German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)

4.98 from 35 votes

German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)

German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) is a popular German side dish that is very easy to make from scratch! It tastes so aromatic with a distinctive sweet and sour flavor and makes a perfect side for a roast dinner together with spaetzle or potato dumplings. This recipe for braised red cabbage with apples is a family favorite!

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: German

Servings:

Author: Julia Foerster

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or lard
2 medium apples peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 medium onion finely diced
2 pounds red cabbage one medium head, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
1 tablespoon lingonberry jam optional
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 juniper berries if you can find them
1 tablespoon white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Cups - Metric

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat and sauté diced apples and onions for 2-3 minutes.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 medium apples, 1 medium onion
Add the red cabbage and vinegar, and stir until combined. Then add the apple cider, jam (optional), cloves, bay leaf, and juniper berries. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper.
2 pounds red cabbage, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 cup apple cider, 1 tablespoon lingonberry jam, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 2 juniper berries, 1 tablespoon white sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
Reduce the temperature to medium, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 50-60 minutes until the cabbage is soft but not mushy. Stir occasionally. Add a little bit more apple cider if needed.
Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Notes

Slice the cabbage very thinly. A mandoline works best! If you cut the cabbage not as thinly as in the photos, it will take longer to cook.
Make sure to use a large enough Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
This recipe works with every kind of semi-tart apple! German recipes often don't specify which apple variety works best in a recipe, so I always use what I have on hand. Granny Smith apples are not traditionally used but work well.
Some traditional recipes use jelly or jam as a sweetener besides sugar. So feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons of red currant jam, lingonberry jam, or cranberry sauce to the cabbage while it's cooking.
For an authentic flavor, use the spices listed in the ingredients. These are traditional German spices that give the Blaukraut its distinctive aromatic flavor.
Don't add garlic! Garlic is not used in traditional German recipes.
You can cook the red cabbage one day in advance and reheat it before serving. It tastes even better the next day because the flavors have time to blend!
Red cabbage tastes great with roasts, roast goose or duck, and turkey. Serve it together with dumplings or German Spätzle.

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