Braised Red Cabbage

Name: Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 1 firm, large head red cabbage (2 pounds, or 910 g); 1 firm, large head red cabbage (2 pounds, or 910 g); 2 tablespoons bacon grease, unsalted butter, or avocado oil; 2 tablespoons bacon grease, unsalted butter, or avocado oil; 2 tablespoons bacon grease, unsalted butter, or avocado oil; 1 medium yellow onion, medium diced; 3 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and medium diced; 3 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and medium diced; 1 bay leaf; 4 whole cloves; 2 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more to taste; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more to taste; 2 tablespoons lingonberry jam; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons cold water; Salt and ground black pepper; Salt and ground black pepper

Rotkohl

Preparation info

Yield:
8
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

German Home Kitchen

By Sophie Sadler

Published 2025

About

When I think of the most traditional German vegetable side to serve with a roast—Sauerbraten or Rinderrouladen—it most definitely is rotkohl (or rotkraut or blaukraut, depending on the region). It has the perfect balance of sweet and sour (yin and yang on a plate!). The warming spices in this braised red cabbage bring out its rich depth of flavor. My Oma always used leftover bacon grease to cook rotkohl, which adds anothe

Ingredients

Europe
Germany
Main course
Vegan

Ingredients

Method