This Stewed Cabbage recipe is a classic, humble old-world comfort food that’s also good for you! Super-versatile as a side dish and also as a main dish when meat or sausage is added or served over egg noodles. Great with this baked beans recipe!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
This Polish-inspired side dish is a delicious way to elevate humble, healthful budget-friendly cabbage!
Cabbage is stewed with onions, carrots and tomatoes until tender and flavorful. A little red wine vinegar is added at the end for a little spark! The result is an easy, delicious and nutritious side dish!
This stewed cabbage recipe is:
- Easy!
- Healthy!
- Budget-friendly!
- Versatile! Great on its own as a tasty side dish or with sausage, over buttered egg noodles, rice or polenta.
How to make Stewed Cabbage:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this stewed cabbage recipe along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes:
- Cabbage: Chopping a head of cabbage will be more cost-effective, but you can save time by buying a bag or two of coleslaw mix.
- Paprika: Use either sweet or Hungarian paprika which is a bit more pungent.
- Chicken Broth: To make it vegan/vegetarian, use vegetable broth.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, a heavy large skillet or another deep pan.
- Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften.
- Add the carrot and cook for several minutes more.
- Add the garlic and paprika and cook briefly.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring that to a boil.
- Start adding the cabbage by the handful, letting each addition wilt until you’ve added all the cabbage.
- Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your cabbage.
- Add a splash of red wine vinegar and season with salt and black pepper.
That’s it! A simple yet healthful side dish or main dish with meat or sausage added. Delicious over buttery egg noodles, too!
Chef Tip:
- Paprika is considered a “fat-soluble” spice which means it requires fat for the flavor to “bloom.” Adding it directly to the hot fat early in the cooking process will help to disperse the flavor better throughout the entire dish.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Very good! This stewed cabbage recipe has very little fat so it’s also low in calories. Because cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, it’s very good for you and has many of the same health benefits as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Cabbage is high in beta-carotene, vitamin C and fiber. Here’s more information from The Farmer’s Almanac: 5 Reasons to Eat Cabbage
Absolutely! Cabbage has a dense texture that stays intact during the freezing process and the flavor is not affected at all.
Yes! Simply cook as directed, cool and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.
Serve with:
- Turkey Apple Meatloaf with Balsamic Ketchup Glaze
- Chili-Glazed Meatloaf
- Mississippi-Style Boneless Short Ribs — Without Packaged Mixes
- Cheesy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
- Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges
- Roast pork
- Roast chicken
More cabbage recipes you’re sure to love:
Get all my veggie side dishes at: Vegetable Side Dishes – From A Chef’s Kitchen
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Stewed Cabbage Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion - chopped
- 1 medium carrot - chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - chopped
- 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) petite diced tomatoes - (regular diced is fine, too) undrained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 medium head cabbage - cut into wedges then thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar - to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley - optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large deep heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. (Do not brown.)
- Add the carrot and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and paprika and cook briefly, 15 seconds or so.
- Add the broth, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
- Add the cabbage in handfuls, stirring to wilt the cabbage until you have room for all the cabbage.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes or to desired doneness, stirring several times.
- Add the red wine vinegar, starting with 1 tablespoon. Add more as desired.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Tiffani says
Hi, this looks like a wonderful recipe, I’ll be trying this week! If I were to add potatoes, at which stage would I add them?
Carol says
Hi, Tiffani, Thanks so much for your question. I would add the potatoes after getting all the cabbage into the skillet and before putting the lid on as they’ll take at least 20 minutes to cook. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
Tiffani says
I just finished making it with your suggestion of adding potatoes just after all the cabbage went in and it is a huge success! Serving it with Kielbasa for true comfort food. Thanks again!
Carol says
Hi, Tiffani, Thanks so very much and glad it worked out well and you’re enjoying! Perfect with kielbasa! Thanks again!
Patricia Capehart says
Can you make this in the slow cooker? I work 10 – 12 hours a day and don’t have time to do it the conventional way.
Carol says
Hi, Patricia, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you can do it in the slow cooker. Just cook on the lowest setting for 8-10 hours. Cut the cabbage into chunky pieces–like 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide so it’s a little more substantial. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!