German red cabbage is a popular side dish with a sweet and sour flavour. The cabbage is braised with apple and spiced with wintery spices such as cloves and cinnamon. It is a perfect side for hearty meals such as venison goulash, goose, beef roulade, German potato dumplings or spätzle.
This is a vegetarian side dish that can easily be made vegan, by substituting the butter with vegetable oil.
It is most famous as a German Christmas Food - as it is delicious with roast goose and German potato dumplings. However, in Germany, we eat it all year round.
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I had to learn how to make braised red cabbage with apples from scratch while living in England. In Germany, you can just buy a frozen ready-made version in the supermarket, not so in the UK. "Rotkohl" is one of my favourite dishes so I have worked hard at perfecting this German-style recipe.
What we will cover in this post:
What is Red Cabbage called in Germany?
Now, this is complicated. In short, it depends on which region you are in.
The most common term for red cabbage is "Rotkohl". You call it "Apfelrotkohl" if the recipe contains apples.
You pronounce Rotkohl as an English Speaker as "ROTT-CALL"
"Rot" - means red in German. "Blau" is blue in German. Why this is not called Purple cabbage I have outlined in the section below. "Kohl" means cabbage in English ("Kraut" means the same)
Here are the regional names for Red Cabbage in Germany.
- Rotkohl: North Germany (Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, northern Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia), Switzerland
- Rotkraut: Mittel- und Südwestdeutschland (Saxony, Thuringia, Hessia, Baden, Pfalz, Franconia), East-Austria, Switzerland
- (Rot-/Blau-)Kappes: Nordrhein-Westfalia, Rhineland
- Blaukraut: South Germany (Württemberg, Bavaria), Austria, Switzerland
Why do we Germans call red cabbage "red" or "blue"? (and not purple cabbage)
Here is some fun trivia for you: In German red cabbage is called “Rotkohl”. However, once red cabbage is cooked it does not really turn red but purple. In some areas of Germany, it is actually called “Blaukraut” – blue cabbage.
The reason the name “red cabbage” stuck was that the German word for purple “lila” was not really in use until the 18th century. So in some areas of Germany it is known as “Rotkohl” or “Rotkraut” (red cabbage) and in others “Blaukraut” (Blue Cabbage).
It is probably too late to introduce the name “purple cabbage” (source Wikipedia)
Blaukraut / Rothkohl is German-style red cabbage. It is made from red cabbage, apples, wintery spices such as bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon. The recipe often uses vinegar to enhance the tartness and a little sugar to enhance the sweetness. This is why this dish is famous for its sweet and sour taste.
Ingredients
- Red cabbage (shredded)
- Red wine vinegar – it will add the sourness to the dish. The chemical reaction between the red cabbage and vinegar will also give it it’s vibrant colour.
- Apples – see below the notes for which variety works best.
- Onion – these add to the rich sweet flavours, as they get caramelised in the sugar.
Spices
The spices make this red cabbage side dish really exciting. The flavours are rich.
- Bay leaf
- Cinnamon stick
- Cloves
My tip for avoiding “speed bumps” (as my friend calls the annoyance of biting into clove seeds while eating) is to put them in a loose tea bag. You can also use spice bags made of linen. This way you can fish them out all at once.
Which apples should I use for this braised red cabbage?
To achieve the sweet and sour red cabbage flavour, it is best to use tart apples.
I would suggest the following varieties for this recipe:
- Braeburn
- Cox
- Granny Smith
- Bramley
German Red Cabbage Essentials (Affiliate Links)
How to make German Red Cabbage
To make German-style red cabbage you will have to “braise” it. Basically, it means you fry it in butter before being cooked.
German Red Cabbage Recipe Steps
- Pour the red wine vinegar over the sliced red cabbage.
- In a saucepan, caramelise the onions and apples in the butter with a bit of sugar.
- Add the red cabbage and fry just long enough to soften.
- Add the water and spices and place a lid on the saucepan. The red cabbage will begin to steam.
- Leave it to cook for about an hour, while turning occasionally. Check that the bottom does not burn.
Can you cook red cabbage in a slow cooker / crock pot?
Well, I am happy to report you can! I tested it, after having some leftover fresh red cabbage. You may not get the same depth of flavour as if you follow the original recipe step by step but it's still delicious. I am a convert, to cooking the red cabbage in the slow cooker/ crockpot.
The advantage is that you have the rest of the hobs free for other delicious activities. You can prepare the red cabbage in advance and then forget about it for 5 hours. This is the crockpot I use and love (affiliate link)
Recipe Variations
Every household has its own German red cabbage recipe. Why don't you give this one a try and then adapt it to your family's tastes? Here are some suggestions
- make vegan red cabbage and apple- by replacing the butter with vegetable oil
- Slimming World and Weight Watchers red cabbage - I followed this diet a few years ago and had to adapt the recipe. I used fry light to fry the onions and replaced the sugar with organic sweetener.
