German red cabbage simmered low and slow was a staple at our holiday table. My parents brought this recipe with them from Denmark and Iceland in 1950, and Mom made it every Thanksgiving and Christmas for as long as I can remember. It’s sweet, tangy, and the perfect companion to turkey, pork roast, or ham — and it makes your whole kitchen smell like home.
They brought their traditions with them, and red cabbage was an important one.
Red cabbage isn't just a German dish. Whether the main course is duck, goose, or a succulent pork roast, this sweet and sour combination is a beloved staple in Scandinavia and northern Europe.
Chop a medium onion and saute it in a heavy pot. Use bacon drippings if you have some, as they add a great deal of wonderful flavor. I always have a jar of drippings in our fridge.
I was amazed today when I saw a new product on the grocer's shelves: Bacon Up. A tub of real bacon drippings! What an amazing idea!
If you don't have any drippings, use real butter. When the onions are soft, translucent, and fragrant, add a whole, unpeeled apple that has been cored and chopped.
Let that mixture get nice and soft, then add a small head of red cabbage you have shredded. Put 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar, and a teaspoon or so of coarse salt in the cabbage-apple-onion mixture. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the cabbage braise slowly.
Stir it occasionally. It will form more juice as it cooks down. The cabbage will be tender but not mushy after about an hour or an hour and a half. Now, you can refrigerate it and warm it up when needed.
This dish tastes even better reheated, so it's a great option to prepare a day or two ahead of the feast. Let's hear it for as many do-ahead dishes as we can make! When you reheat it, you may want to add a little more sugar, vinegar, salt, or even a pat of butter until it tastes just right to you.
This is exceptionally good with sausage or pork roast, too! My dad loved adding cold red cabbage to his turkey or pork sandwich when it was time to enjoy the leftovers!!
Norma Jean's Chicken and Dressing Casserole: A delicious chicken and dressing casserole made outside the bird, but it works great with everything on your Thanksgiving table! meaty enough to be a main dish.
Danish Frikadeller: Classic oval meatballs are considered a national dish in Denmark. Serve hot or refrigerate and slice for open-faced sandwiches.
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin: A wonderful recipe for moist, tender pork tenderloin with potatoes and carrots made in a slow cooker. The sauce has intriguing flavors!
Danish Apple Cake: Here's a wonderful recipe for a dense, moist cake with subtle notes of coffee and cardamom. Top it lavishly with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Grammy's Ham Balls: Tasty meatballs made of ground ham and ground pork in a sweet and tangy glaze of ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and dry mustard.
Our daddy has been gone for many, many years, but every time I make this dish, I think about him and growing up with all the old country traditions.
Our mom was in assisted living during the pandemic, and she wasn't able to spend Thanksgiving with us because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the facility. So I took some tradition to her. I filled a little casserole dish for her with our favorite chicken and dressing casserole on one side and German red cabbage on the other.
I warmed it up, snapped the lid on it, and slipped it into an insulated bag with a fork. It was only a five-minute trip to the facility where she lived. I zipped over there, where a kind staff member hustled her little care package to her apartment.
When I got home, I called her to see how she liked it. She was still eating it when I called and said it was wonderful. "It's just not a holiday without German red cabbage." That's what I thought, Momma, that's what I thought.
Traditional German-style sweet and sour red cabbage. Great with turkey, goose, duck, or pork roast. Easy to make ahead.
My mom is gone now, but I will never eat German red cabbage without thinking of her with warm memories. She always made it in the same heavy pot. ❤ I would love to hear about your family traditions and holiday dishes! What is the one dish that brings back warm memories of holiday dinners when you were growing up? Are you still making some of them to preserve tradition?
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Love GB (Betty Streff)
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What do you think about canning this? I love this stuff but just don't always jave the time to prepare.
Let's try it! I can't time why it wouldn't work. I'll investigate.
Can you use regular green cabbage instead?
I have never tried it!! It's worth a try and will probably be good but not as pretty! Let me know.
I love red cabbage with turkey or sauerbraten.
I use brown sugar and a pinch of cloves along with your recipe
Oh my stars, girl, I am so totally sharing your idea when I make it his fall. Thank you!!!
I am on a very low sodium diet so I was excited that your German cabbage recipe was only 9 mg of sodium. That usually applies per serving and this has 10 servings, Yet it calls for 1 tsp coarse salt. 1 tsp of coarse salt is 1560 mg of sodium. one tenth of that then is 156 mg, not 9. What am I doing incorrectly? I will still try the recipe though!
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 108Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 297mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
Looking at it again, I think the Cholestrol is 9mg and sodium is 297mg.
Thank you for sharing this great recipe. It reminds me of my Grandpa's recipe. I will be making it again.
Your grandpa?? Awwww! That is so special! I never had one myself, I got so lucky to meet the most delightful "seasoned citizen" who shared her recipe with me, so glad you enjoyed it!