International Food Night was a tradition in our home when the kids were younger. Each week we chose a country, picked “unusual” recipes from their culture and prepared a meal. On German night we had this red cabbage and apple recipe. It was the beginning of a love affair with cabbage for my kids. Soon we were trying all sorts of cabbage dishes; stuffed cabbage, cabbage rolls, Asian coleslaw. They still enjoy all of those dishes, but the one they ask for most often is this Red Cabbage and Apple recipe. It’s naturally gluten free and dairy free, making my life easier. Plus, if I have any leftovers, the kids will argue over who gets to finish them off later. It’s a win-win!
Red Cabbage and Apple Recipe
I can never leave a recipe alone so I tweaked this one to suit our tastes. I like a stronger vinegar flavor and more flavor from the apples. If you don’t, reduce the amount of vinegar by a couple of tablespoons. To give it a stronger apple flavor I replaced the water used in the recipe with apple juice. I also think this would be good with apple cider or hard cider. I also added cornstarch to make the recipe thicker.
To save time I usually purchase 2 bags of shredded purple cabbage when it is on sale. If you prefer you can purchase a head of red cabbage and shred it yourself. If you don’t want to fry the cabbage in oil, switch the oil called for in the recipe to 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth.
Printable Recipe
- 2 bags (16 ounces each) shredded red cabbage OR 4 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 large apples, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil OR Chicken Broth OR Veggie Broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 5 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Heat oil in a large saucepan. Stir in cabbage and onion; fry approximately 3 minutes. Stir in diced apple, apple juice, cornstarch and salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer about 25 minutes.
- Mix together vinegar and sugar. Pour into cabbage mixture. Taste the cabbage and adjust to desired sweetness or sourness. Cook 5 more minutes and remove from heat.
Be sure to stir the cabbage occasionally while it is cooking so it will not stick to the bottom of the pan. Do your kids have a favorite veggie recipe? What is your go-to recipe for getting your kids to eat veggies?
I’ve never heard of pairing apples with cabbage. I don’t particularly care for the taste of cabbage but maybe the apple would change it enough to make it appealing.
Hi there, this would fit perfectly in Food on Friday: July under the apple theme. Hope you bring it on over. Cheers from Carole’s Chatter
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International food night! What a great idea for exploring other cultures, ingredients and flavors! Talk about a fun way to learn what other people eat … I’m always so intrigued!
I love vinegar! So this would work really well for me. I bet its perfect on a veggie burger which is exactly how I’m craving it right now! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have never tried cooking apples and cabbage together. Your recipe does look interesting. I love that it is great to serve for people with gluten sensitivity. I will try to make some and share the recipe with my sister too.
My mom loves red cabbage! I bet this would be perfect for her!
My kids usually like veggies so this would be a nice addition to the recipes that I make at home. I think it’s a lovely side as well especially if you’re making something savory.
I love fresh cabbage during the summer months. It’s especially good with grilled chicken or steak. Can’t wait to try this at our next barbecue!
This is the first time I have read about a recipe that has cabbage and apples together. It does look like an awesome dish we would enjoy. I am thinking to make some as a side for grilled pork chops? I think that sounds good. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe.
I’ve never heard of this before! I’m honestly thinking this would go great on a hot dog!
I think this would be a great recipe, especially for a vegan. I have two friends who are vegans and am gonna recommend this to them. Thanks for sharing.
We now have TWO vegans in our house. This is PERFECT for them. And healthy for the rest of us. Thanks!
This looks delicious. I always see red cabbage in the store. Next time, I will pick one and try this recipe.
This sounds delicious and I’m always looking for new recipes to use red cabbage. We always end up getting a big one and then most of the time it get thrown. But this is a great idea and I can even slather it on toast and have as a topping.
Love the combo of red cabbage and apples…this sounds great!
This sounds really good! I have never heard of this recipe, but I think it would be a big hit at our house. Yum!
Looks yummy. But, uhmm I’ve never seen any red cabbage around the mart. Maybe a green one will do?
Yes, you could. substitute green cabbage. I think it will change the flavor slightly, but it will still be good.
This looks really good! I love red cabbage but I never tried to make something like this before! Amazing!
What a terrific idea to introduce kids to new cuisines. I’ve had variations of cole slaw before and even with apples — my MIL was German. I haven’t had it as you do though. It really has a beautiful color – it would certainly bring a lovely touch to the plate.
I have never had red cabbage and apples together before. This sounds like a great BBQ or picnic side!
I must admit I never cook much with cabbage except add them to salads. This looks so yum. I must try it.
Hmm… I don’t think I’ve tried anything like this before and it sounds so good! I love the combination of apple and cabbage. It would be like a slaw but more flavorful! I’d love to try this recipe!
who would knew that cabbage and apples coudl pair well together this looks amazing I need to try it soon!
We’ve had this before, except the recipe had sliced onions caramelized and of course the red cabbage and apples. In our recipe it called for beef broth instead of the chicken or veggie broth. We really like our recipe, so I’m sure yours would be delicious as well.
Now this is a nice idea. I would love to try making some of this for my family to try. It sounds good!
What an awesome way to try new things. I LOVE that idea.
What a fun way to try out different foods! I’ve never cooked with cabbage before, but with the apples I’m sure it gives it a nice sweetness!
This looks really delicious! I’m always looking for new side dishes and this one is particularly pretty.
What a fun tradition to have food from different cultures each week! I love it! And this recipe looks awesome – love the color!
I’ve never heard of combining them. I don’t eat cabbage but I have a friend that might enjoy this.
I’ve never had cabbage like this before. It looks absolutely fantastic, though. I’d love to give this a try.
Honestly, I haven’t had it fried. I think I’d like to try it though. I haven’t had red cabbage in years!
I never cook with cabbage so this would be a completely new and different thing for my kids. I will keep it for cooler time of year when i cook more.
Oooh. That sounds delicious. I’ve never had anything like this before, but just looking at it is making my mouth water.