Years ago, when I catered farm-to-table dinners, I served Cider-braised Cabbage in the autumn and winter. Sometimes, those dinners would draw hundreds of people. Now? I make it for my family on chilly winter nights.

It's humble food but glorious, too. You can usually find cabbage, apples, and onions at the grocery store at affordable prices. They last a long time in the fridge, too - making them a great choice when your budget's tight. They're also nutritious.

cider-braised cabbage in a white bowl, apples in background

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Cabbage and apples are budget-friendly. They're consistently some of the most affordable items - especially if you buy them in season.

It's a homey recipe - easy to cook, nourishing and delicious.

Red cabbage is super nutritious. It's packed with micronutrients like anthocyanins that help keep your cells healthy.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Cabbage makes up the bulk of this side dish. I prefer red cabbage for its beautiful, vivid color, but white and green cabbage work, too. Savoy cabbage is also a good fit but takes less time than red cabbage.

Yellow onions give the recipe a savory-sweet element. You can use shallots in a pinch.

Apples add sweetness. Tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Gravenstein, work best.

Apple cider softens and sweetens the cabbage as it cooks, making it deliciously tender. I typically use soft apple cider (the cloudy kind you find in the refrigerated section), but you can also use hard apple cider or apple juice in a pinch.

Apple cider vinegar adds much-needed acidity. It balances the bitter vegetal notes of cabbage and the sweetness of apple cider and apples.

Ghee is my go-to cooking fat for making braised cabbage. I like its nutty, creamy undertones. Bacon fat also works well, but you could use olive oil or cold-pressed sunflower oil.

Rate this Recipe

4.8 from 5 votes

6 servings

Cider-Braised Cabbage Recipe

Braising cabbage, apples and onions in apple cider gives these humble vegetables a lift.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons ghee (or clarified butter)
2 medium yellow onions (sliced thin)
2 medium apples (sliced thin)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup soft apple cider
2 tablespooons apple cider vinegar
1 medium red cabbage (about 18 ounces, cored and thinly sliced)

Equipment

Braising Dish

Instructions

Warm the ghee in a Dutch oven or braising dish over medium-high heat . When it melts, dump the yellow onionse. Sauté the them for about 6 minutes, until deeply fragrant, and then stir in the salt, apples, and cabbage.
Turn the heat down to medium, and then pour in the apple cider. Cover the pot and cook until the apples are tender and the cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, and then serve hot.
Store leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Variations

Consider adding bacon. Bacon gives this dish a delicious, smoky, salty element. You'll use only a teaspoon of ghee or bacon fat, and then allow 2 ounces of bacon to crisp in the pan before adding the remaining ingredients.

Caraway seeds and juniper berries add a nice herbal element. Both are traditionally used in many central and eastern European cabbage dishes and work nicely with apples. Toast a spoonful of caraway seeds or juniper berries in the hot fat before adding the onions.

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Celery salad with apples, shallots, parsley and walnuts on a flat plate

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Ingredients + Substitutions