Braised red cabbage is deliciously warming veggie side dish for the cooler months. It goes perfectly with sausages, chicken or even beef and is even more delicious a couple of days after making it when the flavours have matured and everything is soft and fragrantly spiced. Another great thing about braised red cabbage is that it freezes so well. It takes a couple of hours to cook, low and slow, but once you’ve made one big batch you can portion it up into sandwich bags or Tupperware boxes and pop into the freezer for another day. You can add any spices you like to braised red cabbage too, if you like a little heat why not try some chilli?
As the star of the dish you’ll want to know you’re doing everything right to cook your red cabbage properly, and that’ll be easy using our super helpful how to cook red cabbage guide.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Good-sized knob of butter
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges
- 1⁄2 a red cabbage, about 350g shredded
- 1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1⁄2 a red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 large or 2 small dessert apples (we used Pink Lady)
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 200ml red wine
- Salt and ground black pepper
Method
Set the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3. Heat the oil and butter in a large ovenproof pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 10 mins.
Stir in the cabbage, garlic, chilli, rosemary, coarsely grated apple, sugar, vinegar and wine. Season well.
Cover with Bakewell paper, then a lid and bake for 11⁄2 – 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check the seasoning before serving with roast meat or spicy sausages and mash. For a glossier finish to the dish, drizzle the cabbage with more olive oil and stir in lightly.
Top tip for making Braised red cabbage
For a lighter taste, use cider vinegar and cider. For a spicier flavour, add 2 star anise and 1 stick of cinnamon.
