Braised Red Cabbage is one of my favorite easy side dishes! Serve this colorful dish alongside stuffed pork tenderloin for a healthy and easy weeknight dinner!
Red cabbage recipes go back as far as the Great Depression and still appear frequently on tables across the country all year round. Who doesn’t have fond memories of our grandmother’s cooking red cabbage on the stove while the rest of the dinner was being prepared?
Braised Red Cabbage
This easy red cabbage recipe is a snap to put together because it requires so few ingredients and so little real prep. Braised Red Cabbage is a traditional recipe often found served alongside German main dishes.
Some braised cabbage recipes call for coarsely chopped red cabbage or thinly sliced. This cabbage cooks for a long time so I chop it about 1/2″ thick. In this recipe, the apples are peeled and thinly sliced as apple peels can be a bit tough and chewy. Any way you slice it, the final result is a nutritious, filling, and surprisingly low carb side dish.
How to Cook Red Cabbage
Most purple cabbage recipes call for it chopped or sliced and served cold in salads or slaws. Sauteed red cabbage is usually lightly cooked in oil or bacon grease and so that it stays a little bit crunchy.
But this easy braised cabbage recipe is simmered down slowly so the sweetness of the apple and the tartness of the vinegar soak into the cabbage to create a colorfully fragrant dish! The flavor is a light sweet and sour, and the longer cook time makes a big difference in the flavor of the dish.
Apple cider vinegar helps maintain the bright color of the cabbage as well as marinates the apple and cabbage flavors together resulting in a side dish that can be served hot or cold. You can top this braised cabbage with apple with a dollop of sour cream or serve alongside pork chops or meatloaf. Served cold, it can be a tangy and crunchy substitute for lettuce in a sandwich or wrap or served as a side salad with a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup!
Braised red cabbage can even be frozen for future use. Just be sure it is completely chilled and then portion into freezer bags and lie flat on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, stack horizontally or vertically. When you are ready to use, simply thaw, drain and re-adjust the seasonings!
More Amazing Vegetable Side Dishes You’ll Love
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Creamed Spinach – I can’t get enough of this one!
- Spaghetti Squash in the Microwave – easy!
- Sauteed Brussel Sprouts – a perfect side
- Homemade Creamed Corn – comfort food :)
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped red cabbage
- 1 apple peeled and sliced
- ½ onion sliced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water or as needed
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cover.
- Cook covered for 90 minutes stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine German© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Love this recipe! Added extra Christmas spices to make it more festive
I made this last Christmas for the first time. Family loved it. I’m making today for our family’s Thanksgiving feast. I added a little honey to cut down on some of the bitterness. Yum!
What am I doing wrong? I made this yesterday and it was delicious, but I needed another 3 C of water to stop it from burning and drying out? Considered using apple juice in place opf all the water.
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
I am sorry to hear that, Dianne! It may have been simmered at too high of a temperature? Did you cover the cabbage when simmering? But I am glad it still worked out. I think apple juice would be a fun swap for a portion of the water. I haven’t tried this recipe in the slow cooker but other readers have with good results.
I am absolutely obsessed with this recipe, I have made it 3x in the last few weeks, everyone LOVES it! House smells amazing, easy to make and freeze.
Easy and delicious. The house was full from the aroma, loved it.
Great recipe…simple and full of flavor. I added apple cider in lieu of water.