Polish Cabbage with Mushrooms {Kapusta z Grzybami}

Place dried mushrooms in a small pot, add enough boiling water to cover, set aside until mushrooms rehydrate a bit (about 10-15 minutes).

In the meantime, shred cabbage and cut into smaller pieces. Place in a large pot with 1 ½ cups / 350 milliliters of water, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries, and salt. Boil on medium heat until cabbage softens (only about 5 minutes). Add sauerkraut (I don't drain my sauerkraut, nor do I rinse it. If you like your kraut a bit milder, rinse and drain it before this step). Continue cooking on medium-low.

Clean and slice button mushrooms. Sauté in butter until golden brown around the edges, then add them to the cabbage mixture. Sauté chopped onion (add a bit more butter if needed), and also add to the pot.

After dried mushrooms rehydrate, boil for about 10 minutes on low (check if they're soft; if not, boil for a bit longer. Add more water if needed). When mushrooms are soft, dump the water from boiling them into the cabbage mixture. Chop wild mushrooms and also add to the cabbage.

Add tomato paste and continue cooking for a total cooking time of about 1 hour. Turn off and set aside to cool. Best if cooked again the next day. Refrigerate overnight. Next day, cook for another hour and a half or so, stirring occasionally.