Braised Red Cabbage is the simple THE perfect festive side dish! Easy to prepare and cook in your slow cooker, instant pot or the oven and delicious served just about any mains. Vegetarian / vegan, gluten free and Keto friendly too!
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Red cabbage always has a place in my fridge and heart! I love using it in salads or to make my favorite braised red cabbage recipe.
Cook red cabbage with apples low and slow for a delicious, low fat and colorful side dish that pairs well with most roast dishes.
Braised Red Cabbage with Apples
This easy red cabbage recipe is great for prepping ahead as it tastes even better reheated! You only need a handful of ingredients and the prep time is minimal if you have a food processor.
I love adding apples, red onion, cranberry sauce and warming spices to my braised red cabbage recipe – it just tastes even more festive with a touch of sweetness and spice!
Preparing Red Cabbage with Apples
Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and slice it in quarters. Remove the tough core from each quarter.
You then need to shred the cabbage – a cinch if you have a food processor with shredding blades like my beloved Magimix!
The apples and onion can also be sliced with the food processor, so it really just takes minutes to prepare. If you don’t have a food processor you can slice everything by hand of course.
Slow Cooker Braised Red Cabbage
Cooking braised cabbage in the crockpot is super easy! Simply add the shredded cabbage, apples and onions to your slow cooker and top with the apple cider vinegar, apple juice, sugar, salt, spices and cranberry jelly.
Set the slow cooker to cook on the low setting for 8 hours or even overnight, or on the high setting for about 6 hours. You want the cabbage to be soft and the apples and onions to simply melt.
Give the ingredients a good stir about halfway through if you can and remember to remove the cinnamon stick and star anise before serving!
Instant Pot and Oven Methods
If you need spiced red cabbage in a hurry, then your pressure cooker is your best friend. Just add all the ingredients and cook on High Pressure for only 5 minutes then release the pressure manually and remove the inner pot from the cooker.
To cook your cabbage in the oven, combine all the ingredients in a lidded casserole dish and cook for 2 -2 ½ hours at a low temperature.
The perfect side dish!
Red cabbage and apple is always on my Christmas table but I love serving it throughout the winter months.
It keeps really well in the fridge for several days and you can also freeze it for up to three months.
I love using my MasterClass All-in-One Stainless Steel Container to store leftover red cabbage. This versatile container is freezer safe and you can even use it in the microwave or the oven (it’s practically magic!).
Serving Suggestions
Serve your cabbage alongside any meat dishes or on the side of my nut roast. I have even been known to use it in leftover turkey sandwiches 🙂
HAVE YOU MADE MY BRAISED RED CABBAGE RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
Braised Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 900 g (2 pounds) red cabbage
- 2 apples , cored
- 1 red onion
- 60 ml (¼ cup) vinegar , apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 6 tbsp cranberry jelly or cranberry sauce omit for Keto
- 3 tbsp brown sugar or Sukrin Gold for Keto version
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) apple juice or water for Keto version
- 1 tsp mixed spice or ¼ tsp each of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Preparing Red Cabbage with Apples
- Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and slice it in quarters. Remove the tough core from each quarter.
- Shred the cabbage, apples and onions in a food processor fitted with a slicing blade or slice everything by hand.
Slow Cooker Braised Red Cabbage
- Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker. Set it to cook on the low setting for 8 hours or even overnight, or on the high setting for about 6 hours. Give the ingredients a good stir halfway through if you can.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise. Check the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste.
Instant Pot Method
- Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker. Set vent to sealing and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure manually,
- Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise. Check the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste.
Oven Method
- To cook your cabbage in the oven, combine all the ingredients in a lidded casserole dish and cook for 2 -2 ½ hours at 150°C (300°F).
- You might want to cook with the lid off for the last half hour. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise. Check the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste.
- Store in the fridge in a covered container for up to four days, reheating in a saucepan with a little added water if needed.
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