What Goes Well With Cabbage

Have you ever found yourself staring at a head of cabbage, wondering what on earth to pair it with? Well, you’re in the right place! We’re about to discover the perfect ingredients to complement this humble yet versatile veggie.

Cabbage, my friend, is a fantastic veggie! It’s part of the Brassica family, also known as cruciferous vegetables, which includes other tasty favourites like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, and turnips.

What Goes Well With Cabbage? 💚

Common Pairings – Apple, apple cider vinegar, bacon, butter, capsicum/bell pepper, caraway seeds, cheese (cheddar, feta, goat’s), chilli, cream, curry powder, garlic, ginger, juniper berries, lemon (juice, zest), mustard, onion, pork.

Surprise Pairings – try it with coconut, coriander/cilantro, eggplant and mushrooms.

Combinations to Try

• cabbage + apples + cider vinegar
• cabbage + bacon + blue cheese + walnuts
• cabbage + bacon + sour cream
• cabbage + fennel + lime
• cabbage + balsamic vinegar + brown sugar
• cabbage + chestnuts + pork
• cabbage + duck fat + goat cheese + red wine vinegar
• cabbage + pancetta + ricotta cheese
• cabbage + lime + soy + red capsicum/pepper + peanuts/cashews

How to Use Cabbage in Salads 🥗

Cabbage adds a delightful crunch and a burst of freshness to any salad bowl.

• You can shred it finely for a classic coleslaw or add some bacon like in our Loaded Slaw Recipe.
• You could toss it with other veggie favourites such as fennel as we did in our Fennel Slaw Salad or with fruit like in our Apple Slaw Recipe. Or jazz up a mixed salad similar to our Rainbow Mixed Salad.
• Need a pop of colour? Then nothing beats red cabbage for this, we used it in our Sunflower Crunch Salad and in our Harvest Chicken Salad.
• Add some international flair by using different spices and flavourings like we did in our Turkish Red Cabbage Salad or our simple Greek Cabbage Salad.
• Chinese/Napa cabbage is perfect for Asian style salads like in our Chinese Cabbage Salad or in our Tasty Thai Asian Slaw recipe.

Cabbage Around the World 🌍

Cabbage is a versatile vegetable that can be found in a wide range of cuisines around the world. Some cuisines that are particularly well-suited to cabbage include:

1. Eastern European Cuisine: Used in dishes such as sauerkraut, stuffed cabbage rolls (golabki), and cabbage soup (kapusniak).
2. Asian Cuisine: Commonly used in various Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. It’s used in stir-fries, kimchi, spring rolls, soups, and hot pots.
3. German Cuisine: It is featured prominently in German cuisine, especially in dishes like sauerkraut, coleslaw, and braised red cabbage.
4. Irish Cuisine: A traditional ingredient in Irish cuisine, often served boiled or steamed alongside bacon or as part of a colcannon (mashed potato and cabbage) dish.
5. Indian Cuisine: Used in a variety of Indian dishes, including curries, stir-fries, and pickles.
6. Polish Cuisine: It is in many Polish dishes, such as cabbage and noodles (kopytka z kapustą), cabbage and mushroom pierogi, and cabbage stew (bigos).
7. Scandinavian Cuisine: Used in Scandinavian braised red cabbage (rødkål), red cabbage salad, cabbage rolls, and fermented cabbage dishes (surkal).
8. American Southern Cuisine: Cabbage is often used in Southern cuisine, such as in coleslaw, collard greens, and cabbage casseroles.

Cabbage Basics – All You Need To Know!

When Are Cabbages In Season? ☀️ ❄️

While you will find most cabbage varieties throughout the year, they are at their peak during Autumn and Winter. While pointed cabbage is at its peak during the Spring and early Summer months.

Choosing the Best Cabbage 🥇

• When it comes to choosing the perfect cabbage, opt for the one that feels heavy in your hands, and has crisp leaves with bright and vibrant colours. Avoid cabbages with droopy, wilted, yellow or discoloured outer leaves.
• Be on the lookout for signs of insect damage. The tightness of the outer leaves is a clear indication of its freshness. So, if you notice any separation from the head of the cabbage, it may be a sign that it’s past its prime and is likely to be less flavourful.
• You may also want to pay attention to its odour – a strong smell could indicate that it’s starting to rot from the inside. Also, look at the colour of the bottom stem – a darker colour could mean that it has been oxidising for a longer time.

Storage Tips 💡

• Cabbages are remarkably easy to store and keep fresh for a long time. Simply place them in a bag inside your fridge’s crisper drawer, but make sure to leave the bag slightly open to let the gases escape. They will keep for a couple of weeks when stored this way.
• Cabbages that have been cut will lose their freshness more rapidly than whole cabbages. But to extend its shelf life, slice it gradually, to minimise the exposed surface area as much as possible, allowing it to remain fresher for longer.
• Freezing cabbage is definitely not an option it degrades quickly and becomes a soggy mess. A better alternative would be to try fermenting your own sauerkraut. Not only is it a more effective solution, but it also results in delicious and nutritious cabbage that can be enjoyed for months!
• For faster food prep shredded cabbage can be stored well in the fridge; it crisps up beautifully! Place it in a container, cover it with water, and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days until you are ready to use it. Before adding it to your salad, strain it well and rinse it thoroughly under cold water as it will have a slight smell to it.

How to Prepare Cabbage 🔪

For detailed step-by-step instructions check out our How to prepare cabbage post:

1. Grab Your Equipment: get out a cutting board, your sharp chef knife, mandolineor food processor before we start.
2. Wash and Trim: remove any wilted or tough outer leaves and wash it thoroughly.
3. Cut into Wedges: place the cabbage on the cutting board and cut it in half through the stem.
   Then, turn each of these halves onto their flat sides for easier handling as we further divide them into quarters – giving us four equal parts!
4. Remove the Core: flip those quarters over so they’re resting on their curved sides. We’ll want to carefully trim out the core since it can be quite tough to eat.
5. Shred Cabbage: Lay those quarter wedges down flat on your so you can easily slice them into thin strips for your slaw. Or shred using your mandoline or with a food processor.
6. Long or Short Strips: for longer strips, make lengthwise cuts; if shorter is more your style – then widthwise slices are what you’re after!