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1 Comment Slow cooker red cabbage; it had been on my to-make list for a pretty long and now that I’ve made this easy recipe I wonder why I have not made this before. So easy and so delicious!
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If you’ve ever made a red cabbage recipe you probably know that cooking it takes quite a long time. And more importantly when you cook raw red cabbage in water, the color drains out of the cabbage. The water becomes purple and the vegetable itself very unappealing. A bit of a blue color. Now of course there are lots of ways to make red cabbage but I’ve wanted to make it in my crock pot for a while and I wanted to add some additional fall elements to the recipe.
Slow cooker red cabbage
Because red cabbage takes quite a long time to get nice and tender, it is an ideal vegetable to cook in the slow cooker. And since you have been asking for more slow cooker recipes, I’ve been working on some classics and this is one of my favorite fall recipes. It will also work really well for the holiday season as it is a perfect side dish for Christmas dinner (make this easy coq au vine recipe or serve it with lamb shoulder or even with a crunchy rack of lamb) or Thanksgiving (it goes so well with a whole roasted cauliflower too!). It’s a pretty easy slow cooker recipe and one more reason to bring out my trusty slow cooker
Fall
The classic way to prepare red cabbage is to add apples. That is what I did here, but as I also had a lot of poaching pears, so I sliced three poaching pears in addition to the apple. I also added some cranberries as I had those as well. You can find the exact quantities in the recipe card but here’s what went in and possible swaps.
What went into the slow cooker red cabbage
- Red cabbage
- onions – you can use red onion or yellow onion
- apples –
- poaching pears
- cinnamon stick
- bay leaves
- dark brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar – you can also use red wine vinegar
- fresh cranberries
- tangerines – juice and zest. A bit of lemon juice is also a good fit
If you don’t want to use sugar, you can add a little honey or maple syrup. I always find it adds a bit of flavor to red cabbage and it’s not a lot of sugar. But that’s optional, so it’s ok to leave it out. The apples and pears will also add a bit of sweetness. In addition you will see a lot of recipes featuring juniper berries. You can add those as well. Or some caraway seeds would also be good to add. Additional spices like cardamom or ginger would also be delicious but are optional.
Questions often asked about slow cooker red cabbage
How do you slice the red cabbage?
What goes well with red cabbage?
It is also delicious with potato mash or celeriac purée. But nice crispy roasted potatoes also go well with red cabbage.
How long should I leave the red cabbage in the slow cooker?
How much water should I add to the slow cooker?
I don’t have a slow cooker. Can I still make the red cabbage?
Slow cooker red cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red cabbage organic
- 4 poaching pears cut into pieces
- 2 apples sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 100 g cranberries fresh
- 2 mandarin zests plus juice
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey or 50g brown sugar
Equipment
- Slow cooker
How to make the slow cooker red cabbage
- Cut the red cabbage in half and then into thin slices. Cut these in half again. You can also use a food processor for this or use pre-cut red cabbage.
- Place the onion in the slow cooker and add the red cabbage. Add the diced cooked pear and apple and the cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and cranberries.
- Add the mandarin peel and juice. Pour about 200 ml of water into the bowl of the slow cooker and 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- You can add honey or brown sugar to taste. Turn the slow cooker on low and simmer gently for about 6 hours or until the cabbage is tender.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
The best way to make red cabbage if you ask me!