A classic side dish for your festive menu, this Christmas Braised Red Cabbage with dried cranberries and apples is incredibly easy to make, and guarateed to be a hit with everyone at the table. It adds a delicious splash of colour, and it spoils your taste buds with its warm, earthy spices, and a wonderful contrast of sweet and tangy . A must-try side recipe for your Christmas dinner!
I am no stranger to braised cabbage, growing up in the Romanian countryside, cabbage was cheap and plentiful, and a delicious staple food for everyone. Our most popular dishes, the stewed cabbage is widely consumed throught late Spring and Summer when fresh cabbage is in season.
In Winter, the Romanian pickled cabbage, or sauerkraut makes the best Sarmale, our traditional food, stuffed cabbage leaves with rice and mince, a delicious and hearty dish that everyone has on the table at Christmas.
But this braised red cabbage, although it's cooked in a similar way to our braised white cabbage has an unmistakable touch of Christmas with the addition of allspice, brown sugar and red wine vinegar.
Or, at least, Christmas as it's known in the UK, as these spices aren't quite associated with Christmas in Romania, we are all about simpler flavours that are comforting and heart-warming.
But if you are a fan of braised red cabbage for your Christmas Day menu, this recipe is for you. It's a fantastic acompaniament to any Christmas roast, be it the traditional roast turkey breast, roast beef, roast chicken, gammon or roast goose.
Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients used
- red cabbage - one head of red cabbage is enough to feed 4-6 people, as cabbages are quite packed, and once shredded, you end up with a really good amount
- dried cranberries - add a nice tartness to the dish, which contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the cabbage
- apple - I used a regular eating apple, but a cooking apple can be used too
- red wine vinegar - for a tangy touch
- dark brown sugar - to balance out the acidity of the vinegar
- allspice - can be subsituted with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
- butter - to sautee the onion
- red onion - can be swapped for regular onion if that's all you have around
- salt & pepper - to taste
- water - for braising the cabbage
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- use a sharp knife to finely shred the red cabbage
- chop the red onion
- melt the butter in a large pan set over a low to medium heat, and season with salt
- peel, core and chop the apple and chop the dried cranberries
- sautee the red onion until soft, then add the chopped apple and cranberries, and give it a good stir
- add the allspice, red wine vinegar, brown sugar and shredded cabbage, and use a wooden spoon to mix everything well
- place a lid on the pan and leave the cabbage to soften for 10-15 minutes, sirring occasionally
- add the water, give it a good stir, and place the lid back on
- continue to cook the cabbage until it's soft and most of the liquid is evaporated
- season with salt and pepper to taste, and remove the pan from the heat
Expert tips
The braised cabbage can be made ahead and reheated just before serving, just store it in a tupperware with a good lid, and refrigerate until ready to use, it should last well in the fridge for up to a week.
You can also freeze the cooked cabbage to be used at a later time, cabbage freezes very well, and has a nice tender texture once thawed.
You can add even more flavour to the dish by adding bacon or any leftover meat you have from your Sunday roast or festive roast.
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Braised Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 red cabbage
- 1 red onion
- 30 g butter ( 2 tbsp)
- 2 cups water
- 1 apple
- ½ cup dried cranberries (60 g)
- 1 teaspoon allspice ( or swap it with half a teaspoon of cinnamon, quarter a teaspoon of nutmeg and quarter teaspoon of ground cloves)
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cabbage in half, then quarter.
- Shred the cabbage finely.
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Melt the butter in a large pan set over a low to medium heat, then add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt, and sautee the onion until soft.
- Peel, core and chop the apple, and chop the dried cranberries.
- Once the onion has soften, add the allspice, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, cranberries and apple and mix well.
- Add the shredded cabbage, give everything a good mix, place a lid on the pan, and leave the cabbage to soften for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the water to the cabbage, mix everything well, place the lid back on the pan, and leave the cabbage to cook until it's soft and most of the liquid is evaporated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- The braised cabbage can be made ahead and reheated just before serving, just store it in a tupperware with a good lid, and refrigerate until ready to use, it should last well in the fridge for up to a week.
- You can also freeze the cooked cabbage to be used at a later time, cabbage freezes very well, and has a nice tender texture once thawed.
Nutrition
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