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Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

Braised Red Cabbage

Published: Oct 31, 2015 · Modified: Nov 17, 2023 by Bianca · This post may contain affiliate links · 13 Comments

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Braised Red Cabbage | ElephantasticVegan.com

Recipe for a Braised Red Cabbage - it's the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Vegan & Gluten-free. Easy to make & better than store-bought!

Braised Red Cabbage | ElephantasticVegan.com

Braised Red Cabbage is a wonderful side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. Together with a Stuffed Seitan Roast or veggie sausages and some oven-roasted potatoes and green leafy salads you have the perfect festive combination.

Braised Red Cabbage is pretty easy to make, it takes a bit of time to soften the red cabbage but it's mostly cooking time that doesn't need you to stand directly next to it so you can do other tasks (like watching a movie you wanted to watch for too long or playing with your cat) in the meantime.

The Braised Red Cabbage freezes very well, so you can make a big batch and use it for different meals. You can heat it up in a small pot along with a bit of water or apple juice to make it as good as new again.

Braised Red Cabbage | ElephantasticVegan.com

Am I the only one who absolutely loves the inside of a red cabbage? I think it's one of the prettiest veggies :)

Braised Red Cabbage | ElephantasticVegan.com

Don't worry too much about the size of the apple slices. You won't notice them in the final dish because they cook down, but don't leave them out either - the apple flavor is key. I've used red apples that are a bit on the sweeter side.

Braised Red Cabbage | ElephantasticVegan.com

Want some inspiration on what to do with the Braised Red Cabbage? I've eaten it with weirdly real-looking TVP slices (beef-style) and some oven-roasted potatoes, coated in salt, paprika, and dried rosemary.

Braised Red Cabbage | ElephantasticVegan.com

Braised Red Cabbage

Elephantastic Vegan
Recipe for a Braised Red Cabbage - it's the perfect side dish for thanksgiving and christmas! Vegan & Gluten-free.
4.67 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Vegan
Servings 4
Calories 122 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 red cabbage
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 apple
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • ½ teaspoon vegan apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¾ cup water
  • 2 teaspoon organic rice syrup
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 cloves
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Peel and chop the onion. Wash the cabbage and the apple and thinly slice* them (leave out the core).
  • In a large pot, heat the canola oil and add in the chopped onions. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft.
  • Add in the sliced cabbage and apple and give it a good stir. Mix in the water, apple cider vinegar, rice syrup, salt, cloves and bay leaves. Give it a good mix, cover it with the lid, reduce the heat a bit and let it simmer for about 40 minutes until the cabbage is soft and the water has evaporated. Stir every now and then.
  • Once the cabbage is tender, add in the lemon juice, remove the bay leaves (and the cloves if you can find them) before serving and add additional salt to taste.

Notes

*I used a mandoline slicer.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSodium: 1227mgPotassium: 598mgFiber: 6gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 2365IUVitamin C: 123.9mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 1.8mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan!
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Comments

    4.67 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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  1. Natalie says

    October 31, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    So gorgeous! I love cabbage, but I always forget how much I love it. In coleslaw or cooked like this. It's amazing how you can't even see the apple slices anymore after it's cooked, that purple is strong and beautiful :)

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      November 01, 2015 at 10:25 pm

      Thanks, Natalie! I don't cook with cabbage too often, but when I got this pretty red cabbage by a fellow co-worker, I was faced with the task of using it somehow. I love how it turned out and swore I'd cook with cabbage from now on more often :)

      Reply
  2. Strength and Sunshine says

    October 31, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    Well I am loving the apple! Such a perfect sweetness!

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      November 01, 2015 at 10:36 pm

      Thanks, Rebecca! The apple provides a great additional flavor to the red cabbage :) Super yummy and a bit christmas-y with the cloves ^.^

      Reply
  3. Audrey @ Unconventional Baker says

    November 06, 2015 at 8:30 am

    I love the addition of apple in there. Would never have thought of that, but that sounds wonderful with the cabbage <3

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      November 06, 2015 at 11:00 pm

      I think it's not that uncommon to add an apple to red cabbage - it adds such a lovely sweet flavor. My mother used to make it like that (when I was still eating at home :D )

      Reply
  4. Kat says

    November 22, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    What kind of Apple is used in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      November 22, 2015 at 4:52 pm

      Hi Kat! I've used a Jonagold apple. :)

      Reply
  5. Craig says

    February 09, 2016 at 11:09 pm

    The ingredient list calls for ½ teaspoon lime juice but the instructions state lemon juice...which should be used?

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      February 10, 2016 at 8:14 pm

      Good call, Craig! It should be lemon juice :) Fixed it, thanks for pointing it out!

      Reply
      • Craig says

        February 11, 2016 at 12:39 am

        NP...made a judgement call and went with lemon juice! Made this and added it to make this beauty for dinner..

        Reply
        • Bianca says

          February 13, 2016 at 12:49 pm

          The sandwich looks AWESOME! :)

          Reply
  6. Emily says

    June 18, 2020 at 9:06 pm

    I liked this recipe a lot with a minor tweak. I substituted for canola oil - EVOO (best grade - organic) and maintained heat on low. I also used Manuka Honey (using low heat) instead of the rice syrup I ended up using a touch more honey and ACV to taste, and 2 apples instead of one. I thought this recipe was one of the healthier ones out there.

    Reply

Welcome!

I’m Bianca. On my blog, you’ll find easy & delicious vegan recipes. I create 'meaty', 'fishy', and 'cheesy' recipes because I like to blow minds.

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