2 Must-Try Cozy Cabbage Recipes

By Sarah Stoner

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)

A quintessential and popular German side dish, served in homes, centuries-old breweries, dining halls—and “good enough to have for Christmas dinner,” says my German friend Verena. Its distinct sweet and sour flavor profile balances cabbage with apples, vinegar, and spices. Adaptive to your pantry and taste, easy to prepare, best made ahead, and freezes well. Make it in big batches because it’s very true—the more often this dish is reheated, the better it gets.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Tbsp butter

  • 1 large head of red cabbage (approx 1.5lb), finely chopped

  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (or other sweet vinegar—balsamic, rice, or red wine)

  • 1 large apple, cored, seeded, and chopped into small chunks

  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup (or use 2 Tbsp fruit jam—red fruit like strawberry, raspberry, currant is best—honey, or brown sugar)

  • 1 tsp caraway seeds (you could also try fennel, anise seed, or 2-3 whole cloves)

  • Salt to taste (1-2 tsp)

Optional: 1 tsp sugar

Directions

  1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the onions until just beginning to brown, 7-10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the apple, spices, sweetener, vinegar, salt (and sugar if adding). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, adding water or broth if needed. Taste and adjust with more salt, sugar, and vinegar as needed.

  3. Enjoy with sausage (from the Co-op!), poultry, pork, beef, or fish dishes, and root vegetables (potatoes, yams, parsnips, rutabagas…).

Wintry Braised Red Cabbage, Plus Some Jelly

The recipe creator Nicholas Day invites you to take the braising a little too far—for slightly crisp and charred edges, to play off the body of the tender, sweet cabbage.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head red cabbage (approx 2 lb)

  • 4 Tbsp butter, melted

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  • 2 tart apples, peeled and sliced

  • 1/4 cup red or black currant jelly

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 325°.

  2. Oil a 9x13-inch baking dish with half of the melted butter.

  3. Peel the outer leaves from the cabbage and cut it into 8 wedges. Nestle the wedges in the baking dish, more or less in a single layer. Salt liberally and drizzle the remaining butter and 1/4 cup water over the top. Cover tightly with foil and braise for an hour.

  4. After an hour, gently turn over each wedge and slide the sliced apples in among the cabbage. Drizzle the red wine vinegar over the top. Cover again with foil and braise for another hour. 

  5. Take the cabbage out of the oven and remove the foil. It should be so tender it nearly melts. Increase the heat of the oven to 425°. While the oven is warming up, drizzle the 1/4 cup currant jelly over the cabbage and gently incorporate it. Then slide the cabbage back in the oven and cook for another 15 or so minutes, until the wedges have started to brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sarah Stoner | ContributorComment