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
Catherine Williams says
I just made this recipe for Christmas and served it to a German friend, her first Christmas in Canada. She said that although it is different from the recipes she is used to, she loved this one. She took a large container of leftovers home with her! One thing I did different was I quadrupled the recipe and after beginning the recipe on the stove top as you recommended, I let it simmer in a slow cooker overnight. This made the cabbage softer and all the juices marinated which made the flavour exquisite. I love the way you describe your recipes and the regions they come from. After browsing I found the British FlapJack recipe that I too grew up with in England. This is next on my list along with the delicious looking creamy turkey recipe. In a short while you have made this website my number 1 Go to! Thank you!
Robin says
This was fabulous. I used to make a quick version of red cabbage, as my grandmother would do, using jarred pickled red cabbage, but this is head and shoulders over that, and very authentic. Thanks for bumping up my Christmas dinner!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Robin, I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Steve Donnelly says
Hi Kimberly, I am making your Sauerbraten & Rotkohl.
The ingredients in the sauerbraten marinade are very similar to the ingredients in the Rotkhl.
Can I use the marinade for the Rotkohl, with the addition of the jam & bacon?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Steve, that’s an interesting question. Yes, some of the ingredients are similar but the ratios are different. So I’m hesitant to recommend that without having tried it and my gut instinct is that it may end up being very overpowering – the vinegar specifically.
Jim says
Hey Kim,
Jim, from Minnesota here. (I asked you about the last name / Twins thing a few years back. . .) Anywho, just wanted to say that I make this a lot, and my German friend said it reminds her of home! I have a double batch going right now. I have frozen it a few times. No troubles with that. We were eating at the Bavaria Haus in New Westminster, B.C. and I said to myself, what is that awesome purple stuff and how do they make it? That’s how I ended up on your site. Thanks again. Still yummy
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Jim, thanks so much for checking in with that feedback, I appreciate it!
Anonymous says
Hello to a fellow Canadian! I’m in Alberta but always interested in hearing about German restaurants elsewhere!
Anonymous says
Any tips on making this in a slow cooker?
Melissa says
Can I use caraway seeds instead of juniper berries? Also could I use blackberry jam instead of red currant jam?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Melissa, caraway and juniper isn’t really interchangeable as they have starkly different flavors. Caraway is commonly used in sauerkraut but I would not use it in Rotkohl. I’d simply omit the juniper berries if you don’t have them. Blackberry jam is fine. Happy cooking!
Deborah McNorgan says
Hmmm. My German mom and Oma always used caraway in Rotkohl, and it’s in all the other recipes I’ve ever seen in German cookbooks. Always considered it a key ingredient.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It may be a regional thing or just a personal variation. I’m from Swabia, my mother is from Bavaria, and having grown up there I have not encountered it in either region. Google “Rotkohl Rezept” and look at the recipes on actual German websites – virtually none call for it (“Kümmel” in German). That’s not to say that nobody uses it, it’s just not common. And it may be that some regions use it more than others.
Roy J Jaeger says
You use whole juniper berry and whole cloves along with bay leaves, but no mention of bothering to remove any of them. No need to crush before hand? Or need bother plucking out the bay leaves?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Roy, yes this calls for whole spices and bay leaf. You can leave them in if you wish but it’s not a pleasant experience to bite into them ;)
Mearal Dalstead says
I see some in jars in shops . Can this recipe be bottled to use later. Would only use small quantities.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mearal, it would have to be pressure canned but I don’t know what the specific parameters would be.
Geoff Leaman says
Can Rotkohl be kept in a fridge after making & if so, How long would you suggest be a maximum please?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Geoff, absolutely. It will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Jeff says
Hi Kimberly,
A couple of questions:
1 – can Raspberry jam be substituted? I haven’t been able to find Red Current or Cherry
2 – can leftovers be frozen?
3 – I’ve seen in the comments that this can be made a day or so in advance, what is your recommendation on reheating?
I’m looking forward to pairing this with Sauerbrauten!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jeff, yes you can use raspberry jam. I haven’t personally tried freezing this but a few readers said they’ve done so successfully. Yes, this can be made ahead and either reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. Happy cooking! :)
George Koch says
Can this be frozen?
Clare Fletcher says
This recipe is to DIE FOR. It’s so authentic. And it wasn’t too hard to do. Thank you so much for providing all of these authentic recipes from southern Germany. Makes me really nostalgic for the time I used to live there!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it, Clare, and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Erich says
Hi Kimberly,
Im a little confused regarding the recipe when it refers to the “broth” where am I getting the broth from?
Once I cook onions and cabbage, you say add the apples, broth etc.
I don’t seem to find instructions for the broth?
Thanks so much
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Erich, you can purchase ready made vegetable broth at the store either in liquid form in a can/carton or in the form or bouillon cubes that you add to water.
Mike says
Can u can this recipe?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mike, I’m sure this can be canned with a pressure canner but I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t offer the specifics. I also don’t know how it will impact the texture of the Rotkohl.
Richard Smith says
Thank you for an excellent recipe. I made it exactly as directed, along with the sauerbraten (venison top round marinated for 12 days). It was wonderful!
I love the flavor of the rotkohl cold. Is that an unusual way to eat it?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s fantastic, Richard, I’m so glad you made and enjoyed both recipes – thank you! Rotkohl is typically eaten warm but if you prefer it cold there’s certainly nothing wrong with that! :)