Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
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Braised Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage is meltingly tender with the right balance of tangy and sweet. I keep it simple, letting time and slow heat work their magic. It’s the perfect festive side dish, that pairs beautifully with holiday roasts and hearty fall and winter fare.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best ones and this braised Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage proves it.
With just a handful of basic ingredients, it delivers deep, comforting flavor without any fuss. No apples, no extra spices, just tender red cabbage slowly braised with a touch of sugar and vinegar until it’s perfectly balanced between tangy and sweet.
This sweet and sour cabbage recipe is:
- Perfectly balanced! Not too sweet, not too tangy, this braised red cabbage is made with simple, honest ingredients cooked slowly until it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- So easy! Because I keep this red sweet and sour cabbage recipe simple, there’s minimal prep.
- Versatile! It pairs beautifully with rich meats or plant-based mains. It’s at home next to roast chicken or European comfort food.
- Make-ahead friendly! Although you’ll want to eat this sweet and sour red cabbage recipe right out of the skillet (like I did), you can make it ahead of time. I don’t recommend freezing it unless you make adjustments to the cooking time (see FAQs).
How to Make sweet and sour Red cabbage:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this red sweet and sour cabbage recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Shallots: Shallots belong to the onion family. They grow in small clusters or bulbs—much like garlic, though with fewer cloves. I chose shallots for this recipe instead of an onion because their flavor is often described as the perfect marriage of onion and garlic, resulting in a milder, more refined taste.
- Red Cabbage: You’ll need one medium head that weighs approximately 2 pounds. When thinly sliced, it will yield approximately 10 cups.
- White Wine Vinegar: White wine vinegar is made from white wine, so it has a more complex flavor than white distilled vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar, a mild Asian-style vinegar. Although you can substitute regular white distilled vinegar, you should use less because it’s stronger and one-dimensional. Apple cider vinegar is on the sweeter side so if you want to use it, use less sugar. It will also lend a slightly fruity flavor to the sweet and sour cabbage.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, give it a pinch or two of salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it begins to soften, being careful not to brown the butter or the shallot.
- Begin with 1 1/2 cups of water, the vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil.
- Add the cabbage.
- Stir and bring it back to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Check and stir every 15 minutes. Add additional water if needed. DO NOT LET IT BOIL DRY.
- Taste it periodically as it cooks and add salt, sugar and water if needed along the way.
- Done and delish! You’ll want to eat it right out of the pan!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Slice, shred or chop the cabbage into uniform pieces. This helps it all cook evenly and become tender.
- Use a non-reactive heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven. It ensures steady, gentle heat for even braising. Do not use cast iron because it’s reactive to acid.
- Balance the sweet and sour. As the cabbage cooks, taste and adjust the sugar, vinegar, or water to suit your preference. Adding and adjusting gradually allows the flavors to blend and work their way into the cabbage.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, you can. Although you’ll want to eat it right out of the skillet, you can make it 1 day ahead of time. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a small amount of water. Sweet and sour red cabbage will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but the flavor will be the best if served sooner than that.
Yes, you can, but because slow cookers tend to water down flavor because of the steam produced, cut the amount of water in half. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Taste, adjust and stir before serving.
You can freeze this Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage recipe–just cut the cooking time in half so the cabbage retains some texture. The freezing and thawing process naturally softens it, so if it’s fully cooked before freezing, it can become too soft after reheating. Cook it for about 30 minutes, cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
VARIATIONS:
- You can certainly add an apple if you like. Select one that is on the sweeter side like Braeburn, Fuji, Envy, or Honeycrisp.
Serve with:
- Traditional Hungarian Goulash Soup
- Braised Pork Loin Roast in Dijon Mustard Sauce
- Baked Turkey Meatballs in Beer Sauce
More great cabbage recipes you’ll love!
- Cabbage Casserole Recipe
- Stewed Cabbage Recipe
- Roasted Red Cabbage Steaks Recipe
- Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Get all my vegetable side dish recipes at Vegetable Side Dish Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced vertically (1 heaping cup)
- 2 cups water, or more as needed
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 medium head (2 pounds) red cabbage, shredded, chopped or thinly sliced (approximately 10 cups)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the shallot, give it a pinch or two of salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it begins to soften, being careful not to brown the butter or the shallot.
- Begin with 1 1/2 cups of water, the vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil.
- Add the cabbage and bring it back to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Check and stir every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking and so it doesn't brown. Add additional water if needed. DO NOT LET IT BOIL DRY.
- Taste it periodically as it cooks and add salt, sugar and water if needed along the way. The texture should be meltingly tender.
Notes
- You can also use rice vinegar, a mild Asian-style vinegar.
- Although you can substitute regular white distilled vinegar, you should use less because it’s stronger and one-dimensional.
- Apple cider vinegar is on the sweeter side so if you want to use it, use less sugar.
- Slice or shred the cabbage into uniform pieces so it cooks evenly.
- A heavy, non-reactive Dutch oven gives steady heat for even braising—avoid cast iron since it reacts with acid.
- Taste as it cooks and adjust sugar, vinegar, or water gradually so the flavors blend beautifully.
- Can be made 1 day ahead of time.
- Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a small amount of water.
- Keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator but for best flavor, enjoy before that.
- Cut the cooking time in half so the cabbage retains some texture.
- Cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave.
- Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
- Cut the amount of water in half.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Taste, adjust and stir before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This is very similar to something we made in my Danish family every year at Christmas. It is what Christmas smells like to me. It is fabulous with any kind of pork, cuts through the richness. Goes well on a sandwich (cold) with liverwurst. We actually kept it outside once it got cold enough to freeze.
Hi, Jane, Thanks so very much and happy it brings back such pleasant memories for you. Appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment and rate.