Braised Red Cabbage and Apples with Maple and Thyme

Add some color to your plate with this pretty and delicious side dish of Braised Red Cabbage and Apples! 

*Updated September 29, 2020. Originally published October 2012. 

When people think of cabbage, they often think about recipes for stuffed cabbage or cole slaw. As much as I love stuffed cabbage, it’s not the quickest recipe to make. To enjoy the flavors and nutritional benefits of cabbage on a regular basis, I have found that braising is one of my favorite cooking techniques for this cruciferous vegetable, and it is tastiest and prettiest when done with red or purple cabbage.

A couple of weeks ago I saw some beautiful red cabbage at the supermarket and was inspired to come up with a new recipe. Since apples are also in season, I searched online for recipes with red cabbage and apples. As I occasionally do when developing new recipes, I took elements of multiple recipes and came up with a new variation.

Preparing Braised Cabbage

To make this Braised Red Cabbage and Apples recipe, red or purple cabbage is thinly sliced and sautéed with red onions and apples. These fall ingredients are then complemented with maple syrup, lemon juice, cider vinegar, whole grain mustard, and fresh thyme, making for a sweet and savory side dish that’s not only good for you (hello antioxidants!) and delicious, but also pretty to look at on the plate.

(Use your leftover thyme to make lemon thyme vinaigrette for your next salad!)

This side dish pairs beautifully with chicken and white fish. If I ate pork I would dare to say it would go well with that too! The recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but also a show-stopper on the table at a dinner party or for the upcoming holiday season.

Nutrition Note

Did you know? Red cabbage is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family (other members include kale, kohlrabi, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts) and is an excellent source of anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that provides anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.

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Braised Red Cabbage and Apples with Maple and Thyme

Yield: 6 to 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

If you're looking for a pretty and delicious side dish to add to your plate, this is it. Red cabbage and apples are braised with maple syrup, cider vinegar, mustard, and thyme for a sweet and savory combination that highlights some of the most popular flavors of the fall and winter season.

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Kosher

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Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small red cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced in half moons
• 2 medium crisp apples (such as Gala), cut into matchsticks, splashed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and continue cooking the mixture for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the syrup, vinegar, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender (about another 8 minutes). Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1/6th serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 196mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information was calculated by Nutritionix. It may not be 100% accurate.

Do you enjoy braised cabbage?

What’s your favorite cabbage recipe?

Share with me in the comments below!