The beloved side dish found in virtually every restaurant and home throughout Germany and I grew up eating this on a regular basis with Sunday roasts and Rouladen. Here is a thoroughly authentic recipe for this delicious way of preparing red cabbage.
I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a long time and just kept forgetting. A few comments from German food fans reminded me, so here it is – the quintessential German red cabbage side dish!
Rotkohl has been around for, well, forever. And that’s how it usually works, doesn’t it? Great dishes stand the test of time. And Rotkohl takes the humble red cabbage and transforms it into a wonderful dish that traditionally accompanies beef roasts, Rouladen and Sauerbraten. For any of you who have traveled to Germany, you’ll remember this delicious dish. This recipe is like the Rotkohl you enjoyed at your favorite German restaurants or in your favorite German homes.
Rotkohl is also a great way to eat those healthy veggies. Red cabbage is packed with a ton of health benefits. It’s low in fat and high in fiber (ie, a “smart carb”), it’s full of vitamin K which has been shown to help prevent nerve damage leading to Alzheimer’s and dementia as well as help with mental functioning (ie, brain food), it’s high in sulfur which improves the health of your skin (ie, natural beautifier), it’s high in vitamin C which helps remove toxins in the body (ie, great for detox), it’s been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, helps regulate blood sugar, and because it’s high in potassium it can also help regulate blood pressure.
So cabbage, especially red cabbage, is one of man’s best friends – a superfood. And here is a delicious, traditional German way of preparing it. Butter, apples, vinegar, red currant jam, bay leaves, cloves and juniper berries are some of the ingredients that mingle to include this unforgettable side dish. Just be sure to make time for the slow cooking process. It’s that long simmering process that’s key to the final outcome.
Let’s get started!
Finely chop the red cabbage.
Finely chop the onions.
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook the onions until lightly caramelized, 7-10 minutes.
Add the red cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.
Dice the apple.
Add the diced apple along with the broth, bay leaf, whole cloves, juniper berries, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if needed. Mix a tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of water until dissolved and stir it into the cabbage. Add salt, sugar and vinegar to taste.
Enjoy!
Traditional German Rotkohl (Sweet/Sour Red Cabbage)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds red cabbage ,very thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion ,finely diced
- 1 large Granny Smith or other semi-tart apple ,peeled, cored and diced
- 1/4 cup butter (paleo: use grass fed or oil, vegans: use oil)
- 2 tablespoons red currant jam ,or cherry preserves (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour (gluten free and paleo: omit)
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the onions until lcaramelized and just beginning to brown, 7-10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Add the apple, broth, bay leaf, cloves, juniper berries, red currant jam, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if needed. Combine the flour and water until dissolved and stir into the Rotkohl. Simmer for another minute. Add more salt, sugar and vinegar to taste.
- Traditionally served with roasts, Rouladen, Sauerbraten and potatoes, Spaetzle or Knoedel.
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-90d7ePzUDYpLK.gif\")
Morgan says
Made this and quadrupled the recipe for a homeless men’s shelter. They loved it and brought a few tears going back to their childhood.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That is really touching, Morgan, thanks so much for sharing!
Sabine says
Made this tonight exactly as written. It was absolutely delicious. This is, by far, my favourite red cabbage recipe. I also made schnitzel, spaetzle and Kimberly’s German Hunter sauce recipe (without the pork). It was definitely a restaurant quality meal. Kimberly, honestly, every recipe of yours that I’ve tried has turned out amazing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’ve really made my day, Sabine, thanks so much! :)
Frans says
Making this today, with hachee (Mom’s Dutch recipe) and mashed potato’s. House smells so good right now.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hachee is the perfect accompaniment, Frans, happy eating!
Don T. says
I have very fond memories of rotkohl in Germany. My landlady made it with pineapple chunks and served it with the Christmas goose. Fantastic! Now I try to have goose at Christmas but have not been able to make the rotkohl as good as I had in Germany. Any suggestions about how to modify this recipe to include pineapple chunks?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Don, no other modifications necessary other than just adding some pineapple while everything is simmering. If you don’t want the actual chunks but just want the flavor, add large chunks that you can remove at the end. If you do want some small chunks present, add crushed pineapple. How much of either you add will just depend on how pineapple-y you want it to taste.
Daniel says
Excellent recipe, thank you!
Julia says
I have always wondered why Polish can’t cook proper red cabbage. I come from Silesia region and my grandma prepared excellent one. Tonight I just made some by your recipe and this is AMAZING. I used pressure cooker (electric one) and I can’t believe how good this is. Cheers!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Excellent, Julia, I’m so glad you liked it, thank you!
Sebastian Bautz says
Do you have instructions for the pressure cooker?
