This braised cabbage is such a great way to switch up your veggie game. I love cabbage and it just doesn’t get the love it deserves. I love this twist on it that has a mix of cabbage, onion, kale and apples in the mix. It really amps up the flavor. Plus we sprinkle in a little bacon for some salty crisp vibes. It’s a whole mood. Thank you Stefani for sharing with me.
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How to Make Braised Cabbage
- Cut your cabbage in half and remove the core. Place half the head on a cutting board, cut side down, slice it crosswise into 4 wide ribbons, rotate the head and cut the ribbons into cubes. Repeat for the other half.
- Rough chop your kale; thinly slice onion; and slice apples in the shape of half moons, no need to peel.
- Warm your oil/bacon drippings over medium heat
- Add onions and cabbage and let them caramelize and get slightly golden, about 20+ minutes; add broth then kale.
- Start apple “sauce” by combining the apple cider vinegar, sugar, butter and apples; and add to greens.
Braised Cabbage Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil if using bacon, use reserved bacon fat
- 1 small head of cabbage cored and chopped
- 1 bunch of kale stemmed and chopped
- 1 small yellow onion sliced
- 1 cup broth vegetable or chicken
- 1 large apple cored and sliced/Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith
- 2 tbsp butter dairy or vegan
- 1 tsp brown sugar light or dark is fine
- 2 tbsp apple cider up to 3/ optional
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 4 bacon slices optional: cooked, chopped with fat reserved/ up to 5
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet, Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium high heat, add oil. Once oil is heated, add onion and cook 2-3 minute, until onions start to soften.
- Add cabbage and season with pepper flakes, celery seed and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine onion and cabbage and add ½ cup of broth. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 17 to 20 minutes. minutes. Cabbage and onion will start to caramelize. During this time check and stir to ensure cabbage and onion are not sticking. Add a little more broth to prevent sticking.
- Add kale, remaining broth, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, cover with lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- While kale and cabbage are cooking, start on apples.
- In a small skillet melt butter, vinegar, sugar over medium high heat. Add apples. Give a good toss so apples are coated. Cook about 2-3 minutes, until apples are crisp-tender.
- Gently combine apples with cabbage and kale. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Remove from heat and place cabbage and kale into a serving bowl. Top with chopped bacon if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- You’ll need a large heavy bottomed skillet like a cast iron or Dutch oven that holds at least 3.5-4 quarts
- This is a great vegan dish. However, bacon is a wonderful addition! Brown 4-5 slices of bacon in skillet/pot; remove bacon and chop; cook onions and cabbage in bacon drippings, instead of the 3 tablespoons of oil. Once the dish is finished, sprinkle with bacon.
- Grab a bag of pre-cut/shredded cabbage or kale in your produce aisle for a shortcut. If cabbage or kale is shredded you may need to adjust your cooking time because shredded greens will cook faster.
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Recipe Help
You want your apples to be sweet, tart and not break down too quickly when cooking so apples like Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith are ideal.
Yep! Any type of kale is good for this recipe. I like using lacinato kale—aka dinosaur kale, tuscan kale, black kale— because it’s great for braising, has an earthy and nutty flavor, has a hint of sweetness and isn’t as bitter as other varieties of kale. You’ll commonly find curly at the market but if you can find lacinato kale, which has dark flatter leaves, go for it! You can also use other greens as a swap.
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Family never had apples and kale with their cabbage, but it was awesome. Great recipe.
This braised cabbage is delicious and it was easy to pull together. I appreciate your culinary creativity!
Fantastic. I’m so glad you enjoyed this.
I was kinda hesitant about making this, but I’m so glad I did First time having apples in my cabbage, and I have to say it was delicious
So glad you liked it!
I’ve only seen apples with cabbage in German cuisine. I’m southern and have eaten a lot of cabbage. Curious, did the addition of apple come from your southern roots or from your Cali experience? Can’t wait to try this!
Oh yum! What an incredible variety of flavors! I especially love the addition of the caramelized cabbage and onion.
Loved how easy this braised cabbage was! So flavorful as well.
Brown sugar, apples, oh my how could this not be delicious! Need to try this
I am loving all the colors and flavors in this delicious dish! Excited to enjoy this with dinner tonight, indeed!
Such a beautiful way to enjoy cabbage! Can’t wait to try it!
I love how easy you make cooking look. You are a joy to have in my kitchen 🙂