Hearty red cabbage is braised with red wine vinegar, sugar, and onions just until tender. The resulting sweet and sour cabbage is the perfect side for roast chicken, sausages, pork chops, and your favorite German dishes.
Sweet and Sour Cabbage Brings the Zing
This is my grandma Freida’s take on the classic German Rotkohl (literally “red cabbage”). You’ll find variations of this recipe throughout Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, but we like to keep things simple with minimal spices and just 8 basic ingredients.
Slow cooking earthy red cabbage in a tangy mixture of red wine vinegar and sugar transforms it into a sweet and sour side dish that’s perfect with grilled or roasted proteins like bratwurst, chicken, salmon, and steak. And her , of course.
Braised red cabbage can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature, and its hearty texture means it keeps well in the fridge for days. (Plus, who doesn’t love bright purple food?)
Enjoy! Heidi
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- Slice the cabbage thickly (approx. ⅜ inch thick). If sliced thinly, like you do when making coleslaw, the cabbage will fall apart while braising.
- Use the full amount of sugar listed in the recipe card. It’s just ⅓ cup for a whole head of red cabbage, and you need a good amount of sweetness to balance out the pucker-inducing vinegar.
- You’ll know the red cabbage is done when it’s tender yet still has some texture to it. If it’s turned to mush, you’ve cooked it for too long.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Red cabbage — You’ll need a medium-sized head of cabbage, or about 2 pounds.
- Butter — Creates a richer-tasting, sweet and sour flavor.
- Onion — Dice a yellow onion for this recipe. It will soften and disappear during the braising process.
- Red wine vinegar — Adds the fruity tang that’s essential for creating the sweet and sour flavor.
- Sugar — I prefer using granulated sugar for its neutral sweetness.
- Kosher salt — If using regular table salt, dial back the amount since it tastes saltier than kosher salt.
- Bay leaf — Some recipes call for juniper berries or whole cloves, but I find that a single bay leaf nicely flavors the batch of cabbage without overwhelming it.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Cabbage
- Cook the onion. You want the onion to soften, but not brown. Keep the heat set to medium-high and stir the onion only occasionally so it can cook undisturbed.
- Add the cabbage. You can toss the core, which is too tough and fibrous to be eaten. Slice the rest of the cabbage into thicker pieces so they maintain their shape once braised.
Heidi’s Tip: For even more sweetness and texture, dice two apples (any variety) and add to the pot along with the shredded cabbage.
- Create the sweet and sour flavor. Add the vinegar, sugar, spices, and some water.
- Cover and cook low and slow. In about 45 minutes, you’ll have a delicious batch of German rotkohl!
What to Serve With Braised Red Cabbage
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