Creamy and smokey Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole with rice, tofu and sour cream.

This Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole is comfort food at its best. It’s hearty and savory, and it’s packed with awesome flavors and textures. The dish is layered like a lasagne, with tangy sauerkraut, rich sour cream, and a spiced rice-tofu mixture. Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole is cozy, smoky, and full of umami. It’s the kind of meal that warms you from the inside out.

This is my vegan version of Rakott Káposzta, a super popular layered sauerkraut dish in Hungary. Traditionally it’s made with pork, but my plant-based version uses smoked tofu plus plenty of spices for that same rich, satisfying bite. If you’re a fan of fermented flavors and nostalgic, oven-baked meals, you’re going to love this one. And if you’re not a sauerkraut person…well, maybe just sit this one out.

Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole is…

A plant-based twist on a popular Hungarian dish (Rakott Káposzta)
Vegan and vegetarian
Gluten-free
Hearty and delicious
Perfect for the colder months
Easy to make
Great for meal prep or leftovers

How to make Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole

To make this dish, start by sautéing onions and peppers until soft, then add garlic and shredded smoked tofu. Cook it all together until the tofu gets some nice crispy edges for a lovely texture and flavor. Stir in your tomato and paprika pastes, plus a good amount of paprika or whatever spices you fancy, then mix in the cooked rice, some condiments, and a touch of hot sauce, if you like a little kick.

Once your filling is done, it’s time to layer everything in a baking dish: sauerkraut on the bottom, then sour cream, then the tofu-rice mixture. Then repeat, and finish with more sauerkraut and a generous layer of vegan sour cream. Pop it in the oven until it’s golden on top and heated through. That’s it!

Customize it the way you like it!

This casserole is super customizable. If you don’t have smoked tofu on hand, you can use store-bought vegan mince meat or crumbled tempeh instead. Just make sure to cook it well with the spices so it gets flavorful. Or try lentils, chopped walnuts, chopped mushrooms, TVP, or a mix of them, for a different texture.

You can use store-bought or homemade sour cream here. I love my Sunflower Seed Sour Cream here, but a simple blend of silken tofu, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar works well too. You can also use vegan yogurt for a slightly lighter version. And though not traditional, you can also make this with béchamel and extra vegan cheese on top.

Feel free to also play around with the spices. I love the classic combo of sweet paprika and smoked paprika here, but a pinch of cumin, thyme, or even caraway seeds would be lovely too.

If your sauerkraut is super sour, you can rinse it lightly before layering. Or you can keep it punchy if you’re a true sauerkraut fan like me.

More Hungarian recipes to try:

Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole

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Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 4-6 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 Hungarian wax peppers or 1 bell pepper, diced
3–4 cloves of garlic, minced
14 oz/400 g smoked tofu, shredded
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp paprika paste
1 tbsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups/400 g cooked rice
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp mustard
2 tsp marjoram
hot sauce (optional)
5 cups/750 g sauerkraut
3 cups vegan sour cream (see notes below)
salt, pepper

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Instructions

Heat up oil in a large pan. Add diced onion and peppers, and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are translucent.
Add garlic and shredded tofu, and keep on cooking for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu gets crispy on some spots.
Add tomato and paprika paste, paprika powder, and smoked paprika, and cook for another minute. Keep an eye on the paprika powder, since it can burn very quickly.
Mix in cooked rice, soy sauce, mustard, marjoram, and hot sauce, if using. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. If mixture is too dry, add a few tablespoons of water (or red wine), if you like.
To assemble the casserole add 1/3 of the sauerkraut to the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with 1/3 of the vegan sour cream and half of the rice-tofu mixture.
Add 1/3 of the sauerkraut, 1/3 sour cream, and the rest of the rice-tofu mixture again.
Finish with the rest of the sauerkraut and the sour cream on top.
Bake casserole at 360°F/180°C for 30-40 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes