Don’t stick your nose up at the humble cabbage because braised cabbage, with carrots and onion, deserves high praise. The long, low heat cooking draws out the sweetness of the cabbage, carrots and onions while making it deliciously soft. Taking the foil off at the end and upping the heat produces nicely browned edges. It truly is delicious. We have made this recipe for years and like it so much we will often eat most of a pan ourselves!
This is a wonderful example of how a cooking method can produce superior results. And might I add that these ingredients are frugal as well as nourishing?
This is the recipe I have chosen to showcase from the cookbook, All about Braising by Molly Stevens. This book has some of the most wonderful sounding, slow cookin’ goodness recipes. From vegetable to beef, to chicken, to fish, this book has a wide variety of dishes. Most of the recipes are quite easy to put together they just need oven time. Slow cooked meals are perfect for this time of year. She also has very easy to follow directions, which is always greatly appreciatied.
(Speaking of this time of year, don’t forget about the Nourishing Holiday Food Carnival coming up this Tuesday!)
My notes to this recipe: Definitely follow the directions for the size of cabbage to use. If you use too big of one, it will not cook correctly. I also like to add several extra carrots, just because they are so delicious.
World’s Best Braised Cabbage, by Molly Stevens
1 Medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1 large yellow onion (about 8 ounces)
1 large carrot, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1/4 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black peper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Fleur de sel or coarse sea salt
1-Heat the oven to 325. Lightly oil a large gratin dish or a baking dish (9 by 13 inch works well).
2-Trimming the cabbage: Peel off and discard any bruised or ragged outer leaves from the cabbage. The cabbage should weigh close to 2 pounds (if you don’t have a kitchen scale, consult the grocery store receipt). If the cabbage weighs more than 2 pounds, it won’t fit in the baking dish and won’t braise as beautifully. To remedy this, cut away a wedge of the cabbage to trim it down to size. Save the leftover wedge for salad or coleslaw. Then cut teh cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges in teh baking dish, they may overlap some, but do your best to make a single layer.
3-The Braise:Scatter in the onion and carrot. Drizzle over the oil and stock or water. Season with salt, pepper, and the pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil, and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage wedges with tongs after an hour. Don’t worry if the wedges want to fall apart as you turn them: just do your best to keep them intact. If the dish is drying out at all, add a few tablespoons of water.
4-The finish: Once the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil, increase the oven heat to 400, and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, another 15 minutes or so. SErve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with fleur de sel or other coarse salt.
Variation: Braised gren cabbage with Balsamic vinegar
I sometimes add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the cabbage to enhance it’s sweetness. In step 4, after you remove the foil, sprinkle on 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic and turn the cabbage with tongs to distribute the vinegar, then roast for another 15 minutes, uncovered as directed.
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t remember the last time I ate cabbage slow-cooked and delicious like this. It is mouth-watering, and always so suprising that cabbage can DO that! Thanks!
mmmm That looks real good (though I’d probably try it with veggie stock). Sadly my life right now includes spending long hours in a study carrel at the law library…and I fear that it wouldn’t be so great later for the folks sitting in the carrels next to me!
Okay, I’m sitting here trying to figure out what a caoort is, googling it and everything, and I think I finally figured out it is a typo (carrot), LOL! Sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the great blog.
~Andrea
Andrea,
What?!! You haven’t heard of a caoort?
Where have you been?
Okay…. just joking. You are right. It was just a typo (I’m a bad self editor, you know!).
Well, this was just the excuse I needed to buy a new cookbook!
I was trying to figure out what on earth to do with the last green cabbage in our fridge yesterday when I suddenly remembered seeing this recipe on your blog. We’ve been eating a lot of sauteed cabbage lately, so I was wantitng something different.
We tried it last night and both really enjoyed it — me especially. You’re right that the carrots are too die for (and I don’t even like cooked carrots!). I think that next time I’ll try it with some white wine in the braising liquid…
Thanks for another great basic recipe, Kimi!
Hmmmmmm! Did someone mention white wine?? I think I will try that. This recipe is to die for ….. without the wine. With the wine it might be even better…. if that is possible. This cabbage was the only thing that I had seconds of for St. Patricks Day. The corned beef was cooked separately. Cabbage and wine…who would have thunk.
I stumbled across this blog and thought I would try out the cabbage recipe first. We received our first home delivery of local organic produce this week and my bag of goodies contained cabbage, carrots, and onions, so this recipe was right up my alley.
Other than adding a bit more chicken broth, I cooked it exactly per the recipe and it was fabulous. My husband, who at first said, “We’re having cabbage for dinner?!,” was pleasantly surprised with the results and I couldn’t have been happier.
