Braised Red Cabbage is such a tasty fall side dish with a gorgeous jewel-toned color. It has a wonderful sweet and a little sour flavor that pairs wonderfully with pork or chicken, and of course, German sausage. Cabbage side dishes are some of my very favorite.
Just a little bit of brown sugar really helps bring out the sweet flavor along with a grated Granny Smith apple. Because the apple is grated, it blends in with the cabbage really well and adds flavor without being all that noticeable.
A few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar adds some tang.
If desired, add a few caraway seeds. They will add a earthly, anise flavor. But be careful with caraway seeds. A little goes a long way.
Tips for making Braised Red Cabbage
- Use a very large pot. The raw cabbage will take up a lot of space. It will cook down considerably.
- It will take a good 20 to 30 minutes for the cabbage to completely cook down.
- You can tweak this recipe to suit your personal tastes. Add a little more or less brown sugar to make it more/less sweet. Or add more apple cider vinegar to give it more tang.
More Cabbage Recipes
- Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Southern Cabbage
- Cabbage Soup with Smoked Sausage
Braised Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 1 granny smith apple chopped
- 1 medium head of red cabbage sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds optional
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add onion and cook about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add apple and cabbage. Cook and stir for a few minutes to wilt cabbage down some.
- Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cabbage is completely cooked down.
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Truly I have never tried braised cabbage before I read your article, Sue! I have known red cabbage is better than green one, and I also usually use it to cook than green cabbage. And, I also love apple cider vinegar! So, I shall embark on cooking this dish soon to know how is the braised cabbage, if it is delicious to me as you tell or not. Thank you! Have nice holidays!