Spiced Red Cabbage With Apples

Susan, AKA Kiwicook
Susan, AKA Kiwicook

Susan, AKA Kiwicook

In her days as a recipe developer, Susan has created over 450 recipes. Her Dutch and New Zealander roots serve as a basis for her culinary inspiration.

Last updated:

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. If you buy through our links, we may receive compensation - at no cost to you.

SPICED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES

Growing up in a half Dutch household meant that we children got to sample a whole host of traditional Dutch dishes. One of the staple vegetable dishes was Spiced Red Cabbage, which was usually served alongside meatballs, potatoes and a generous dollop of home-made apple sauce.

So… years later, and with the cold months creeping in, I thought it was high time I made it myself. I had an old recipe from Foodily.com in my collection, and I adapted it further to make it just that bit more special. And man… I have to say (with apologies to mum), this is SO much better than the way I remember it. I’ve never been keen on vegetables (I used to throw the stuff out the window as a kid), but I could eat this until the cows come home! In fact, I don’t even bother serving it with anything else – I just eat a whopping big plate of it all on its own!

Don’t worry too much about getting exact proportions here. The recipe is very forgiving. If you don’t have all the spices listed, it’s not a problem – just use 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon instead. If you’d rather cut down on the butter (and I wouldn’t blame you if you did), you can halve or even quarter it easily (it just won’t be as decadently rich!). Also, don’t worry about whether there’s too much liquid (I didn’t even measure mine), as it’s easily thickened with cornflour anyway. And, feel free to have a play around with the liquids you add – I used apple cider vinegar, along with a combination of sherry and orange juice, in mine. The slow cooking is the secret with this recipe – it softens the cabbage and ensures the various spices and flavourings have time to amalgamate. Enjoy!

Update: It’s now two years later and I can happily report that you can make this exact same recipe in a pressure cooker (once it comes to pressure, keep on high for about 8 minutes, depending on how well cooked you like the cabbage), quickly release the steam and voila! Red cabbage that tastes like it’s been cooking for hours!

SPICED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES

SPICED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES

Transform cabbage into something special! This Spiced Red Cabbage and Apples recipe features a simple, slow-cooked preparation that allows the flavors to meld perfectly, creating a surprisingly delicious side dish.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 132 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 red cabbage (quartered and shredded)
  • 2 tart apples (washed and sliced (you don’t need to peel them)
  • 1 red onion (sliced)
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 glass or so of port sherry, red wine, or orange juice (or a combination)
  • 3 Tbsp dark muscovado sugar (or plain brown sugar)
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2-3 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Zest of one orange
  • Salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 50 g butter (cut into cubes)
  • 2-3 tsp cornflour

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
  • Put all of the ingredients, except the butter and cornflour, into a large oven-proof casserole dish. Using a large slotted spoon, mix the ingredients together until combined. Place the cubes of butter on top. Put the lid on the casserole dish and put into the oven. Cook for 2 hours (after the first hour, take the casserole dish out of the oven and give the mixture a good stir).
  • After 2 hours, take the casserole dish out of the oven. Check to see how liquidy the mixture still is. It’s likely that it will need thickening; if so, take out a quarter cup or so of the liquid and add cornflour to it. Give it a stir to combine, then add it back into the casserole dish, giving the whole mixture a good stir. Taste the mixture and check whether it needs any further seasoning and adjust as needed. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes. The liquid should end up being slightly syrupy, but not gluggy. Adjust liquid content if needed.
  • Serve hot as a side-dish, or on its own, along with a good measure of apple sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 71mgPotassium: 343mgFiber: 4gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1356IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Spiced Red Cabbage Apples
Tried this recipe?Let us know how if you liked it in the comments below!

Did you find this post useful?

Give it a star rating and let us know!

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Recommended Posts
Susan, AKA Kiwicook
About The Author
Susan, also known as the Kiwi Cook, hails from Levin, New Zealand, and has a unique Kiwi-Dutch-British heritage that influenced her culinary upbringing. As an artist, tutor, writer, and editor, Susan dedicates her weekends to creating delectable dishes. Her food philosophy embraces moderation and listening to her body's needs.

Comments

  1. Avatar

    Yummy!! not tried this before, sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing.

    Simon

    Reply
  2. What is mixed spice?? Is this where you say just use Cinnamon. Do you leave out the stick then?

    Reply
    • Hi John. Mixed spice is a commercially produced mix of sweet spices, used either in sweet or savoury dishes. Apparently it is similar to pumpkin spice. If you don’t have mixed spice where you are, you can make your own. I’ve popped a recipe from BBC Good Food below. If you can’t be bothered making your own, just pick out some of the spices you have available in your cupboard and add those in. The extra cinnamon stick just ensures an extra dose of cinnamon, which is the overriding flavour. Hope that helps.

      1 Tbs ground allspice
      1 Tbs ground cinnamon
      1 Tbs ground nutmeg
      2 tsp ground mace
      1 tsp ground cloves
      1 tsp ground coriander
      1 tsp ground Ginger
      Blend all spices together, and store in a sealed jar away from light.

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.