Thank you for this simple, healthy, comforting recipe.!
Hi Alison and Anonymous,
Isn’t this recipe so simple and easy to make, yet so delicious too! I am so glad that you liked it. I have often felt that the reason vegetables are so looked down upon is because they aren’t made the right way. I could eat this recipe quite often.
I’m planning on making this cabbage this week with a pork tenderloin…thanks!
Kimi,
I made this for dinner tonight and oh boy it was so good. There were no leftovers!
Thanks for doing such a great job cooking and making tasty vegetables!
Mmmmm, this looks perfect to make this afternoon while my pot roast is in the oven – same temperature and I have all the ingredients already, including some homemade chicken broth I need to use up very soon (I forgot to freeze it). I was looking for non-starchy veggie dish inspiration that didn’t require an additional shopping trip and this is perfect! Thanks.
We’re dining with a German family so I’m sure they’ll appreciate the cabbage, too.
I looked through the info on this book at Amazon. What are some of your other faves from this cookbook?
I love to braise and probably could use a book dedicated to this technique (truthfully, though I like to cook from scratch, I’m a lazy cook and like to let the oven or slow cooker do the majority of the work instead of frantically managing lots of stove-top activities). I’m thinking about putting this book on my wishlist, though it’s too late for the order my husband just placed for my Christmas gift.
Perhaps Mothers’ Day, which will give me a chance to learn a bit more about the book.
Made the cabbage and it was delicious! I made a couple modifications: I greased the casserole with home rendered lard and drizzled with less olive oil and instead dotted with 6 knobs of bacon drippings before putting in the oven for extra flavor. And I didn’t use red pepper flakes. This was delicious with the braised bison chuck pot roast with onion garlic sauce.
Thanks!
Kimi, I work outside the home (sadly) so having 2 hours to slow cook this was just no fathomable for me… so I did this in a 2-Step process…
Last night I started it & let it cook for about 1.5 hours (after dinner while I did other things) and man did it smell great while it was cooking!
So I took it out & let it cool off, put it in the fridge.
Tonight as soon as I got home, I took it out & stuck it back in the oven at 325 for about 45 minutes while I did “other stuff”… I let it warm, then flipped the cabbage & sprinkled with Balsamic. About another 15 & I took off the lid. It looks & smells so yummy! Can’t wait to eat! I had some Ham Steaks in the freezer, so I just pan fried them… I’ll let you know!
P>S.
It’s “date night” part II tonight (long story), maybe cabbage wasn’t the best idea! lol
Ok, I thought I’d left follow up, but I guess I didn’t. Here it is, better late than never!: It was fabulous. Simply fabulous. I’ve made it twice already!
We LOVED this dish! What a great recipe! I’ve never actually been *excited* about a cabbage dish before, but I can’t wait to make this one again! It was my first time using this cooking method, and now I’d love to find more foods to use this process on. It was SO yummy! Next time I’ll add even more carrots and onions b/c we really like those.
A perfect mate for Corned Beef. 16 came over for Corned Beef and Cabbage. I tried this recipe and it was sensational – even the cabbage haters loved it (used the pot liquor from the brisket instead of chicken broth)! Many thanks.
I grill cabbage often in the summer months but never with carrots and onions so I tried this recipe, minus the chicken stock , plus a little butter, and it turned out wonderful! I put in on a low heat on the top tray of the grill for about 45-60mins, perfectly tender!
Wow, this was incredible. I had no idea cabbage could be transformed into something this delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Tried this recipe substituting shredded cabbage. It was delicious!
Yum, I make a braised cabbage dish but I just make it in a pan on the stove top. I serve it with a Dill Dijon Yogurt sauce. I basically just add dried dill and dijon mustard to yogurt. Its perfect together.
I made it, and it is simply delicious. And, I mean SIMPLE. DELICIOUS.
I put in two pieces of beef kielbasa, and it really did not need it at all. This cabbage stands on its own, and is so satisfying. I recommend making it exactly as per the recipe above. Thank you!
Unbelievable recipe! I also added a cup of white wine instead of the oil, and added some kielbasa.
Hey! I stumbled on the recipe because I googled “negative calorie foods” and onions (which I LOOOVE), carrots (yum!), and cabbage all were on the list.
Perfect combination- and it’s about time someone ebraced the beauty in cabbage! ha
I actually crave it now and I don’t feel guilty eating it.
Seconds? Don’t mind if I do!
