A quintessential and popular German side dish, this braised German Red Cabbage is the perfect accompaniment to your Sunday roast, beef rouladen, brats and more! This thoroughly authentic German Red Cabbage recipe (Rotkohl) is easy to prepare, can be made in advance, and can even be frozen.
What is German Red Cabbage?
Known as Rotkohl, Blaukohl or Blaukraut in Germany, depending on the region, this braised red cabbage is a staple side dish that is served throughout Germany. It has a distinct sweet and sour flavor profile achieved by braising the red cabbage with apples, vinegar, and spices. A traditional accompaniment for beef dishes in particular, I grew up in Germany enjoying Rotkohl on a regular basis served with our Sunday roasts, Sauerbraten, and Rouladen.
This sweet and sour red cabbage has been around for, well, seemingly 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 something wonderful. If you’ve traveled to Germany or have sampled traditional German food, you’re likely familiar with Rotkohl. And this authentic German red cabbage recipe will transport you back to your favorite German dinner tables with memories of your favorite German meals.
Is Red Cabbage Healthy?
You bet it is! 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 antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, as well as sulfur which improve the health of your skin (ie, natural beautifiers), 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. In short, it’s quite the superfood! And among all red cabbage recipes, this German red cabbage is my favorite way to enjoy this healthy vegetable!
Butter, apples, vinegar, red currant jam, bay leaves, cloves and juniper berries are some of the ingredients that mingle together to create this delicious braised sweet and sour red cabbage. Just be sure to make time for the slow cooking process. It’s that long simmering process that’s key to the final outcome. The other key is to be sure to include all of the ingredients called for, including the spices, in order to achieve that authentic German Rotkohl flavor.
This traditional Rotkohl recipe is simple to prepare and can slowly cook with minimal attention while you’re preparing the other dishes or going about your daily business. It’s a great make-ahead dish because the flavor is even better the next day. Feel free to double or triple the batch because this sweet and sour cabbage also freezes well. Simply let it thaw and gently reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
German Red Cabbage Recipe
Let’s get started!
Finely chop the red cabbage. Achieving exact uniformity isn’t necessary so you can do this either by hand or with a mandolin or food processor.
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.
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.
Serve this as a side to your meat dish along with potatoes, Spätzle, Semmelknödel, or German Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelklöße).
Enjoy!
For more traditional German dishes be sure to try our:
- Spätzle
- Käsespätzle
- Rouladen
- Sauerbraten
- German Goulash
- Maultaschen
- Schnitzel
- German Potato Dumplings
- Semmelknödel
- Zwiebelkuchen
- German Bread (Vollkornbrot)
- Bratwurst
- Currywurst
- Swabian Potato Salad
German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)
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 jelly , this is traditional but can substitute cherry jam
- 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 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, and Sauerbraten along with potatoes, Spaetzle, or Knoedel.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 23, 2014
Daniel says
Excellent recipe, thank you!
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.
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!
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! :)
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!
Christine says
I’m using this recipe again this year for our Oktoberfest celebration at church. Everyone loves it! I increase the quantity to feed 150, but it’s every bit as fantastic made large! I buy a package of my favorite corned beef seasoning and put it in a cheesecloth and let that simmer with the cabbage. It has the juniper berries as well as a few other German friendly spices (corned beef is far more German/eastern European than Irish, after all) and it comes out fantastic. That currant jelly addition is a fantastic touch!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Christine, I’m glad to hear it’s been such a hit! And that’s a great idea, thanks for sharing!
Jen Amundson says
Would I be able to use green cabbage instead? I know traditionally it is red but those failed in my garden this year leaving me with a surplus of green cabbage. 😟 Thank you for a delicious recipe!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jen, unfortunately no, it won’t taste anything like it’s supposed to. Better to use that green cabbage for sauerkraut – or here’s a great soup putting green cabbage to use: https://www.daringgourmet.com/creamy-cabbage-kielbasa-soup/
Honor Burrows says
I have this simmering on the stove top right now, and it smells amazing! I didn’t have juniper or red currant jelly, so I substituted caraway seeds and home made blackberry and apple jelly. Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to eat it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Honor, happy eating!
Tim Wiedman says
This transported me right back to Germany. It’s the same, possibly even better, than I remembered. Thanks for a wonderful recipe and trip down memory lane.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Tim, thank you!
Sandra Kraft says
Hola all! This is absolutely fantastic. Really brings out the flavors of Germany and especially a friend of mine Wessling. Thank you so much. I have actually been looking for a recipe like this for a couple of years now. Lost mine from my German friend.
And here it is. I have canned this with no problem. 10# pressure for 15 minutes. Sealed and lasted over a year (well would have exceptwe ate it all! Great Blog site Kimberly so glad I have found you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Sandra, thank you! I’ll need to try canning this as well – I’d love to have this conveniently on hand every time I need some. Thanks again!
Dawn Walmsley says
I was in Germany 2 years ago and fell in love with the jarred Rotkohl! Is there a recipe that I could adapt to can this myself?
Thanks so much!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Dawn, because it lacks enough acidity to be canned via water bathing, it would have to be pressure canned. Whatever the general guidelines are for pressure canning cabbage would apply here (just omit the flour). That said, my concern would be that after such intense pressure canning the cabbage would be mushy, but I’m not sure.
Jörg Krüger says
Schönen Dank,ein gutes Rezept.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Vielen Dank, Jörg!
Cathy O says
Thanks for your recipes! I made your schnitzel, spaetzli and red cabbage tonight and it turned out great. didn’t have cloves so used all spice berries and used dried cherries instead of preserves. 2 out of 3 kids loved it as did the hubs. Better than what my mom used to make and the schnitzel was amazing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Cathy, I’m glad it was a hit, thank you!
Elaine says
OMG so amazing, have been trying various recipes over the years and this is totally the best. Magic on a plate
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
YES!! I’m so happy to hear that, Elaine, thank you!
Gerri Stierle says
My mother-InLaw made her red cabbage with a green cabbage apple red wine maybe onions any help with this recipe please
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Gerri, Rotkohl is only ever made with red cabbage so this must have been her own creation. I can think of dishes made with green cabbage, apples and onions but there is no red wine in them – generally it would be white wine and a touch of vinegar. Again, this sounds like a mother-in-law original recipe :)