Braised German Red Cabbage Recipe (Rotkohl) with Blueberries & Cloves

This German red cabbage recipe, known as 'Rotkohl' (red cabbage) in Northern Germany, or 'Blaukraut' (blue cabbage) in Southern Germany, pairs well with many day-to-day meals such as pork chops and roasts, Beef Rouladen, or Pork Schnitzel, and is a popular German side dish. 

While braised red cabbage is a traditional side dish that is often served year-round, it is especially popular during the holiday season. Its sweet and sour flavor makes it the perfect side dish to serve alongside most roasted meats, and poultry such as roast duck, turkey, and chicken!

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This German red cabbage recipe is an easy "set it and forget it" recipe that can be prepared with minimal effort. The recipe can easily be altered to pair more easily with specific meats or appeal to your own personal tastes.

Where I use cloves, bay leaves, and blueberries to give the dish a slightly sweet and spiced holiday flavor, other spices and ingredients can just as easily be used.

Switch things up by adding chopped bacon, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar, or try adding chopped apple, caraway seeds, and lemon juice to the recipe!

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Authentic German Red Cabbage Recipe With Blueberry & Cloves

Did you know red cabbage is full of essential vitamins and nutrients? Chock-full of potassium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K, and boasting ten times the amount of Vitamin A than green cabbage, it's also naturally low in fat and high in fiber. It is an all-around great vegetable to incorporate into any healthy diet and meal plan!

The braising process helps break down the raw cabbage, making it easier to digest, and ensuring all the nutrients are more readily absorbed by the body.

Ingredients

To make this traditional German red cabbage recipe at home, you'll need:

• ½ head of a large red cabbage
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup of blueberry jam or preserve (I used homemade!)
• ½ cup of red wine or red wine vinegar
• 1 cup of water or chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves - (1 or 2 whole cloves can be used, but need to be picked out afterward)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Instructions for German Red Cabbage Recipe

1. Start by chopping the red cabbage into thin slices. The easiest way to achieve this is by peeling off one or two of the tough outer leaves to expose the clean and tightly formed vegetable underneath. Cut the cabbage into quarters with a sharp knife, and cut out the core as shown in the picture below. While the core is technically edible, it is tough with little flavor.

Once the red cabbage has been cored, continue by chopping the cabbage into small strips. After chopping the red cabbage, place it in a large bowl and give it a quick rinse. This removes any dirt or insects that may have been caught in the cabbage as it formed. Set the washed cabbage aside.

2. Next chop the onion into a medium or small dice size. Using a large pot, lightly saute the onion over medium-high heat in some oil or butter to soften it. Clarified butter is great for this as it has a high smoking point and won't caramelize the onion as quickly. You only want to cook the onion until it softens and turns translucent.

Add the chopped cabbage to the pot and cook for four or five minutes over medium heat.

3. De-glaze the pot with the red wine, then add the water or stock to the cabbage. Add the blueberry jam, clove, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let the red cabbage braise, (essentially simmer), for one to two hours. 

Periodically, have a look in the pot and stir the braising red cabbage to make sure it is not sticking or burning to the bottom of the pot. 

4. Towards the end of the cooking time, the liquid should have reduced and slightly thickened. If the juice in the pot is still very thin after braising for two hours, you have a few options to try and thicken it up:

• You could simply keep cooking the red cabbage for five to ten minutes without the lid to cook out some of the liquid. The sugar in the jam, (and if you used real chicken stock, the gelatin) will help naturally thicken and glaze the cabbage.
• Alternatively, you could make a slurry with flour or cornstarch and use that to thicken the liquid. Be careful not to use too much thickener, the liquid should be just thick enough to barely coat a spoon!

Once cooked and the cabbage is soft and tender, you can either serve the braised red cabbage immediately while hot or cool it and then reheat it at your leisure. The braised red cabbage is best stored in a non-reactive, airtight container.

My mother always says that Rotkohl - a German Red Cabbage Recipe - simply tastes better the next day as it marinates in its juices. So feel free to make this side dish the day before you have guests over for supper.

Dishes To Serve With This German Red Cabbage

Looking for some ideas of what to serve with this easy side dish? Try any one of the suggestions below:

• German Pork Schnitzel
• Grilled pork chops
• Potato dumplings or Traditional German Spaetzle
• Garlic & Herb Roast Turkey Breast
• Pork Roast or 'Sauerbraten'

More German Recipes

If you loved this German recipe, try out some of my other traditional German foods such as these:

• Hearty German Goulash
• German Schnitzel
• Jägerschnitzel (Hunter's Schnitzel)
• German Caramelized Onion Tart - Zwiebel Kuchen
• German Meat Fondue (Fleischfondue)
• Spaetzle Noodles
• German Glühwein - German Mulled Wine
• How To Make German Style Sauerkraut
• German Cucumber Salad - Gurkensalat
• German Sugar Candied Almonds (Gebrannte Mandeln)
• or my Grandmother's Apple Pie!

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Recipe

German Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) with Blueberries & Cloves

Chef Markus

A popular year-round side dish, this German red cabbage recipe or 'rotkohl' makes a delicious side to roasted meats, and holiday dinners.

4.89 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine German

Servings 4 portions

Calories 787 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ head large red cabbage cored and thinly sliced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 cup blueberry jam or preserve I used homemade jam
• ½ cup red wine or red wine vinegar
• 1 cup water or chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 or 2 whole cloves can be used, but shouldn't be picked out afterwards
• 1 whole bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Start by chopping the red cabbage into thin slices. The easiest way to achieve this is by peeling off one or two of the tough outer leaves to expose the clean and tightly formed vegetable underneath. Cut the cabbage into quarters with a sharp knife, and cut out the core as shown in the picture below. While the core is technically edible, it is tough with little flavor.
  
• Once the red cabbage has been cored, continue by chopping the cabbage into small strips. After chopping the red cabbage, place it in a large bowl and give it a quick rinse. This removes any dirt or insects which may have been caught in the cabbage as it formed. Set the washed cabbage aside.
• Next chop the onion into a medium or small dice size. Using a large pot, lightly saute the onion over medium-high heat in some oil or butter to soften it. Clarified butter is great for this as it has a high smoking point and won't caramelize the onion as quickly. You only want to cook the onion until it softens and turns translucent. Add the chopped cabbage to the pot and cook for four or five minutes over medium heat.
  
• De-glaze the pot with the red wine, then add the water or stock to the cabbage. Add the blueberry jam, clove, bay leaf, salt and pepper to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium low heat and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let the red cabbage braise, (essentially simmer), for one to two hours.
  
• Periodically, have a look in the pot and stir the braising red cabbage to make sure it is not sticking or burning to the bottom of the pot. Towards the end of the cooking time, the liquid should have reduced and slightly thickened. See Notes for suggestions if liquid is thin.
  
• Once cooked and the cabbage is soft and tender, you can either serve the braised red cabbage immediately while hot, or cool it and then reheat at your leisure. The braised red cabbage is best stored in a non-re-active, airtight container.
  

Notes

If after cooking for 2 hours the liquid inthe pot is still to thin and has not thickened you have two options:

• You could simply keep cooking the red cabbage for five to ten minutes without the lid to cook out some of the liquid. The sugar in the jam, (and if you used real chicken stock, the gelatin) will help naturally thicken and glaze the cabbage.
• You could also make a slurry with flour or corn starch and use that to thicken the liquid. Be careful not to use too much thickener, the liquid should be just thick enough to barely coat a spoon!

Nutrition

Calories: 787kcal

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Keyword German braised red cabbaged, how do you make braised red cabbage, what is the best way to cook red cabbage

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