Elizabeth says
The best Rotkohl recipe, made it many times and it’s everyone’s favourite. Instead of red current jam , I used red current juice.so delicious!
Soos says
Is it possible to store this pickled cabbage? There is only the two of us and it’s a lot of work for one meal! Sounds delicious though. I’m thinking of bottling as here in the UK we don’t tend to ‘can’ food at home!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Soos, I haven’t tested the pH level of the finished Rotkohl to see if the acidity level is sufficient for bottling. Alternatively though you could freeze it in ziplock bags, spread out in a thin layer and then stacked in the freezer. I haven’t tried that myself but have heard that it works well.
Granny Powers says
Let me tell you why I am so thrilled to get this recipe. It’s been over 50 years since I’ve eaten this fabulous dish. My third grade teacher asked each student their ethnicity and what foods did they eat from their heritage. We all answered the best we could. Then the next day our teacher brought in food, a big pot and a hot plate. As she was cooking, she explained to us that she was of German decent and Rotkohl was a common side dish. Oh my goodness, my taste buds were in hog heaven. Being the age I was I never thought to ask the teacher for the recipe but it sure has stayed in my mind all this time. Today it hit me to see if I could find the recipe. Sure enough I found it on your website and amazingly I had all the necessary ingredients on hand so I cooked it up to eat with the roast I had prepared. The first bite I took I swear my eyes were rolling in the back of my head. I was in sheer delight! Being that it was so good I did over eat but it was well worth it considering how GOOD it was. Exactly as I remember it! Thank you so much for transporting an old woman’s memories back to a childhood pleasure.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that, Granny Powers, thank you for sharing! 50 years was a long wait and I’m so thrilled you found and enjoyed this recipe – thank you! Kind regards, Kimberly
Gina says
Great recipe! I love the addition of the cherry preserves. I wanted to make this the same day that I read it, and although I love amazon, I didn’t want to wait. I found the Dusseldorf mustard at World Market.I made the Senfbraten as well. I lived in Schweinfurt for 2 years, and this brings me back! Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Gina, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed both of those recipes, thank you!
Bethany says
Question…would chicken or beef broth work as well? I can buy veg broth, but I am trying not to have to go back to the grocery store!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bethany, yes, either of those will be fine. Chicken broth generally has a stronger flavor than beef so I’d probably go with beef for this one.
Bethany Hansz says
Sorry to ask another question…what do you think about making this dish the day before and reheating (or would it be better to make fresh the day we’re serving)?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Absolutely, Bethany! No problem whatsoever doing that, I do it all the time. If anything, the flavor’s even better the next day. Happy cooking!
Debra says
I have made lots of cooked red cabbage this is by far THE BEST! Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Debra, thanks so much!
Jen F says
Wow wow wow. This was so good. Made it tonight with your Sauerbraten.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Jen, thanks so much!
Andrew says
Very delicious!
I couldn’t find red currant jelly or whole cloves so i used cherry preserves and a pinch of ground cloves. Also used beef broth instead of veggie broth. This came out wonderful. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s perfect, Andrew, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Kitten says
Hi Kimberly! I love this recipe and have made it numerous times. It’s delicious. Today however, the cabbage turned kind of an ugly grayish brownish color. It still tastes great but doesn’t look so good. Any idea where I went wrong? I don’t want to do it again. Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kitten, thank you! That’s strange since you’ve made it several times but this is the first time this has happened. Normally that would only happen if you accidentally omitted the vinegar…any chance that happened? Otherwise I’m not sure.
Kitten says
Thanks Kimberly! That makes sense. I definitely added the vinegar, but I let the cabbage cook longer than 5 minutes before adding it. It was cooking for about 15 minutes total before I got the vinegar in. Still yummy as always though. I love your blog and your recipes never fail in flavor or execution (unless I make a mistake!) I also made your Zwetschgenkuchen recipe yesterday and it came out perfectly and it was delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Kitten! :)
Stephanie Waymen says
I had some homemade cranberry sauce, so used that instead of vinegar. And I was out of apples, so I used some home canned crab apples, it is heavenly! Thank-you for your complete directions.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Stephanie, and thanks for the feedback about the substitutions!
Michael Henry says
I love red cabbage just about any way you fix it. Rather than butter, I have sometimes started by cooking 2 or three slices of bacon and then browning the onion in that grease. I like the apples, but have sometimes substituted raisins that worked well. Brown sugar rather than white also adds a little more depth of flavor.
Gaby says
Excellent, excellent! I’m an expat living in Berlin and have eaten this in restaurants and friends’ houses. Today, I finally made it myself using this recipe. Just added orange peel as an extra and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing this.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Gaby, thanks so much!