Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (2024)

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples), also called Rotkohl or Blaukraut, is a favorite side dish of ours. It is a traditional German recipe. We like to grow our own red cabbage and prepare the dish once the cabbage is harvested in the fall and there are lots of apples to go with it, too. Then I freeze it and it is all ready for winter. Sure, you can also make the red cabbage recipe fresh anytime.

Apfelrotkohl for us starts with cabbage seeds in early spring, tending to the plants, harvesting, and finely cooking a big pot of it. The cabbage we grow in our short growing season never gets very big, so I often used 2 cabbages for the amount of one.

If it fills the pot to the edge, do not worry, it cooks down quite a bit.

To make this yummy treat is way simpler than one would think. The only trouble is the red color on your hands, the cutting board, and everything else that the red cabbage would touch. But it is so worth it!

Let’s make it.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (5)

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Author: Anna @ Northern Homestead

Ingredients

  • 1 onion (or a quarter of a huge onion, you need about 125g)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (can be substituted with water if you cook oil-free)
  • 1 big red cabbage (or several small 1250g)
  • 5 apples (500g)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 5 cloves
  • ¼ - ½ cup sugar, or 2 TB -1/3 cup honey (depending on taste).
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Sautee chopped onions in oil or water
  2. Add chopped cabbage, cook till it cooks down (ca. 10 minutes)
  3. Season
  4. Add apples
  5. Cover, turn down the heat to medium to low, and let simmer for 20 - 30 minutes
  6. Stir occasionally
  7. Taste, season some more if needed
  8. Enjoy

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (6)

Serve the Apfelpotkohl for example with mashed potatoes and mushroomgravy. It’s so good!

Freezing the Apfelrotkohl for winter

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (7)

We freeze the apfel rotkohl in portions for winter. Recycled plastic containers are great. Freezer bags can also be used. In the picture above I doubled the recipe. One batch makes about 9 potions.

To reheat, we take the apfe rotkohl out of the container and put it frozen into a pot with some water at the bottom and heat on medium-low until hot.

Bonus: Fermented Red Cabbage with Apple Salad

Even though we love the Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe, we also love the row version of it with fermented red cabbage.

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (8)

I use fermented red cabbage, fresh apples, chopped red onions, and hemp seeds. Optional maple syrup can be used to sweeten it. Just mix and enjoy.

A must-have book for fermented vegetables is Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & PastesApfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (9).

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (10)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (21)Zan says

    I am sure the recipe is delicious! I love apples cooked in recipes and mixed with cabbage sounds even tastier! Way to go for starting Christmas side dish earlier!

    Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (22)Anna says

      Oh yes, apples and cabbage go well together and so good for you.

      Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (24)Anna says

      I love apples and cabbage raw and fermented too. But for Christmas we cook it.

      Reply

  2. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (25)Shirley Wood says

    This sounds really good. My whole family likes a good pot of cabbage but we normally cook the green head. I’ve never tried cooking red cabbage but it sounds good with the apples. I had no idea you could freeze cooked cabbage. So glad you shared.
    A simple Christmas almost sounds like a dream in today’s hectic society!

    Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (26)Anna says

      It is not a dream here, and we love it this way. Try red cabbage, it is so yummy and good for you. By the way, the plant looks gorgeous in a flower garden, too. It is like a yummy flower head ;). In the winter, when there is less to bloom, grow red cabbage!

      Reply

  3. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (27)Kelly says

    I bet this is fantastic with pork chops! Also, your homegrown cabbages are gorgeous!

    Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (28)Anna says

      Thank you, growing red cabbage is a lot of fun.

      Reply

  4. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (29)Kristen from The Road to Domestication says

    I have no idea how to pronounce that (LOL) and I’m not a fan of cabbage typically, but red cabbage and apples sounds interesting! I would definitely try this!

    Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (30)Anna says

      The unpronounceable yummy side dish ;).

      Reply

  5. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (32)Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai says

    I’m not big on apples, but I remember my mom and grandma making this dish, and it always smell good. We had lots of red cabbage at our house in varying preparations. Recipes that can be cooked ahead for the holidays are a wonderful thing! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂

    ~Lorelai
    Life With Lorelai

    Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (33)Anna says

      I thought you would remember this dish.

      Reply

  6. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (34)Kristen from The Road to Domestication says

    Thanks so much for sharing with us at the #homematters linky party! We’re back on January 9 🙂 We’d love for you to join us then!

    Reply

  7. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (35)Kara @ Home With Purpose says

    This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at Simple Lives Thursday! 🙂

    Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (36)Anna says

      You are welcome, it is a yummy dish.

