We love red cabbage, its such a beautiful and vibrant coloured vegetable, it looks gorgeous! Finely shredded, with a simple vinegar and olive oil dressing and salt, we add shredded red cabbage to tacos, burgers and school lunch boxes. Red cabbage is versatile, and this braised red cabbage recipe is one of the many ways we love to eat red cabbage. Cooked with equally gorgeous in colour red onions, this dish is easy and satisfying, serve with steak or slow cooked meat and maybe some roast potatoes for a hearty and tasty meal.
Red cabbage is full of fibre and antioxidants, making it great for digestive health and possibly heart health too, eat that red cabbage!
Cabbage is in season during autumn and winter, which is the perfect time to enjoy this warm side dish of braised red cabbage.
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Ingredients
- red cabbage - seasonal and affordable, red cabbage is delicious raw in a salad too
- red onion - doubling down on the colours, red onions are perfect with red cabbage
- balsamic vinegar - this adds flavour but also help the cabbage return its beautiful colour as it cooks
- brown sugar - a little sweetness is required in this dish, brown sugar adds a lovely molasses note that pairs wonderfully with balsamic vinegar
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Wash and chop up the red cabbage. Slice the red onion
- Step 2: Sauté the red onion in a pan until lightly brown, then remove from the pan and add red cabbage
- Step 3: Cook the cabbage down, allowing it to brown a little. Add balsamic, brown sugar and spices
- Step 4: Add the cooked red onion, stir through and allow to cook for another 2 minutes before serving
Hint: this recipe is perfect for using up that cabbage at the back of the fridge that is just starting to soften! Don't throw it out, unless it looks and smells off, chop it up and cook this side dish.
Substitutions and Variations
- Onions - I love the colour, but you don't need to use red onions, brown onions are great in this recipe
- Herbs - instead of dried oregano, fresh basil, parsley or thyme are all great options
- Spice - omit the cayenne pepper if you don't want the dish to be spicey, its still so delicious without it
- Vinegar - white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar are all great options if you don't have balsamic vinegar
- Sugar - caster sugar or raw sugar are great alternatives to brown sugar in this recipe
Equipment
I love my cast iron shallow pan, with a lid for this particular recipe. A cast iron shallow pan can be used on the stove and oven, so its versatile and minimises the need for too much equipment. I like this brand, but there are so many out there, as long as they're suitable for stove and oven, you'll get so much use out of it, its worth the investment.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan on low heat, or covered in the oven, on low.
Top Tip
To wash the cabbage, cut out the core and put the cabbage under running water upside down, so the water runs through from the removed core of the cabbage and rinses though all the layers.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with braised red cabbage:
Ingredients
Method
- In a shallow pan, on medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the red onion and cook it until its lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Remove the onion from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining the butter and olive oil, then add the red cabbage. Allow the cabbage to cook down and brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat, add the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper mix and cook for another 5-10 minutes before adding the cooked red onion.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes, on low heat to allow the flavours and vegetables to combine. Remove from heat and serve warm. Enjoy!
Let me know if you have tried this recipe