Authentic German Red Cabbage

Red Cabbage is a frequent side for a Sunday roast but if you think of it as a sour, crunchy thing from a store-bought jar, then you’ve never had authentic German red cabbage, made from scratch! There are mostly two versions of RED CABBAGE that we cook in Germany … with countless personal variations of course! On version is more on the hearty side with more spices and with onions, while the other version is more on the sweet and fruity side with wine and sugar.

Here in this blog post, I will provide both versions so you can decide which one suits your dish or taste better. My family and I like both versions but really love the sweeter version.

I’ll definitely teach my kids how to cook it since they love it so much.

When to eat Red Cabbage

The best pairing is with a roast like sour beef or poultry like a goose or duck.

I am sure it will go very well with a turkey, too, thinking of Thanksgiving! You can have it with potatoes but it tastes best if you have dumplings or even croquettes with it!

Since it takes some time to cook, it is a good idea to cook a large batch of it on a rainy weekend. Then you just freeze it and let it appear magically on a lucky day with a delicious (feast) meal.

My TiP: When freezing red cabbage I put it in Ziploc bags and make them really flat, so it can thaw in almost no time.

Instructions

• Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut the cabbage into quarters, then remove the stem and chop the cabbage thinly.1 kg Red Cabbage
• Peel and dice the apples and the onion.2 Apples, 1 Onion
• In a large pot, heat the oil, then first braise the onions for a few minutes, then add the cabbage and apples.1 kg Red Cabbage, 1 Onion, 5 tbsp Oil, 2 Apples
• Stir and add all remaining ingredients but be shy with the sugar.1 Bay Leaf, 3 Cloves, 3 Juniper Berries, 5 Allspice Berries, some Salt, some Pepper, 2 Cinnamon Sticks, 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar, 3 tbsp Black Currant Jelly, 125 ml Water, some Sugar

Ingredients

• 1 Red Cabbage, fresh
• 1 large Apple (sour and juicy)
• 2 Tbsp. lard or cooking oil
• 250 ml Red Wine (i.e. Intermingle from Aldi)
• 3-5 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• 3-4 Tbsp. Black Currant Jam
• some Apple Sauce optional
• some Salt, black Pepper
• some Sugar brown or white
• 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch (if needed)

Instructions

• Start with removing the stem from the cabbage and cut it in quarters. Remove all the hard parts from the cabbage.1 Red Cabbage, fresh
• Now, cut each quarter Cabbage into thin slices.
• Prepare the Apple: Peel it, cut it into small cubes.1 large Apple
• Heat a pot and add the lard.2 Tbsp. lard
• Add the Red Cabbage and fry it 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Now add the Wine and stir well.250 ml Red Wine
• Add about 3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar, 2 Tbsp. Sugar and 1 tsp. Salt – stir.3-5 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar, some Sugar, some Salt, black Pepper
• Next, add the Bay Leaf and the Cinnamon stick, stir.1 stick Cinnamon
• Cover with lid and let cook for 30 minutes. Take a peek occationally to check the fluid and stir.
• After 30 minutes, open the lid and add the Apple.1 large Apple
• Add the Black Currant jam, bay leaf, apple sauce (optional), and stir.1 Bay Leaf, 3-4 Tbsp. Black Currant Jam, some Apple Sauce
• Cover with lid again and cook for another 30 minutes – check liquid and stir every now and then.
• Now open the lid, if there is a lot of liquid, you can mix the Corn Starch with some cold water and add it to the cabbage, for thickening.1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• Check the taste, add sugar, salt and black pepper if needed.some Salt, black Pepper, some Sugar
• Enjoy – Guten Appetit!