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The lightly sweet and vinegary taste of this cabbage and apples recipe makes it the perfect healthy side dish for fall and winter dinners.

cabbage and apples

When I saw this red cabbage and apples recipe in a list of ideas a vegetarian cooking class, I knew we had to try it. This classic cabbage recipe seemed like perfect warming recipe for fall and winter. As we expected, this turned out to be delicious! The slightly sweet and vinegary taste makes the dish an excellent companion to serve with many savory options; it almost reminded us of a chutney! The caraway seeds added the perfect flavor essence, with a subtle vibe of rye bread. Here’s how to make this healthy and tasty side dish.

How to cut cabbage

Cabbage nutrition

This cabbage and apples recipe is packed with good-for-you ingredients. Red cabbage is high in Vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system (very important during cold season). It also contains phytonutrients that may help combat inflammation and help with arthritis. Not to mention its high levels of Vitamin K, an essential part of any diet. The other key ingredient in this recipe, apples, is rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants.

Making cabbage and apples

If you don’t have a mandolin or box grater, you can thinly slice the red cabbage by hand. It may need to be in the oven a bit longer, depending on how large the slices are, but the flavor will still be delicious. Just make sure to buy a red cabbage and not substitute a green one. The flavor will be slightly less rich if you use a green cabbage, and the color won’t be half so pretty.

Choose whichever apples you want to throw into this dish. Sweeter apples like Gala and Honeycrisp pair nicely with the tangy vinegar, but really any apple complements the earthy red cabbage. And while Alex and I usually support eating the skin whenever possible, we made an exception for this recipe. It really does help to peel the apples first, otherwise you’ll have to deal with chewy apple skin in every bite.

Serve this cabbage and apples recipe right away or enjoy it later cold (I actually like it best cold). It would pair nicely with a hearty grain bowl or alongside roasted potatoes. Any main dish you enjoy during the cooler months would be improved with a pile of cabbage and apples on the side!

Looking for more vegetarian fall recipes?

We’ve got lots of fall dinner recipes; here are a few of our favorites:

This cabbage and apples recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

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Cabbage and Apples

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The slight sweet and vinegary taste of this cabbage and apples recipe makes it the perfect side to a variety of fall and winter main dishes.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 as a side 1x
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: German

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 head red cabbage
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 apples
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 1 splash of port or sherry (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Shred the cabbage (see the video tutorial!). Thinly slice the onion. Peel and thinly slice the apples. Mince the garlic.
  2. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion until soft, around 5 minutes.
  3. Add the cabbage, apples, garlic, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider, port or sherry (optional), caraway seeds, and a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat until the cabbage is tender, around 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Allow to cool a bit, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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9 Comments

  1. Green Girl @ A little bit of everything says:

    I love cabbage-apple combo and your salad recipe sounds delicious, thanks for sharing

  2. Kim Beauchamp says:

    This is one of my favorite ways to eat cabbage, but it’s been forever since I’ve prepared it. Thanks for posting!

    1. Anonymous says:

      what kind of apples are recommended with the red cabbage recipe..or can vary to taste? thanx Ann
      Love the combo!!

      1. We like pink lady or other sweet tart apples.

  3. Maria says:

    Love this side!

  4. Nuts about Food says:

    My mom is not really the kind of stay-at-home-and-cook-mom. However she always made a great Christmas Day meal. She is German, and this is one of her traditional side dishes (we usually ate it with goose)…a eral memory from my childhood!

  5. Mrs Mix It says:

    I make a similar dish and I posted it under Thanksgiving Recipes on my website. Check it out it’s called German Cabbage

  6. sally says:

    Gotta love those crucifers! This salad looks wonderful!

  7. Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) says:

    I love the sound of this recipe. I’m a major cabbage fan but it gives me SUCH a stomach ache. Any suggestions?