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A reader emailed the other day asking if I was Austrian on account of all the sauerkraut and cabbage recipes on Simply Recipes.
My father’s grandparents on both sides were from Austria and he grew up with many traditional German and Austrian dishes and a love for cooked cabbage in all forms.
A Simple Red Cabbage Recipe
This classic German red cabbage recipe is one of our favorite ways to prepare red cabbage—sautéed with butter, sprinkled with sugar and balsamic vinegar and simmered until tender. The sugar and balsamic vinegar give the sautéed cabbage a delightful sweet and sour glaze.
When the holidays come round, we take the cabbage up a notch, adding chopped apples, onions, and if we have them, roasted chestnuts. It’s wonderful served alongside pork chops or a pork roast!
How to Cut Red Cabbage
This recipe calls for half a head of thinly sliced red cabbage. The best way to prepare it is to cut the head of cabbage in half through the core, then cut one of the halves in to quarters (save the remaining half for another recipe). Then thinly slice the cabbage from the top down to the core. The core is tougher than the cabbage leaves, but if you want, you can thinly slice it as well and include it.
What to Serve with German Cabbage
Sweet and sour red cabbage is a perfect side dish for sausages, pork chops, or German pork burgers. This braised cabbage also pairs well with roast chicken, duck, and roast beef.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Leftovers will keep for about 5 days in the fridge. Reheat them in the microwave or over low heat in a skillet on the stovetop. This recipe does not freeze well, and we don’t recommend it.
Ideas for Your Leftover Half-Head of Cabbage
- Braised Red Cabbage with Chestnuts
- Crispy Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw
- Citrusy Cabbage Salad with Cumin and Coriander
- Roasted Cabbage with Bacon Gremolata
Sweet and Sour German Red Cabbage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 large red cabbage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Sauté the cabbage: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced red cabbage and toss to coat with the butter. Sauté until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes.
2 Add seasonings and simmer: Sprinkle sugar over the cabbage and toss to coat evenly. Add the balsamic vinegar to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low.
Cover and simmer until the cabbage is completely tender, stirring often, about 30 minutes total. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Sweet and Sour German Red Cabbage
Just like my ex mother-in-law used to make.
Substituted Truvia instead of regular sugar and used half as much.
Turned out great.
Easy to make.
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I had leftover cabbage and was tired of the slaw. This was a great, simple recipe with all the ingredients I already had on hand. I substituted honey for sugar. Not sure if it’s authentic German now but the combo with the balsamic was really nice. Thanks!
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I’m of Puerta Rican decent and this dish is super delicious and amazed how simple it is to make. Made pork chops and this German Red Cabbage dish was a success with family. We all loved ate…no left overs. Thank you…definitely going into my favorites.
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This was amazing and delicious. I did add a couple chopped apples an onion and a few shallots, I will definitely make this again, thank you!
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I made this for dinner with potato sausage and gravy over egg noodles. We will be having this again! I took the suggestion of using bacon grease, onions and apples. It was wonderful, nice balance of sweet and sour.
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How did you cook the potatoe, sausage and gravy please?
It was “potato sausage”, it’s a sausage made from pork, potatoes, onion and seasonings. It wasn’t in a casing so I fried it like you would hamburger, then made a gravy with flour and milk. Kind of like Southern Sausage and Gravy, just a different kind of sausage. Here’s a good example; https://www.thekitchn.com/breakfast-recipe-southern-sausage-gravy-recipes-from-the-kitchn-174453