Braised Red Cabbage is an easy, tasty traditional side dish! It's perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas or any time. Cabbage, apples, and spices all mingle together in this vibrant holiday recipe.
Braised Red Cabbage is an absolute delight. It not only adds a bright purple color to your meal, but it's full of spice flavors.
If you've ever tried braised red cabbage, then I'm sure you've fallen in love with this simple, flavorful side dish.
Red cabbage with apples is a traditional sweet and sour recipe that usually accompanies a roast and is commonly served as a side dish at Christmas dinner in Germany, the United Kingdom and around the world.
It's bright purple, has a glorious texture and the flavour of the cabbage is perfect with the apples and warming spices.
It's a great side dish, perfect along with Green Beans Almondine, Parmentier Potatoes, Sauteed Leeks, and Roasted Celeriac.
Be sure to check out these other Red Cabbage Recipes.
This braised red cabbage recipe was originally published on November 27 2019 and republished with step by step images, new photos and revised text on November 23 2021.
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Why You'll Love this recipe
- Perfect side dish for the holidays
- You can make it ahead and just heat it up on the day - a great time saver for Christmas and Thanksgiving.
- Freezable
- Easy to make
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- It's sweet from the apples and spices, and tangy from the vinegar - a flavor explosion!
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for this red cabbage side dish!
Red Cabbage - it's more like purple cabbage, but it gives the dish its classic flavor and color.
Apples - for flavor and texture.
Red onion - to add flavor and more purple color to the dish.
Red wine (or additional water) - a little red wine adds richness and great flavor.
Brown sugar - for rich sweetness.
Red wine vinegar - to balance the sweeter flavors of the dish and brighten it.
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Star Anise - an incredible, warming blend of spices.
Can you freeze braised red cabbage?
This dish is freezable. Just be sure it is completely cooled, then place into freezable container(s) and freeze for up to 3 months.
To use, simply thaw (in the fridge or on the counter), then reheat in a pan on the stove.
Reheating
I always make this recipe ahead of time, especially at Christmas. I tend to make it 2-3 days before Christmas and store it in the fridge. Then just heat it in a pan on the stove. You may need to add a little water.
You can also reheat the cabbage side dish in a microwave. This is very useful if you're using all of your stove elements for Christmas dinner!
How long does it keep (in the fridge)?
You can keep the spiced cabbage side dish in the fridge for up to 7 days. This means it's great for the holidays and saves you making one side dish on the day! Reheat as instructed above.
Serving Suggestions
Traditionally, this spiced red cabbage with apples is served over the holidays with a Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner. It is often served with roast dinners too.
We love having it along with all the Christmas dinner leftovers. It brightens up the plate and tastes so festive.
But I'm sure you'll love this dish so much that you'll want to serve it far more often!
Festive Side Dishes
If you're looking for other great gluten-free vegan side dishes, try these!
How to make braised red cabbage
This side dish is super easy to make. You can slice the cabbage by hand, or use a mandoline or food processor.
Simply slice the cabbage into thin strips. You can do this with a sharp knife, carefully, or use a mandoline or slicing blade in a food processor.
Peel the apples and onion and slice.
Add the cabbage apples and onions to a pot, along with the water, wine and vinegar.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, give it a stir, cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes.
Tip: Stir the pot occasionally so it doesn’t scorch. If necessary, add a little extra water.
Stir in the sugar, star anise (if using) and spices, season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and simmer for a further 20 minutes or until the cabbage and apples are soft.
Serve immediately or keep in the fridge. You can also cool completely and freeze for later.
NOTE: scroll down for the full recipe in the recipe card.
Red Cabbage Recipes
Looking for more red cabbage recipes? Try these! They're a great way to use up the budget-friendly and nutritious cruciferous vegetables.
Holiday Side Dishes
Braised red cabbage is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table. Be sure to also check out these other holiday sides.
Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this food blog. I love sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes with you all.
Kate x
Check out the Veggie Desserts + Cakes cookbook on Amazon
📖 Recipe
Braised Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 red cabbage
- 2 apples
- 1 red onion
- ⅔ cup (150ml) water
- ⅓ cup (75ml) red wine or additional water
- ¼ cup (50ml) red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 star anise optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash the cabbage, remove any old outer leaves and cut out the core. Slice the cabbage into quarters, then slice each quarter thinly.
- Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Peel, halve and finely slice the onion.
- Add the cabbage, apples and onion to a pot, along with the water, wine and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, give it a stir, cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pot. If necessary, add a little extra water.
- Stir in the sugar, star anise (if using) and spices, season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and simmer for a further 20 minutes or until the cabbage and apples are soft.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
veenaazmanov
Combination of Cabbage and Apples sounds good. Love the color. This side dish looks tasty.
Natalie
I usually get braised cabbage from the store but this year I'm going to make this homemade version. Looks delicious and super easy to make. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Vega
I tried slicing then microwaving in water, toknock some preparation time off. Then caramelizing the cabbage & onion in a pan. Was really good.
Vegan Cook US
I actually roasted the cabbage & onion to soften them & it worked out better. I did add a little water, or even apple juice, to keep them moist.
Tavo
So yummy! I loved all the spices. Never thought of adding them to cabbage and it came out delicious!
Danielle Wolter
What a great recipe! I just love braised cabbage. The flavors in this are perfect.
Gina
Love the combo of cabbage and apples - this has become one of my favorite winter side dishes!
Alisa Infanti
This recipe is definitely something different for me but I was looking for something a little more healthy with a great pop of colour for our holiday table. Tested it out last night and it is amazing!
Noelle
This is a great recipe, I have never made anything like this before but it was a hit for Thanksgiving!
Anita
This cabbage salad is easy to prepare, looks pretty, and tastes yummy. I can see this appearing often for all king of festive dinners at home. 🙂
Vicky
What a great side dish to a turkey dinner. I love how the color just adds a festive touch to a holiday table as well. I'm excited to make this for my family!
Beth
I prefer red cabbage over green so really loving this side dish! The flavor with the wine, spices and apples is perfect!