Braised Red Cabbage & Apples

Name: Braised Red Cabbage & Apples
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 370 min
Ingredients: 1 head red cabbage (cored and sliced); 1 onion (thinly sliced); 2-3 apples ( cored and sliced); 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 3 tbsp honey; 1 tsp caraway seeds; salt and pepper to taste

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If you're looking for an easy and delicious side dish, Braised Red Cabbage with Apples is a must try. This delicious recipe is a sweet & sour treat which is great on its own or served with roasted meats and veggies.

Braised red cabbage with apples in a white dish.

Cabbage in general, and red cabbage in particular, is extremely nutritious. This cruciferous vegetable, also called purple cabbage, is packed with antioxidants and high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, many minerals. And it's a good source of fiber.

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What's to Love
Ingredient Notes
How To Make It
How to Slice Cabbage
Common Questions
Are You a Cabbage Fan? Try These:
Recipe
Comments

What's to Love

Braised red cabbage with apples is a great side dish for pork, chicken, turkey or roast beef. We love it with Pork Chops or Pork Tenderloin, Air Fryer Flank Steak, and Whole Roast Chicken.
Braising using the slow cooker is so easy. All you have to do is throw everything in and let it cook itself.
Red cabbage is super healthy, as mentioned above.
All you need is a handful of ingredients to make this easy recipe.
This delicious recipe is gluten-free and refined sugar free.

Braised red cabbage in two white bowls with two silver forks.

Ingredient Notes

Red Cabbage 1 medium sized head of cabbage will be about 8 cups, sliced.
Apples Any tart apple variety works. If your apples are smaller, use an extra one. There is no need to peel them, because the apple peels will break down and soften during the long cooking time.
Onion A medium yellow onion.
Apple Cider Vinegar Vinegar gives the dish the "sour" in the sweet & sour. Try red wine vinegar if you don't have apple cider vinegar.
Honey Liquid honey is "sweet" part of sweet & sour. Substitute a vegan sweetener or brown sugar and this recipe is vegan.
Caraway seeds Caraway seeds are peppery with a hint of licorice and are very aromatic. You can leave them out if you prefer, but they add a nice extra flavor note.

All of the ingredients for this recipe on a wooden board. — The ingredients

How To Make It

After slicing the cabbage, onion and apples, simply put all the ingredients in the slow cooker.

All of the recipe ingredients in the slow cooker.

Combine well, cover and cook 5-6 hours.

The ingredients being tossed together in the slow cooker with tongs.

How to Slice Cabbage

You can use a food processor to slice cabbage, but it's really easy to do by hand and saves on cleanup.

To slice a cabbage, first remove the tough outer leaves and discard them. With a sharp knife, slice the cabbage in half.
Then slice into quarters.
Use the knife to remove the tough white core from each quarter.
With cut side down, slice each quarter into thin strips.

Step by step photos showing how to slice cabbage. — How to slice cabbage

Common Questions

Can I make braised red cabbage in the oven?

Yes. To make this recipe in the oven, preheat the oven to 300°. Put all of the ingredients in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven with a lid. Cook for 2-3 hours, covered, stirring occasionally.

Can I use a pressure cooker?

To make this recipe in an instant pot or pressure cooker, start with the sauté function and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the onion and sauté for a minute or two until it begins to soften. Add the remaining ingredients and lock the lid. Turn the steam release valve to "sealing". Press the "manual" button and the time to 5 minutes. Wait 10 minutes before releasing the pressure manually.

Can I make this recipe on the stovetop?

To make braised cabbage on the stovetop, put all ingredients plus ½ cup water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low until reduced to a simmer. Cover and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

How long will the cooked cabbage keep?

Store leftover braised cabbage in the fridge, covered for 2-3 days.

Can I freeze braised cabbage & apples?

Yes, this recipe freezes well. Cool completely before packing into freezer bags or containers. Freeze for up to two months.

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Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important!

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