Slightly sweet and tangy, this German Style Sweet & Sour Cabbage is a delicious, healthy side dish your whole family will love!
I love red cabbage. Seriously. It is such a humble ingredient but it is absolutely chock full of nutrients and there is just so much you can do with it. And while I make red cabbage in a variety of ways, this sweet and sour German recipe is my favorite.
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Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large pot: I love use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for this recipe.
Ingredients
- Red Cabbage
- Onion: I like using red onion for this recipe but any onion will do.
- Butter: Replace with Ghee for Whole30 or Paleo.
- Olive Oil
- Green Apple: I like the tartness that green apples give this recipe but you can substitute with whatever apple you have on hand in a pinch.
- Raisins: Classic or golden will work.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Brown Sugar: Omit for Whole30 or Paleo.
- Dried Thyme
- Cayenne: Optional but gives a great kick.
- Salt & Pepper
Serving Suggestions
This cabbage makes a fabulous fall side dish that goes fantastic with pork, squash, chicken and all your hearty autumnal dishes.
I especially love serving it with my Maple Roasted Pork Tenderloin or Pan Seared Pork Chops.
How to adapt this recipe to other dietary needs.
This recipe is Vegetarian, Gluten free, Soy free and can easily be adapted to other dietary needs.
Whole30. To make this recipe Whole30 compatible simple omit the brown sugar (or maple syrup) and replace the butter with ghee.
Paleo. To make this recipe Paleo replace brown sugar with maple syrup and butter with ghee.
Vegan. To make this recipe vegan simply replace the butter with extra olive oil.
Other recipes you might enjoy
Pan Seared Salmon with Mustard Sauce and Bacon Fried Cabbage
Braised Red Cabbage and Fennel
Made this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
German Style Sweet & Sour Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp butter or ghee
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 green apple, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp raisins (optional)
- 1 medium head of red cabbage , thinly sliced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar omit for Whole30 or sub with Maple Syrup for Paleo
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried thyme or sub 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp cayenne optional
- ½ tbsp butter or ghee optional
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter (or ghee) in a large dutch oven or pot with a lid until hot and butter has melted.
- Add in sliced onion and cook over medium high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add in apple slices and continue cooking for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in raisins and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in sliced cabbage and stir to fully coat with the buttter/oil mixture. Sautee over medium heat for around 5 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add in apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar or maple syrup (omit for Whole30), salt, thyme and cayenne. Stir to fully combine.
- Turn the heat down the low/medium low and place the lid on the pot. Simmer for around 30 minutes until cabbage has reached your desired level of tenderness, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in a small knob of butter or ghee if desired. Taste and season with salt & black pepper to your preference. Enjoy!
Notes
I'm always looking for food inspo. using purple cabbage, adding this to my recipe this week. I love the combination of sweet and sour flavors.
This cabbage dish is really good. Reminds me of my mom's Polish cooking but with a German twist. Love the sweet and sour in it!
This was a tasty side I had with my steak last night. I’ve never had purple cabbage before and now I will always buy it.
We made chicken schnitzel and made this sweet and sour red cabbage to go along with it. It was the perfect side dish and we had leftovers to make Ruebens (we prefer cabbage in our Reubens over saurkraut).