Name: Braised Red Cabbage with Beetroot
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 13.05 ounces red cabbage, very thinly sliced or shredded (approx. ½ of small cabbage); 1 small/medium beet (peeled, coarsely grated); 1 medium sour apple, or 1 small if you are using a cooking apple (peeled, cored, diced or coarsely grated); ⅓ cup dried, sweetened cranberries; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (finely chopped); 2 clementines (juice only); 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or to taste); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 4 tablespoons water; 3 tablespoons olive oil (plus a little more for drizzling); ¼ teaspoon allspice; 1 teaspoon cumin; Fine sea salt and pepper to taste; Freshly chopped parsley/cilantro and zest of 1 small lemon for serving

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This quick braised red cabbage with apple and beetroot is full of goodness and delicious festive flavours. It's vegan, gluten free and ready in just over 30 minutes.

Braised red cabbage in green bowl with spoon and clementine and herbs in background.

This quick braised red cabbage recipe combines savoury and sweet flavours to create a delicious side dish that's full of character as well as goodness.

Red cabbage tends to be used for special occasions rather than in everyday cooking. It’s a very healthy vegetable, but can be a little stringy, so not always great raw. That’s why it makes sense to cure it for example, to make it more tender and infuse with more flavour. I’ve used this method in my marinated Christmas slaw with maple pecans as well as pickled red cabbage slaw.

Another great way of preparing red cabbage is to braise it.

Braising red cabbage is a simple and delicious way of serving this vegetable. It involves simmering the cabbage along with a few additional ingredients and spices which infuse it with flavour.

Why you will love this recipe

It's quick and easy to make
It's great for sharing so perfect for a large dinner party
It's vegan, gluten free, super healthy and delicious!

Quick braised red cabbage ingredients

Ingredients for braised red cabbage in individual dishes.

I braised the red cabbage along with beetroot, apple and fresh ginger. I added balsamic vinegar and soy sauce for more depth of flavour, a handful of dried cranberries and clementine juice for sweetness and a festive touch.

There are so many wonderful flavours in this recipe I kept spices to the minimum. A bit of cumin, allspice and simple seasoning completed this dish.

Substitutions

Apple: I used Bramley (cooking apple) but any sour tasting apple variety will work.
Clementine juice: Substitute tangerine or orange juice (fresh is best).
Spices: These can be omitted or replaced by a sprinkle of nutmeg or coriander.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.In a large pan heat up a little oil and add the cabbage, beetroot and ginger.

Shredded red cabbage, grated beetroot and chopped ginger in large white pan.

2. Fry for about 4 minutes stirring often.

Braise shredded red cabbage with red spatula in large white pan.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

Shredded red cabbage, spices and cubed apple in large white pan with spoon.

4. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or cilantro and drizzle with a little oil for a nice glossy finish and enjoy!

Braised red cabbage with red spatula in large white pan.

Braised red cabbage with beetroot

Red cabbage can be a little bland so it works well with other, stronger tasting ingredients. Beetroot, with its intensely sweet earthy flavour, is simply ideal to pair with the cabbage. Plus it adds lots of gorgeous colour to this dish! I really cannot recommend it enough.

Top tip

In this braised cabbage recipe it is important to use raw beetroot rather than the ready cooked beets you can buy in the shops. As the beetroot cooks its releases lots of flavour, which is something cooked beetroot cannot possibly contribute. Just wear rubber gloves when grating the beetroot or you’ll have red hands for the rest of the day!

Braised red cabbage with apple

I used a cooking apple (Bramley) in this recipe, but you can use any sour tasting apple. Just bear in mind that Bramley apples are a little bigger than other varieties so use a small one. I don’t recommend using sweet apples as the cabbage, beets and cranberries are all quite sweet. So a sour tasting apple will offset the sweetness very nicely.

After 25 minutes of cooking you’ll have a perfectly cooked red cabbage in a delicious sweet and tangy sauce with a hint of citrus and spice.

A truly fantastic festive offering!

Top down view of chopped red cabbage in green bowl with spoon, herbs and green cloth.

Expert tips and FAQs

You can either shred the cabbage or slice it very thinly. I personally prefer the latter method as I like a bit of texture and crunch in this recipe.
I recommend using a sour tasting rather than sweet apple to offset the sweetness of the cabbage and beetroot.
You can either cube or coarsely grate the apple.
You can make this dish ahead and refrigerate overnight. Simply reheat it once you are ready to serve it (you might have to add a drop of water or clementine juice). I actually think it tastes better the next day.
Spices: I chose a bit of allspice and cumin but a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon would work well too.

If you are a fan of red cabbage you may also like these 3 easy, delicious red cabbage juice recipes as well as chunky red cabbage soup.

Keep in touch!

How has your braised cabbage turned out for you? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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