Looking for red cabbage recipes? The humble red cabbage is incredibly versatile and makes a great side dish or can work brilliantly as the main event of a meal. Try our pickled red cabbage recipes, braised red cabbage recipes and many more.
We have plenty of ideas for how to cook red cabbage for roast dinner. In winter, red cabbage is typically braised with sweet and sharp ingredients to make an earthy and moreish Christmas dinner side dish. In the summertime, red cabbage gives a delicious fresh crunch and brightens up a whole range of grilled meats and barbecue recipes with its intense colour.
Packed full of antioxidants, red cabbage lends itself similarly well to Asian dishes, and sits very nicely with the acidity of lime juice and fish sauce. It can even be fermented, as the star ingredient in the pickle-of-the-moment, Korean kimchi.
Here’s how to make red cabbage recipes for your friends and family…
Tangy red cabbage with redcurrant jelly
This classic red cabbage recipe makes a fantastic addition to a special roast dinner. Adding redcurrant jelly and balsamic vinegar gives the cabbage a sweet and sour edge and wonderfully glossy sauce that cuts through the richness of the other elements on the plate. If you want to get ahead, this can be made up to two days before and reheated on the day to save time.
Braised red cabbage with apples
John Torode’s braised red cabbage side dish takes the traditional recipe up a notch by including smoked bacon and orange zest. Adding some red wine gives a boozy hit for a festive feast.
Pickled red cabbage with venison carpaccio
A lovely restaurant-standard winter starter that uses red cabbage to provide a fresh and firm counterpart to paper-thin slices of venison. The meat is marinated with herbs and served with a Parmesan, olive oil and lemon dressing. A wonderful way to kick off to a posh dinner! And for more ideas on this theme, have a look at our best ever starter recipes.
Sausage, beet and red cabbage hotpot
Our braised red cabbage hotpot is a winner. Continuing the wintery theme, this recipe takes a more weekday vibe. The contrasting sweet and earthy flavours with the sausages will be a hit with the whole family. Comforting and hearty, but still packed with goodness, this red cabbage recipe is really simple to make and requires minimal ‘hands-on’ time. Good quality pork or venison sausages work best here.
Asian pickled red cabbage
This fresh, no-fuss red cabbage side dish benefits from not needing any braising. The use of bird’s eye chillies and ginger brings an Asian flavour to this vegan side dish. What’s more, it’s gluten free and comes in at only 50 calories per serving.
Prawn and red cabbage summer rolls with cashew butter dipping sauce
Continuing the Asian theme, these prawn and red cabbage summer rolls are a much fresher and lighter version of their deep-fried counterparts. The raw red cabbage gives a lovely crunchy texture to the fresh herbs. The homemade cashew butter dipping sauce is easily whisked together and provides a delicious match. For similar summertime treats, have a look at our best ever Asian salads for summer.
Asian chicken burgers with pickled red cabbage
These chicken burgers make a great, healthier alternative to the usual beef. The pickled red cabbage on top adds the extra kick and would go just as well with any grilled or barbecued meat. This version is super low carb and served on round lettuce leaves instead of buns. And for more low carb recipes like this one, we have a whopping 33 of them right here.
Roasted cabbage steaks with hazelnut dressing
The red cabbage takes centre-stage this time around in the form of these roasted steaks with a delicious nutty dressing. This easy red cabbage recipe makes a subtly sweet and zesty low calorie vegetarian main for four. We have hundreds of other vegetarian recipes online.
Red cabbage tabbouleh slaw
We’ve ditched the bulgar wheat, but kept all the herby loveliness of a classic tabbouleh in this ruby red cabbage slaw. Sprinkle some sumac over the slaw before serving if you like.
Red cabbage kimchi
Lacto-fermenting vegetables is bang-on-trend and an ancient way of preserving fresh food to last all year. The lacto bit refers to the lactic acid created during the ferment and the process of fermenting increases both nutrient and probiotic levels, making these the healthiest pickles around. One of the best known ferments is this gloriously spicy red cabbage kimchi from Korea.