- Add red wine - for extra flavour.
- Add cranberry sauce or jelly for extra fruity sweetness
- replace the butter with goose fat for a unique flavour
- add Juniper berry.
- try cooking it with a whole onion spiked with cloves and removing the onion after cooking.
- replace the red wine vinegar with apple or cider vinegar.
What to serve with red cabbage and apples?
This sweet and sour spiced cabbage dish complements rich meaty flavours such as duck and goose. These meats are eaten traditionally in Germany during the advent and autumn seasons, which is why it is often associated with Christmas.
Here is a list of dishes that you can serve with red cabbage and apple:
- Goulash (try my beer goulash or venison goulash)
- Duck
- Goose
- Roast Beef (or any roast dinner)
- Spaetzle
- Semmelknödel (German bread dumplings)
- Kartoffelklöße (German potato dumplings)
- Spätzle
- Potatoes
- Nürenberger sausages
Make Ahead
This red cabbage side dish is perfect for making ahead. I think it probably tastes better the next day. You can also make it several months in advance if you freeze it once it cools after cooking.
Use a microwave or place it simply on the stove to reheat.
Storage Instructions
In the fridge
The braised red cabbage will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure you keep it in an airtight container. Remove all the spices (cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon stick) before storing, as otherwise, the flavour intensifies.
In the freezer
Make this recipe in big batches and store it in portions in the freezer. It stays good in the freezer for up to three months. Also, it is a perfect little side dish for a mid-week dinner.
(I first posted this recipe in March 2014 but have updated it in November 2020)
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Traditional German Red Cabbage and Apple Recipe
Equipment
- slow cooker (optional)
- large cooking pot (at least 3 ltr)
- spice bag or loose teabag (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 kg red cabbage 2 lb
- 2 onions approx 150 gr (5 oz)
- 3 tart /sour apples approx 400 gr/14 oz. See notes for which types work best.
- 50 g butter 2 tbsp
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 70 ml red wine vinegar 2.5 fl oz - can be subsituted with cider vinegar
- 125 ml water 4.2 fl oz
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
To cook in a saucepan
- Remove the leaves and stalk from the red cabbage; wash them and cut into fine strips. I suggest shredding them in your food processor to save time. Once transferred into a bowl pour the red wine vinegar over it.
- Peel and finley slice the onions.
- Peel, core and cube the apples. (appox 3 cm cubes)
- In a large saucepan melt the butter on medium heat. Add the onions and fry them until they begin to brown. Now add the sugar and apples and fry until they start to slightly caramelise. Add the cabbage to it and fry for 5 minutes. Continue to stir it to make sure it does not burn.
- Add the bay leaf, cloves, salt, cinnamon stick and water. Place a lid on the pot and leave to steam on a low heat for about 1 hour. Stir it occasionally to ensure the bottom does not burn.
- If you find the cabbage to liquidy mix 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoon of water in a little bowl and add to the cabbage pot.
- Add more sugar or salt to taste.
- Serve immediately or the next day. This dish sometimes tastes even better the next day and freezes well.
To cook in the slow cooker
- Grease the bowl of your slow cooker with some butter.
- Remove the leaves and stalk from the red cabbage; wash them and cut into fine strips. I suggest shredding them in your food processor to save time. Once transferred into a bowl pour the red wine vinegar over it.
- Peal and cube the onions.
- Peal the apples; remove the core and chop into approx. 2 cm cubes
- Add all the ingredients and leave to cook for around 5 hours.
This German Red Cabbage is absolutely stunning. I love how it is accidental vegan as well. Thank you so much.
I must have claimed about 25 dishes as my favourite food in the last month alone! I love German red cabbage- I never knew what gave it such an interesting flavour though but I now I think back I must have been eating a version similar to this with vinegar and apples in. I am a big lover of a lot of european cusine: french, italian etc but I have never eaten much German food so I am looking forwards to finding out some more classic dishes from your blog 🙂
This recipe sounds perfect! I will be sure to share this. We really do enjoy the same foods 🙂 We normally have Sauerkraut with our Nürnberger Rostbratwurst.
Oh my goodness, Marita. I think we are kindred spirits because these happen to be some of my favourite foods as well. My Oma would often pair red cabbage and kartoffel kloesse with roast duck, or even goose. Although she used to make red cabbage from scratch she now uses a jarred version. I will have to try your recipe though. It looks delicious!