My Braised Red Cabbage recipe is perfect for making ahead! Gently spiced and with subtle sweet & sour notes, it's an easy side dish for Christmas & beyond! (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
When I turn to my trusty braised red cabbage recipe you know Christmas is not that far-off.
My kids even call it "Christmas Cabbage" despite the fact that it appears on our table well before and also beyond festive period.
Spiced Red Cabbage - great make-ahead Christmas side dish
Braised red cabbage is one of those side dishes that should always be made ahead. That's my opinion anyway.
Main reason for that is that it allows for all the spices and flavourings to really permeate through it and make your final dish much tastier.
The fact that it is such a great make-ahead side dish, makes it perfect not only for Christmas dinner itself but when entertaining. With side dish like this, there is one less thing to worry about, simply reheat it and it's done!
Ingredients
Red Cabbage - The star of the show. I used medium sized one approx. 800g/1.75lb. Depending on your requirements you can use smaller or bigger one and scale all your other ingredients up or down accordingly.
Red Onion - Slightly milder than yellow onion and traditionally used in braised red cabbage recipes, it lends its lovely savoury sweetness to the dish when sautéed at the start with butter and oil.
I don't know about you but I love the fact that braised red cabbage goes so well with all the lovely, woody spices that are associated with festive cooking and baking.
The ones I use in my recipe are:
Cinnamon Stick
Star Anise
Allspice Berries
Cloves
You will notice that I don't use apple in my recipe, instead I like to add raisins or sultanas and my secret ingredient - redcurrant jelly.
They both add lovely, subtle sweetness to the cabbage and I don't feel like you need an apple here at all. Having said that, feel free to add it if you wish.
Vinegar - I use organic apple cider vinegar in most of my cooking and baking but you can easily substitute it here with red wine or balsamic vinegar.
Demerara sugar - It adds that caramel like flavour to the dish. Feel free to substitute it with brown sugar.
Butter & Rapeseed / Olive Oil - I use vegan block butter (Flora Plant Butter is my favourite) but feel free to use regular unsalted butter if you're not plant based.
The reason why I use mixture of butter and oil is to prevent butter from burning.
How long does braised red cabbage last in the fridge for?
Stored properly, it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze braised red cabbage?
Absolutely! Braised red cabbage freezes beautifully. Simply pop it in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
As we tend to eat it quite a lot in winter I usually freeze it in portions big enough as a side for one dinner which I take out as and when I need it.
To defrost, take it out of the freezer the night before and thaw in the fridge or defrost in the microwave or gently in a pan on the hob/stove top.
How to reheat braised red cabbage?
The easiest way to reheat it is either in a pan over a low heat or in the microwave until it is piping hot.
How to make braised red cabbage - Step-By-Step Instructions
- Put raisins/sultanas in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Set aside.
- Cut red cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Using sharp knife or mandolin slicer thinly slice or shred it.
- Peel, half and thinly slice red onion.
- Heat up butter and oil in a large casserole, add sliced onions and fry then until they start to soften 5-8min.
- Add sliced red cabbage and give it a good stir.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients (sugar, vinegar, spices, redcurrant jelly, water, salt & pepper) with the exception of raisins and mix well.
- Cover and let it simmer over low heat for an hour stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if you see your mixture is getting dry although you shouldn't have to.
- After one hour add soaked raisins/sultanas with the liquid, mix them in and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
***Pro Tip***
I like my cabbage slightly al dente, but if you prefer yours really soft, feel free to simmer it for longer 1.5-2 hours.
Make sure you add raisins/sultanas towards the end of cooking time.
Have you tried my Braised Red Cabbage?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
More festive recipes you might enjoy
Vegan Roast Potatoes
Vegan Onion Gravy
Roasted Brussels sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar & Walnuts
Vegan Lentil Roast
Butternut Squash Veggie Wellington
Sage and Onion Stuffing (Vegan)
Almond Pastry Mince Pies
Gingerbread Brownies
Gingerbread Cake (Traybake) - Vegan
Easy Cranberry Compote (Sauce) with Rosemary
Roasted Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and Garlic
Mushroom & Walnut Pâté (Vegan)
Easy Chocolate Gingerbread Biscuits
Butternut Squash & Chestnut Soup
Puff Pastry Mince Pie Swirls
Easy Cheese Puffs (Gougeres)
Party Sausages with Honey & Mustard Glaze
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📋 Recipe
Braised Red Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 800 g red cabbage thinly sliced/shredded
- 1 red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 25 g unsalted (vegan) butter I use Flora Plant Butter
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed/olive oil
- 50 g raisins or sultanas
- 2 tablespoon demerara or brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon apple cider vinegar see notes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 allspice berries
- 2 star anise
- 5 cloves
- 2 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
- 100 ml water
Instructions
- Put raisins/sultanas in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Set aside.
- Cut red cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Using sharp knife or mandolin slicer thinly slice or shred it.
- Peel, half and thinly slice red onion.
- Heat up butter and oil in a large casserole dish, add sliced onions and fry then until they start to soften 5-8min.
- Add sliced red cabbage and give it a good stir.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients (sugar, vinegar, spices, redcurrant jelly, water, salt & pepper) with the exception of raisins and mix well.
- Cover and let it simmer over low heat for an hour stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if you see your mixture is getting dry although you shouldn’t have to.
- After one hour add soaked raisins/sultanas with the liquid, mix them in and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
- ***PRO TIP***After one hour red cabbage will be tender but not too soft or mushy. If you prefer it softer simply, simmer it for longer, even 1.5-2hrs.Make sure to add your raisins towards the end of cooking.
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving and should be treated as a guideline only.
- Apple cider vinegar can be substituted with red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar if you prefer.
- My braised red cabbage doesn't include an apple which is found in many traditional recipes. Feel free to add it if you want to.
- Cooked cabbage will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To defrost simply thaw it in the fridge overnight or if in a hurry pop it in the pan to reheat on the hob or in the microwave.
Ian says
Amazing, thank you.
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Ian! 😊
Linda says
Very tasty. I make it all the time not just for Christmas and it goes down a treat. Great
joskitchenlarder says
Hi Linda, It's definitely not just for Christmas and I'm so pleased you love the recipe. Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. 🙂
Choclette says
Ooh yes, you know Christmas is coming when braided red cabbage starts making an appearance. Love it. We make a big batch for Christmas day, then live off the leftovers for the next few days.
It's great to see so many different ways of making it. I always make the same, my mother's s always different and yours is different again. Maybe I should break out of my rut.
joskitchenlarder says
You really cannot beat it, can you! I know what you mean, one simple dish like that but so many different ways of making it and I bet slightly different results when it comes to flavour.
My mum also makes her red cabbage in a completely different way and although initially I started with her recipe, I have deviated from it massively throughout the years.