Recipes · Side dishes
Classic Braised Red Cabbage with Apples
AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested
Red cabbage needs some acid and some sweetness, otherwise it turns dull and the color drifts toward blue. With apple, vinegar and spices it comes together in the pot in a good hour.
This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Ingredients
- 1 small red cabbage about 1 kg (2 lb)
- 2 tart apples
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp oil or clarified butter
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) red wine or apple juice alcohol only partly cooks off; for an alcohol-free version use the apple juice option
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 150 ml (5.1 fl oz) water
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tbsp red currant jelly or lingonberry preserves optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Quarter the cabbage, cut out the core and shred the cabbage finely or slice it into thin strips. Peel, core and dice the apples and finely dice the onion.
- Heat the fat in a large pot, caramelize the sugar in it for about 1 minute until light brown and cook the onion along with it for 3 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and apples and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring. Deglaze with the red wine, vinegar and water.
- Add the bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon stick and season with salt and pepper. Cover and braise over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cabbage is tender.
- Remove the spices, stir in the jelly and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, vinegar or sugar.
Tip: Acid (vinegar, apple) keeps the red color. Without it the cabbage turns bluish gray.
Tip: Red cabbage tastes better reheated. You can cook it two to three days ahead.