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Red Cabbage with Apples is a delicious recipe that my mother-in-law makes. It’s the perfect accompaniment to any German fare. Tender red cabbage, braised in a sweet and sour sauce with apples and onions. So yummy!
(Post modified with new photos on 2/23/24.)
When the weather starts to cool and the calendar turns to September, our family starts looking forward to celebrating our annual Oktoberfest dinner at our church. There are many such celebrations in our surrounding communities as well so German food can always be found in the fall.
What’s more, this cabbage recipe goes well with ham or turkey dinners, making it a great choice for holiday menus. Or for potluck dinners!
My mother-in-law taught me several of her family recipes, which have been handed down from the strong German lineage in our families–Spaetzel, Sauerbraten, and this recipe.
Of course, I’ve added many of my own dishes to our Oktoberfest potluck, and I’m salivating over that saucy cabbage just thinking about it!
More German Recipe Ideas
- Bierocks with Sausage and Cabbage
- German-Style Meatballs
- Pork Schnitzel with Cream Sauce
- German Spaetzle with Cabbage
Ingredients for Red Cabbage with Apples
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- red cabbage
- red wine vinegar
- granulated sugar
- kosher salt
- bacon fat
- Jonathan apples (2 medium apples)
- yellow onion
- bay leaf
- whole cloves
- water
- dry red wine
- red currant jelly (or you may use grape jelly)
- more salt and black pepper for seasoning
Instructions on Making This Recipe
Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
Using a Chef’s Knife or Santoku Knife and cutting board, coarsely chop the cabbage.
You do not want a really fine shred for this recipe, so I always use a knife for this job.
Core, peel, and dice the apples. Chop the onions. Place all in prep bowls for use as needed.
Place cabbage in large bowl and sprinkle with red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
Time to Make the Cabbage Dish
In a large sauté pan, cook pieces of bacon until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the fat. When the bacon has cooled, break into bite-size pieces. Set aside until the end.
Alternately, you may slice the bacon before cooking.
Using the same pan, cook the apples and onions in the bacon grease until tender, about 5 minutes.
Be sure to use bacon grease for this for the added depth of flavor.
Add red cabbage, bay leaf, cloves, and water. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes to 2 hours, keeping it moist with extra water, if needed, until the cabbage is nice and tender.
When the cabbage is done, there should be no liquid left in the pan. Remove bay leaf and cloves and stir in the dry red wine and currant jelly.
When cooking with wine, always use a good wine that you enjoy drinking. For this recipe, a cabernet sauvignon or merlot work well. As for jelly, if you don’t have currant, you may substitute with grape jelly.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with bacon pieces.
This recipe will serve 6-8 people.
Serve this authentic old-time dish with more German Recipes Found Here. Browse Side Dishes Here.
Red Cabbage with Apples
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red cabbage coarsely shredded
- 2/3 cups red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 medium Jonathan apples core, peel, and dice
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 small bay leaf
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons dry red wine
- 3 tablespoons red currant jelly or grape jelly
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients for this recipe to have on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Using a knife and cutting board, coarsely chop the cabbage.
- Core, peel, and dice the apples.
- Chop the onion.
- Place cabbage in large bowl and sprinkle with red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Cook the Cabbage
- In large saute pan, cook the bacon until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the extra grease. When cooled, break into bite-size pieces.
- Using the same pan, cook apples and onions in the remaining bacon fat (2 tablespoons) until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the chopped cabbage, bay leaf, cloves, and water. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes to 2 hours, keeping the cabbage moist with extra water, if needed. When the cabbage is done, there should be no liquid left in the pan.
- Remove bay leaf and cloves. Stir in wine and jelly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle top with bacon pieces. Serves 6-8.
