You will find my delicious easy cabbage recipes below. From cole slaw without mayonnaise to fried cabbage and everything in between.
You will also learn what to look for when buying cabbage if you don’t grow your own.
Easy Cabbage Recipes
When selecting to purchase, look for cabbage that is heavy for its size with leaves that are unblemished and have a bright, fresh look. Dried out or discolored outer leaves, or leaves that separate from the stem – could indicate age or disease.
Heads that weight 2 pounds or less are usually a better choice for tenderness and flavor. Buy whole cabbages whenever possible. Pre-cut or pre-shredded cabbage has a greatly diminished vitamin content.
Chinese or Asian cabbage (bok choy, napa cabbage and tatsoi) are a different species altogether – although they are a part of the cabbage family. Peak season for most cabbage runs from November to April, so make most of your cabbage recipes then.
Fresh whole cabbage will keep in the refrigerator for 1-6 weeks depending on type and variety. Hard green, white or red cabbage will keep the longest – while the looser Savoy and Chinese varieties should be used more quickly.
Keep the outer leaves and do not wash before storing since moisture will hasten decay.
Cut cabbage for my easy cabbage recipes and use within 2 days (wrap partial heads securely in plastic wrap).
To freeze cabbage: cut or shred coarsely and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and allow it to cool, then place it in an airtight container and freeze. Frozen cabbage will keep for one year and should only be used in cooking applications.
Cabbage complements meat dishes – especially smoked or salted meats, as well as root vegetables, and is delicious in stir-fries. It pairs well with red wine, herbs and spices. Onions, apples, horseradish and sour cream make a great flavor combinations when cooked with cabbage. More cabbage recipes are also used to make sauerkraut.
Red cabbage may bleed color onto other ingredients when used in salads; adding lemon juice, vinegar or wine can reduce this effect.
To reduce odors when cooking cabbage, cook it immediately after cutting or shredding; those actions increase the formation of the pungent flavor compounds – and cook cabbage only as long as necessary.
Following are cabbage nutrition facts: cabbage provides fiber, vitamins A, C and K, folate, potassium, manganese, B6, thiamine, calcium, iron and magnesium.
The infamous odor of cooked cabbage comes from sulfur compounds, which are actually a good thing – they contribute to the vegetable’s antioxidant content. This information is courtesy of Whole Foods Market. Now on to my easy cabbage recipes…
HOMEMADE CABBAGE ROLLS FROM SCRATCH
12 cabbage leaves* (chop the remaining leaves)
Filling:
1 cup cooked rice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb extra-lean ground beef (very important)
1-1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Sauce:
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
3 TBS homemade brown sugar
3 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp homemade worcestershire sauce
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and you will need a 9×13 pan lined with the extra chopped cabbage leaves.
*The easiest way is to freeze the cabbage head completely, and when it’s thawing out – the leaves will be wilted and easy to work with. Another way is to core the head and steam the cabbage or you can just boil the cabbage leaves for two minutes and drain.
In a large bowl combine the rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, garlic, salt and pepper. Spoon 1/4 cup of this mixture into the center of the cabbage leaf and roll up – tucking the ends in.
Place over the extra chopped cabbage leaves that you lined in the 9×13 pan. Season again with salt and pepper. Now we are going to make the sauce.
In a bowl add the ingredients together and pour over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Beautiful and easy cabbage recipe.
Cabbage Hot Dish
Southern Cabbage
This easy cabbage recipe is so simple to grill and tastes even better…
GRILLED CABBAGE RECIPE
1 large head of cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
8 tsp homemade unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp homemade garlic powder
1/2 tsp homemade onion powder
1/2 tsp homemade seasoned salt
ground black pepper to taste
Spray eight squares of heavy duty aluminum foil with vegetable oil to wrap each wedge in before placing on the grill. Drizzle each wedge with butter and season liberally and wrap. Grill until tender or approximately 30 minutes.
Here’s another take on fried cabbage that is wonderful.
SAUTEED CABBAGE RECIPE
2 TBS homemade unsalted butter
1 TBS canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced
8 cups cabbage, shredded
2 TBS homemade brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS red wine vinegar (or balsamic)
Place the butter and canola oil in a large skillet and melt the butter. Add the sliced onion and cook for 15 minutes or until it it is golden brown. Add the cabbage, garlic and brown sugar and cook until cabbage is just getting tender. Reduce heat to low and add the vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes or so.
EASY COLESLAW FROM SCRATCH
2 cups shredded cabbage or (16oz) bag coleslaw mix
3 TBS onion, diced
2/3 cup homemade mayonnaise
3 TBS vegetable oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup white sugar (depends on how sweet you want it)
1 TBS white vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
Combine the coleslaw and onion in a large bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together the salad dressing or mayonnaise, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seeds in a bowl and blend thoroughly. Pour this dressing over the coleslaw and toss to coat evenly. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. The following easy cabbage recipe doesn’t use mayo.
You will love this easy cabbage recipe, it’s a great coleslaw without mayonnaise. It gets better each day and will keep for 7 days in the refrigerator.
RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE COLESLAW
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
1 large red onion, diced
1 cup carrots, grated
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 TBS kosher salt
1 TBS dry mustard
black pepper, to taste
In a large bowl combine the cabbage, onion, carrots and celery. Sprinkle with 1 cup of sugar and mix well. In a small saucepan combine the vinegars, oil, salt, dry mustard and pepper. Bring to a boil and cool to room temperature. Pour over the cabbage and chill until ready to serve.
HOMEMADE SWEET CABBAGE SOUP
1-1/2 lb ground pork sausage
2 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
5 beef bouillon cubes
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup homemade brown sugar, packed
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1-1/2 quarts of water, divided
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
Place the pork sausage in a skillet and fry until done. Add the diced tomatoes, beef bouillon cubes, carrots, onion, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Pour in the half of the water and bring to a boil. Stir and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
Pour in the remaining water and return to a slow boil. Add the garlic and cabbage and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Serve immediately. The next easy cabbage recipe is the bomb. I LOVE it.
CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE IN A CROCK POT
4-1/2 lb corned beef brisket
1/4 stick homemade unsalted butter, softened
2 cups homemade beef broth
2 medium onions, quartered
3 TBS vinegar
3 TBS white sugar
Add at the last hour:
5 carrots, peeled and julienne
1 large head of cabbage, cut into wedges
10 small red potatoes
Pour in the broth, vinegar and sugar. Next place the brisket in the fluid and spread the butter over the top of the meat that is not in the fluid. Top with the quartered onions. Season with pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours, and high for 6-7 hours or until the meat falls apart.
I add the vegetables during the last hour or two of cooking. Slice the meat across the grain. The leftovers from this easy cabbage recipe makes some awesome Reuben sandwiches.
HOT CHINESE CABBAGE
14 oz Chinese cabbage
2 chile peppers, shredded
2 TBS canola oil
3-1/2 TBS white sugar
2-1/2 TBS vinegar
1 TBS kosher salt
Cut the white part of the cabbage into 2″ strips. Heat the oil and add the chile peppers and cabbage. Fry over high heat and add the seasonings. Mix well and serve cold. Lovely easy cabbage recipe.