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I’m preparing mine Classic red cabbage to. Of course after simple basic recipeas I know it from before. This is how I like the tried-and-tested side dish for meat etc. the best! I’ll show you what ingredients are needed and how you can make classic red cabbage yourself in my simple instructions with the best tips for preparation.
The ingredients for my classic red cabbage
Although the vegetables are already in season in June, for me red cabbage belongs more to autumn and winter. So the time when we make ourselves really comfortable with comfort food. This also includes my tried and tested basic red cabbage recipe from Grandma, which I got from her early on. The classic is often part of my Christmas menu. But it also comes on the plate every now and then. After all, the side dish is very easy to prepare. What it takes are these ingredients:
- Red cabbage: From June to November you can get the red cabbage from local cultivation. In all other months the vegetables are available as stock items. When purchasing, make sure that the leaves of the “head” are tightly closed and crisp.
- Onions: They are essential for seasoning. One onion is chopped into small pieces with the red cabbage, the other I sprinkle with cloves for aroma.
- Apples: It is very typical that the herb is combined with fruity apple. It has a sweet and sour note. I prefer to use the Boskop variety.
- cloves, bay leaves and Cinnamon stick: These spices always go with the classic red cabbage. I garnish an onion with the cloves. I add bay leaves and cinnamon sticks to the herb. Alternatively, you can also use a spice bag for this.
- Sugar and salt: This kneads the cabbage strips so that their texture becomes softer and the vegetables become more digestible.
- clarified butter: I use clarified butter for frying. This has a delicate aroma and is ideal for heating.
- Apple juice and balsamic vinegar: Apple juice is added to emphasize the desired sweet taste. The acid in the vinegar serves as an antagonist, which also preserves the color of the cabbage when it is cooked.
Make your own red cabbage – the classic way grandma made it
When I prepare red cabbage in the classic way, it is usually served as a side dish to roulades or roasts. Together with potato dumplings or homemade spaetzle – depending on what we feel like. As always, you can find the exact quantities for my red cabbage further down in the recipe card. I’ll show you now how easy it is to make your own red cabbage.
- Chop apple and onion. Roughly chop the latter and dice the apple. Peel an onion and sprinkle with cloves.
- Prepare red cabbage. In other words, quarter it, remove the stem and cut the leaves into fine strips. If you want, you can also use a vegetable slicer to cut the vegetables into strips. My tip: Wear disposable gloves as the herb stains strongly.
- Knead red cabbage. To do this, add salt and sugar to the raw cabbage strips and knead everything vigorously for at least 5 minutes until juice comes out.
- Sauté vegetables and simmer. Sauté onions, apple and red cabbage. Then add the remaining ingredients and simmer everything over low heat until the red cabbage is soft.
5 tips on how best to prepare red cabbage
Red cabbage according to my classic recipe is very easy. So that you can make it as delicious as Grandma’s, I have summarized the best tips for its preparation for you.
- Cut red cabbage into fine, even strips. A thickness of 3-5 mm is ideal. It tastes better and the cabbage cooks faster. It is best to use a large kitchen knife or a vegetable slicer for cutting.
- Knead the raw red cabbage strips vigorously with salt and sugar for at least 5 minutes. Why? This makes the texture of the vegetables softer and the herb more digestible.
- Use sour-sweet apples for the red cabbage. These include, for example, Boskop, Jonagold and Elstar. These varieties go best with the hearty side dish and support the typical aroma.
- If you want, you can use a spice bag. This allows you to easily remove the spices from the cabbage after cooking. This is particularly useful if, for example, you use juniper berries, star anise or cardamom for seasoning.
- For particularly aromatic red cabbage, prepare the side dish the day before. And then let it soak through. That’s how grandma always did it. Because the flavors can develop best over time.
And now you can really enjoy my classic red cabbage! I look forward to your feedback on the recipe in the comments.
3 questions about red cabbage
How does red cabbage stay red when cooked?
To preserve the color of the red cabbage when cooking acid important. Thanks to Vinegar or lemon juice The pigment anthocyanin in the herb is activated. This changes the initially bluish-purple color of the cabbage to a reddish tone.
How much red cabbage per person?
Your herb lands next to it Boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes on the plate, you can 200-250 g of red cabbage per person plan. Depending on how generous the other side dishes are, the quantity can be adjusted individually.
Why does warmed red cabbage taste best?
In fact, warmed red cabbage from the day before tastes even better. This is because all the ingredients are able to infuse properly. Cabbage, onions, apples and spices have time to develop their full aroma and flavor. This means the red cabbage tastes more intense and even better the next day.
Little tip: you can do yours Freeze red cabbage too. We’ll show you how to do this in our article.
Red cabbage – classic like from grandma
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Would you like to prepare your red cabbage the classic way grandma did? With my simple basic recipe it’s child’s play. This means it will definitely taste like it used to. Now you can easily make the best red cabbage yourself!
Halve and quarter the red cabbage and remove the outer leaves. Remove the stalk and cut or slice the cabbage into thin strips. Dice apples small. Roughly chop an onion. Peel an onion and spike it with cloves.
1 kg red cabbage, 2 onions, 5 cloves, 2 apples
Place red cabbage strips in a bowl and knead with sugar and salt with your hands for 5 minutes.
2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
Heat the clarified butter in a pot and sauté the onions until soft. Add red cabbage and apples and sauté. Add the apple juice, balsamic vinegar, the clove-spiked onion, bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.
2 tbsp clarified butter, 300 ml apple juice, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 bay leaves, 1 stick cinnamon
Simmer the red cabbage over a low heat with a lid on for about 45 minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Stir occasionally. Remove the bay leaves, the clove-studded onion and the cinnamon stick.
If you like, you can thicken your red cabbage with cornstarch at the end. (Mix 1 tbsp starch with 1 tbsp water and fold in.)
Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 46G | Protein: 5G | Fat: 1G