and apple may seem like a strange combination to you but if you’ve ever cooked

down cabbage until it was caramelized you know how sweet and meltingly delicious it gets.

I grew up on the Hungarian dish of Kraut Lukshen or noodles and cabbage which was a simple dish of caramelized cabbage mixed with pasta and it was out of this world. The apple in this dish just slightly enhances the sweetness of the cabbage and gives it a little bit of interest. This strudel is not meant to be sweet like a kugel but rather with just a hint of sweetness for the new year, so sweeten it to taste- I used a teaspoon of honey to sweeten the mixture but if you prefer it a little sweeter you can add more. I tested this recipe with phyllo dough but I think it would be equally delicious and probably easier in puff pastry. Enjoy!

3 Tablespoons olive or canola oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 kilo (about 2 pounds) shredded cabbage (about one small cabbage)

2 large granny smith apples, peeled and shredded

1/4 tsp dried thyme 

1 tsp- 1 tablespoon honey (depending on how sweet you want it)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

salt and a good amount of pepper

10  sheets of phyllo dough + 1/4 cup oil for brushing OR 2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp honey

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the onions. Sauté for two to three minutes until they start to become translucent and then add the cabbage and apples and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pot and let the mixture cook until it starts to wilt down, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until the mixture caramelizes and turns golden brown , mixing every few minutes, for about a half an hour. Remove from heat and mix in the honey and apple cider vinegar. Taste for seasoning and let the mixture cool completely. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Once cooled, carefully lay out a sheet of phyllo dough on a piece of parchment paper and brush with oil. Cover the another sheet and brush with oil again. You should have five layers of phyllo dough each with oil brushes in between for each roll. Take half the cabbage mixture and place it on the wider end of the dough rectangle an inch in and  leaving an inch at each end . Fold up each side of the dough over the mixture and roll up like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining dough and cabbage mixture. Place both rolls on a sheet pan and brush with the egg and honey mixture. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the dough is golden .