PS- and my boyfriend who loves fried foods…chooses this over going out to dinner! A+ you rock! Thanks!
Hi, great recipe, thanks for sharing. I tried it with a couple of caps white wine vinegar, some herby sausages and a mash with chives, yoghurt & garlic. Yum!
I read about this book on Amazon.com and especially the raves over the cabbage dish which I wanted to make on New Years day, so I ordered this book to arrive on Friday but the Fed Ex guy left it at the office (even though I was home). Well by the time I picked up the “package in office” noticed. They were closed for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I Googled it in the hopes someone had posted the recipe and sure enough I found it here. I fixed it for brunch with BBQ Spare ribs and it was wonderful. My guests loved the ribs but liked the cabbage dish even more. I can’t thank you enough for posting it and can’t wait to pick up my New Cook Book when the office opens tomorrow. Oh Amazon has a great price on the book about 30% 0ff.
This will convert people who do not like cabbage, and for those who do, it is simply the best cabbage you will ever eat.
this was delicious! i have been eating it over a bed of greens and parsley and brown rice, with a drizzle of tahini.
i made the following variations:
no carrots (i was out)
no red pepper flakes
sprinkled salt on cabbage before cooking instead of after cooked
minced garlic (two cloves), ginger (a thumb-sized piece), and a full serrano pepper, added to mixture at the same time of onions
covered top with light dusting of cumin
tucked almonds into the cabbage
used more stock than called for (& used vegetable stock instead for a vegetarian dish)
reduced the oil and added white wine vinegar
turned up heat to 350 in first phase and took out after 90 minutes; did not bother to turn cabbage halfway through
added raisins at the roasting phase
added black pepper at the very end
wow. its the 3rd time i’ve made this and i love it each time. i cant stop picking at it from the baking dish while it cools. just posted a picture of my recent cabbage on FB and added the link to here. other people MUST know! thanks for sharing and for sweetening my day. xoL
Making this for dinner to accompany some crispy skinned duck.
Donna, I swear I just choked on my own drool because of your comment. I need fall to get here now so I can make just this.
This is truly delicious!!! Very sweet. The heat from the red pepper flake exploded with this method of cooking though! We sprinkle it generously, but on this it was intensified! I’ll definitely make this a regular dish at our house. Thanks for posting.
I’m trying this recipe right now, so far so good. My friend recommended it and told me to add sausage. I am also serving it over rice
My husband HATES the smell of cabbage cooking. He was surprised when I pulled the cabbage out of the oven to have with our corned beef and cornbread. He loved it so much there wasn’t any left over. Well gotta buy a new head of cabbage to have with the leftover corned beef. Thanx for the great recipe.
Made this recipe as it is written. It was excellent. To satisfy my family’s taste I would use more red pepper flakes and double the carrots at least. The cooking method is excellent for deepening the flavor of the cabbage. The nature sweetness of the cabbage is enhanced by this method and even people who are at best ambivilent about cabbage will enjoy this preparation.
Made this recipe as it is written. It was excellent. To satisfy my family’s taste I would use more red pepper flakes and double the carrots at least. The cooking method is excellent for deepening the flavor of the cabbage. The natural sweetness of the cabbage is enhanced by this method and even people who are at best ambivilent about cabbage will enjoy this preparation.
I tried this last night and I was very impressed! Delicious! It is amazing how much flavor this dish has. My husband and I absolutely loved it. You could absolutely impress guests with this dish because it looks beautiful and is packed with flavor. Thank you.
In a word – YUM! What a deliciously simply and fabulous recipe. I had some home made celery salt so I added that instead of regular salt
I’m making this tonight with turkey breast and cornbread dressing. I’m going to add apples to the mix and see how it is.
I was in Switzerland and my cousin braised cabbage, small potatoes and a piece of ham. It was the most delicious dish.
I substituted caraway seeds for the red pepper flakes. It was delicious. Nice technique.
I can’t even tell you how many times I have made this dish! I absolutely love it. I think this is my 4th week in a row making it…my roommate came down the stairs and was like, “seriously? you’re making it AGAIN?”
I can’t get over how easy, tasty, and CHEAP it is to make this dish! I buy a huge head of cabbage at the asian grocery store for .59/lb and i always have some carrots & onions on hand, so this dish comes together so quickly. Love it, thanks again!
I tried your braised cabbage recipe a couple of months ago and it was delecious. Since it was my first time making I was a little hesitant..well today I am cooking it again instead of the old boring boiled method thanks for the recipe….
Could I use purple cabbage? Would it have a similar effect? I have a head and don’t know what to do with it.
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