Our red cabbage recipes for stir fry and side ideas, along with some tasty slaws, will add an extra bit of bite - as well as warming colour - to your cold weather mealtimes. Try the dishes below for a dish with a difference and ease yourself into the winter months with a tasty (and great-looking) addition to your homemade menu.

For a simple dish, gently fry some red cabbage with apple and bacon - and splash in a little balsamic vinegar to bring out the flavour. Serve with just a little bit of crunch left in the 'shreds'.

Red Cabbage Stir-Fry Recipes

Red Cabbage & Steak

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You'll need:

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 800g sirloin or rump steak
  • ½ red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 red onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges
  • 150g sugar snap peas
  • 1 mango, peeled and cut into thin batons
  • 1 lime, juice and finely grated zest only
  • 5 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  1. Use 1 tbsp of the oil to brush over both sides of the steak and season. Set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and stir-fry the cabbage and red onion for 3 minutes until it starts to soften.
  2. Add the sugar snaps, mango, lime zest and juice, and oyster sauce, then toss together well and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
  3. Heat a griddle pan until hot and cook the steak for 6 -7 minutes per side; cut into thin strips.
  4. Add most of the coriander to the veg mixture. Divide between 4 plates. Pile the steak slices on
    top and sprinkle with the remaining coriander.

Vegetarian Red Cabbage & Sugar Snap Peas

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You'll need:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 red onion, peeled and sliced
  • ½ medium-sized red cabbage, thinly shredded
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 200g sugar snap peas
  • 30g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 tbsp medium sherry
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and add the onion and cabbage. Stir-fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until cabbage begins to soften but still retains its bite.
  2. Add the garlic, sugar snap peas and pecan nuts and stir-fry for a further 3-4 minutes.
  3. Mix together the soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, sherry and tomato purée and drizzle over the cabbage.
  4. Allow to bubble for 2 minutes and serve immediately.

 

A Tasty Red Cabbage Side Dish Recipe

Cinnamon Buttered Red Cabbage

Melt 25g butter in a large pan, with a tight-fitting lid, add 3tbsp red wine vinegar, 50g demerera sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, salt & pepper seasoning and 2tbs fine orange marmalade. Cook, stirring, until well combined, then toss in the cabbage.

Cover the pan and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring after every 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Red Cabbage Slaw Suggestions

Traditional Slaw

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Traditional Red Cabbage Coleslaw

In a large bowl mix together ½ medium-sized red cabbage, washed and shredded, 250g carrots, peeled and grated, and 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped. In another bowl mix 4 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise, 4 tbsp crème fraiche light and 3 tbsp fresh basil, roughly torn. Add the vegetables, mix well and serve.

Apple Slaw

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Red Cabbage & Apple Slaw

Place half a medium-sized red cabbage (thinly shredded), 2 diced apples, 300g peeled and grated carrots, 6 shredded spring onions, 2 peeled and segmented oranges, 100g dried cranberries and 50g pine nuts together in a large mixing bowl.

Mix together 4 tbsp mayonnaise, 1tbsp clear honey, 4 tbsp fromage frais and salt & pepper to taste for the dressing and drizzle over the slaw. Toss well and chill until ready to serve.

Cranberry Slaw

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Red Cabbage & Cranberry Slaw

Trim the outer leaves from half a red cabbage, wash thoroughly and shred finely. Place in a large bowl. Add a red onion (peeled and thinly sliced) and 200g peeled and grated carrots to the cabbage, along with a finely chopped apple, a bunch of thinly sliced spring onions, 25g dried cranberries and 50g mixed, chopped nuts. Toss together thoroughly.

For the dressing, mix together 3 tbsp mayonnaise, 4tbsp natural yogurt and 2 tbsp cranberry sauce. Drizzle over the veg and toss well. Chill for an hour before serving.

Spiced Slaw

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Spiced Red Cabbage With Cranberries

Remove the outer leaves from a red cabbage then shred the remainder thinly. Place in a small pan with 50g butter, 150g cranberries, 50g demerara sugar, 100ml cranberry juice and 5 cloves. Season, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Remove the lid, stir the cabbage well and raise the heat, allowing the juices to bubble and reduce to a syrupy glaze.

Types Of Cabbage

Red cabbage,with its deep red-purple leaves, is delicious braised and served with roasted meat. Add a little vinegar or lemon juice when cooking to stop it from losing its colour. Here are the other types of cabbage you might want to use in different dishes...

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Green cabbage is the most familiar type of cabbage. Keep the leaves whole to make cabbage rolls stuffed with mince and rice.

White cabbage has a sweet, mild taste. Add to crunchy coleslaws and salads, pickle in vinegar or use to make sauerkraut.

Savoy cabbage has dark green, crinkled leaves that are tender and full of flavour. Cut away any of the tough core before using. Chop the leaves finely and stir fry, or add to soups.

Brussels sprouts are mini cabbages and best steamed or pan-fried to retain their crunch.
Trim off the base and outer leaves before cooking. You don’t have to cut a cross into the bottom, as this can make them go soggy.

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