Easy Spiced Slow Cooked Red Cabbage

5 from 1 vote

Easy Spiced Slow Cooked Red Cabbage

This slow cooked red cabbage recipe is an AMAZING side for Christmas dinner or a roast dinner any time of year! I'll show you how to cook it the EASY WAY using apple sauce, ready-made mincemeat and mulled wine for citrus and spices. I'll also show you how to make it in the slow cooker as well as a lidded casserole dish on a hob or multi-fuel stove top.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine: German

Keyword: braised, cabbage, christmas, festive, mincemeat

Servings: people

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Vikkie Lee

Equipment

Ingredients

2.2 lb red cabbage (1kg) shredded
2 pink shallots diced
⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup light soft brown sugar
1 cup Ready made mincemeat
2 tablespoon Apple sauce
¾ cup Mulled wine (7fl oz/200ml)
7 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar (3.5 fl oz/100ml)
3 tablespoon Sherry vinegar (50ml)
1 teaspoon Sea salt
¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper

Instructions

First, add the butter and sugar into the cooking pot of your choice (see below) and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved and has started to bubble.
If using, add your caraway seeds here and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the red cabbage and whichever kind of onions you chose, and stir well.
Chuck in the chopped red cabbage and onions on top, then for cooking times, follow one of the following:
Slow cooker - If you're out for a long time, this slow cooker red cabbage can be ready for when you return. Start by adding the butter and sugar and leave it to melt while you prep the cabbage. Add the rest of the ingredients, add a sheet of tin foil on top before adding the lid on to ensure no moisture escapes, then cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 6-8 hours.
Dutch oven - for cast iron lidded dishes like a Le Creuset or Denby, first start letting the butter and sugar start to bubble, then once you've added everything else, line the lid with tin foil, then pop the lid on and cook on a stovetop or hob over low heat for 2 hours. Stir occasionally, but if you need to add more moisture, then add 1 cup of hot water and continue. If you're cooking on a slow burning multi-fuel stove, then cook for 3-4 hours, but note you'll likely need to cook shorter if cooking with coal and wood.
Pressure cooker - I recommend first adding the butter and sugar and cooking until it starts to bubble, then add the remaining ingredients to the pot, secure the lid, and cook for 8-10 minutes. The same goes for multi-cookers like Instant pot or Tefal Cook4Me, etc, which is particularly useful if you don't want a long cooking time!
Enjoy as a side on your roast dinner, or eat cold in sandwiches, topped on pate or cheese and crackers etc.

Video

Notes

DON'T SKIP the vinegar, as it is used to preserve the bright purple color of the cabbage!

It's best to eat freshly cooked as the purple colour is still bold (watch the video compared to my reheated photos). But don't panic when it turns into a rich purple/maroon over the next few days. It's still good to eat - if not, better!

Avoid boiling the butter and sugar as we don't want a thick toffee sauce - just a gentle simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. You can test this by running a spatula along the bottom and if it feels grainy, it's not quite there.

If you're concerned your slow cooker or casserole dish may run out of water, line the lid with tin foil first to trap as much moisture in there as possible.

To reduce moisture in the pot at the end of cooking time, just continue cooking with the lid off, but a little bit is fine as it will thicken while cooling.

Nutrition