      Reply

  8. Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (37)Claudia Morgan says

    Childhood memories are coming alive … My grandma used to cook all sorts of yummy things, this is one of them. While I am writing this my apfelrotkohl is sizzling along on the stove. I have put some bay leaves in for that extra tang and the smells are wonderful.
    Thanks for posting this recipe. Believe it or not I have consumed a lot of that dish in my early years, but this is the first time I am cooking it myself … fourty seven years on. I am grateful. 🙂

    Reply

    • Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (38)Anna says

      You have some great memories. Hope it taste as good as you remember it to be.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Apfelrotkohl (Red Cabbage with Apples) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What pairs with red cabbage? ›

What goes well with red cabbage?
  • Meat: Red cabbage goes well with meats such as pork, bacon, ham, and sausage. ...
  • Apples: Red cabbage and apples are a classic pairing. ...
  • Onions: Red cabbage and onions are a great combination, the onion adds a nice sweetness and a little bit of sharpness to the cabbage.
Feb 1, 2023

Does Aldi have red cabbage? ›

Nature's Pick Red Cabbage Each | ALDI.

What is the difference between Rotkohl and Blaukraut? ›

In Northern Germany, where I'm from, red cabbage is called Rotkohl. In Central and Western Germany it is called Rotkraut. And in Southern Germany it is called Blaukohl or Blaukraut, which translate to blue cabbage.

What is red cabbage called? ›

Purple cabbage, also referred to as red cabbage, belongs to the Brassica genus of plants. This group includes nutrient-dense vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale. It tastes similar to green cabbage.

How often should you eat red cabbage? ›

To get the most benefit, try to consume ½ to ¾ cup cooked or 1 ½ cup raw cabbage per day at least 5 days per week. This is pretty easy to do since there are so many ways to prepare cabbage. Traditional methods of steaming or boiling cabbage can extract flavor and nutrients.

Can you eat red cabbage everyday? ›

The same goes for other cruciferous vegetables, such as kale, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. You CAN eat cabbage every day, but you should NOT eat it exclusively like some people do when they go on those crazy all cabbage diets.

Why is red cabbage so expensive? ›

Cabbage is a crop that grows best during specific times, making it challenging for farmers. Additionally, it doesn't make much money as they usually only plant it when it's the right season. As a result, when cabbage is not in season, it becomes more expensive.

Why are Aldi vegetables so cheap? ›

Aldi sticks to their products

They do carry some name-brand products, but the majority of products are produced by the chain's own producers. This brings costs for customers down because Aldi is controlling their own product prices, rather than having to align with commercial prices.

Is red cabbage a healthy choice? ›

Being rich in compounds like sulforaphane and anthocyanins, red cabbage is certainly one vegetable to add to your diet. These beneficial compounds appear to prevent oxidative damage and possibly act in protective way against cancer, including colorectal cancer.

Should red cabbage be served hot or cold? ›

Simmer for 1 hour until cabbage is soft but not mushy. Serve warm or cold.

What is the sweetest cabbage? ›

When you want to shake things up, savoy cabbage is a versatile category with crinkly, ruffly leaves. These cabbages tend to be looser, more tender, and the sweetest of all types.

Is Napa cabbage better than red cabbage? ›

Napa Cabbage

Its flavor is a little sweeter than green and red cabbage, and the leaves are far more tender, so it's a great choice if you're looking for something more mild. It's a classic addition when filling dumplings or making stir-fries, and it's also great raw in salads and slaws.

Does red cabbage cleanse your colon? ›

Packed with phytosterols (plant sterols) and insoluble fiber, cabbage can help keep your digestive system healthy and bowel movements regular. It fuels the good bacteria in your gut that protects your immune system and produces essential nutrients.

Is red cabbage good for blood pressure? ›

Diets high in anthocyanins, like those found in red cabbage, are linked with lower blood pressure. They're also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease.

Can dogs eat red cabbage? ›

Yes, dogs can eat cabbage. Not only is cabbage safe for dogs to eat, but they will also benefit from many of the nutrients in this lovely, leafy vegetable. Dogs can eat cabbage raw, cooked or air dried. Additionally, dogs can eat any kind of cabbage that you can, so your pup can eat green, red, and white cabbage.

What meat goes well with red cabbage? ›

Sweet and sour red cabbage is a perfect side dish for sausages, pork chops, schnitzel or German pork burgers. This braised cabbage also pairs well with roast chicken, duck, and roast beef.

What is the best companion for cabbage? ›

Alliums, including onions, chives, and leeks, contain sulfur, which is partly responsible for their intensely pungent flavor and aroma. Those sulfur compounds also make alliums fantastic companion plants for many vegetables, including cabbage.

What is cabbage compatible with? ›

7. Scallion
  • Spinach. Before planting cabbages, nurture and harvest for a few weeks. ...
  • Dandelion Green. Dandelion greens are nutrient-rich and pest-resistant garden heroes. ...
  • Celery. Celery is considered a good cabbage companion since it repels cabbage moths. ...
  • Mâche. ...
  • Onion.

What vegetables can you eat with cabbage? ›

Mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. Biscuits, dinner rolls or cornbread. Throw it into an assortment of other vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans and onions.

References

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