Tired of plain mashed potatoes? Enhance them with sauerkraut and make Czech Lepenice! This side dish comes from Old Bohemian cuisine, which is famous for its great potato recipes.
➜ What is Lepenice?
Lepenice is a Czech side dish of mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut. This sauerkraut potato mash goes perfectly with smoked sausage or a slice of smoked meat and makes a tasty lunch or dinner.
There is another Czech name for this recipe, Kočičák!
My father's family comes from the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains, the highest mountains in the Czech Republic. Both cabbage and potatoes thrive in the mountain conditions, so we often had meals that included one or the other of these two ingredients. Zelňačka sauerkraut soup, potato placky pancakes, or Bramboračka potato soup frequently appeared on our table. Modest Czech food, yet so good!
➜ Pronunciation
As usual, I have recorded a short audio clip for you on how to pronounce the Czech word "Lepenice". I am a native Czech, so you will hear authentic Czech.
➜ Ingredients to make Lepenice
- Raw potatoes; all-purpose or those containing more starch. Suitable varieties include Russet, Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Sauerkraut; in Czech "kysané zelí". If you don't have access to Czech-style fermented sauerkraut, look for Polish or German sauerkraut. You can find it in European deli shops.
- Onion; yellow kitchen onion
- Pork lard; in Czech "sádlo". Pork lard was the traditional cooking fat used by Czech grandmas. If you don't have lard, you can substitute unsalted butter, sunflower oil, or canola oil.
- Crushed caraway seeds; added to the water when cooking potatoes, for a better taste. Learn how to crush caraways seeds (and other spices) by hand.
- Salt; to taste
✅ See the recipe below with step-by-step photos and many helpful tips. Scroll down for the full printable recipe in both US cups and metric measurements.
Optional: Unsalted butter to drizzle over the Lepenice potato mash and sprigs of parsley or spring onion to garnish the top.
Kitchen equipment: For cooking, you will also need a non-stick pan with a higher rim and a potato masher or an electric hand mixer with a whisk attachment to mash the potatoes.
➜ How to make Czech sauerkraut potato mash
Learn the whole process in just 5 steps:
STEP ⅕: Peel potatoes and cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (photo 1). Boil potatoes until tender in salted water to which you have added caraway seeds (photo 2).
STEP ⅖: Drain sauerkraut and, if it contains long pieces, cut it into small bites. Peel and chop the onion (photo 3).
STEP ⅗: Heat the lard in a frying pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until golden brown. Add cabbage, reduce heat, and simmer for about ten minutes, stirring (photo 4).
STEP ⅘: Drain cooked potatoes, reserving about two tablespoons of the water, or leave the potato broth in the pot while draining. Mash the potatoes with two tablespoons of water or use a hand blender to make potato puree (photo 5).
STEP 5/5: Add the potatoes to the sauerkraut with onion and mix until combined. Season with salt if necessary and serve (photo 6).
➜ Serving
Lepenice mash according to this recipe is served as a potato side dish. The best accompaniment to lepenice is fried smoked sausage (such as Czech klobása or Polish kielbasa) or a slice of smoked meat.
You can also dice sausage and fry it in lard with onion and sauerkraut. In this case, serve Lepenice as a main dish without any additional meat.
Storing and Reheating: If you have leftover Lepenice, let it cool completely, transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about four days. Reheat the potato mash in a pan with a knob of butter or in the microwave.
➜ Useful tips
- If you like your mashed potatoes greasier, drizzle the Lepenice with melted butter when serving.
- Instead of water, the boiled potatoes can be mashed with a little milk or cream.
- A fan of sharper flavors? Sprinkle a little ground pepper over the Lepenice mash when serving.
- I add two tablespoons of lard to the pan when frying onions. It may seem like a lot, but mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut contain no fat. The lard makes the mash taste even better. If you're watching your calories or your line, fry the onions in half that amount.
More Czech recipes:
- Sausage goulash (Buřtguláš)
- Meat stuffed potato dumplings & sauerkraut (Bramborové knedlíky plněné uzeným)
- Braised sauerkraut (Dušené kysané zelí)
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Sauerkraut Potato Mash (Czech Lepenice)
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes preferably with a higher starch content
- 7 ounces sauerkraut Czech, German or Polish style
- 2 Tablespoons pork lard (or unsalted butter, canola, sunflower oil)
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds roughly crushed
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel 2 pounds potatoes and cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Boil potatoes until tender in salted water to which you have added 1 teaspoon caraway seeds.
- Drain 7 ounces sauerkraut and, if it contains long pieces, cut it into small bites. Peel and chop the onion.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons pork lard in a frying pan over medium-high heat and sauté 1 medium onion (finely chopped) until golden brown. Add cabbage, reduce heat, and simmer for about ten minutes, stirring.
- Drain cooked potatoes, reserving about two tablespoons of water, or leave the potato broth in the pot while draining. Mash the potatoes with two tablespoons of water or use a hand blender to make potato puree.
- Add the potatoes to the sauerkraut with onion and mix until combined. Season with salt if necessary and serve.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes 4 portions as a side dish.
- SERVING: Lepenice mash according to this recipe is served as a potato side dish. The best accompaniment to Lepenice is fried smoked sausage (such as Czech klobása or Polish kielbasa) or a slice of smoked meat.
- You can also dice sausage and fry it in lard with onion and sauerkraut. In this case, serve Lepenice as a main dish without any additional meat.
- For a nicer presentation, sprinkle the dish with chopped green parsley or scallions.
- If you like your mashed potatoes greasier, drizzle the Lepenice with melted butter when serving.
- Storing and Reheating: If you have leftover Lepenice, let it cool completely, transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about four days. Reheat the potato mash in a pan with a knob of butter or in the microwave.
Carole says
My mother would make this! I loved it!! She woukd fry some bacon and use tge dripings instead of lard to saute tge onion. Then she woukd mix in the bacon at the end. So Good!!!
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Hi Carole, thank you for your lovely comment and feedback!
Barbara says
My sister used to make this recipe. I never had the recipe so I made it from memory of how it was made. Always loved it.
Carol says
This recipe is something I grew up with and it reminds me of fall so much that I miss so dearly. I grew up on a farm, we always had 3 huge gardens with all sorts of vegetables(one just for potatoes), as well as raspberry trees and a few others.The soil we had there was so rich, I was so fortunate to grow up there!
We are of Ukrainian descent and every fall would have a big wooden barrel filled with cabbage to make sauerkraut. I used to hate that smell, but would love the big plates made with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut and usually some meat that followed.
I would give anything to capture that feeling again and these recipes can come close. Where I live now is very poor soil, so I have to rely on store bought vegetables, but so be it. I do grow a bit of things in summer but it's very limited and we have to really baby everything along. I will make these potatoes soon and dream of days gone by and be happy for it all. It makes for rich happy memories. Food is indeed love.
Diane says
I’m a Czech n appreciate your recipes as I remember all of them. We ate like that. My favorite pork sauerkraut n dumplings. Then next day put leftovers into a called bohemian chow mein.
Thx for your site for us Czechs.
Petra Kupská says
Thank you so much for the kind words! It’s wonderful to hear from someone who grew up with these flavors. Pork, sauerkraut, and dumplings are such classics! The next day you basically make mišmaš. 😀