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Stovetop Braised Red Cabbage
A staple of holiday tables and Sunday roasts, this braised red cabbage brings deep color and a beautifully sweet-tart flavor to your plate. Red onion, garlic, and shredded cabbage cook down slowly with muscovado sugar and red wine vinegar until they're meltingly tender. Juniper berries and ground allspice add a warm, aromatic backbone, while sliced pears go in near the end to provide a gentle, natural sweetness that balances the acidity. It's a deeply flavored side that pairs perfectly with your favorite mains.
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, halved and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large red cabbage, about 1kg (2¼lb), shredded
- 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 8 juniper berries
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 300ml (½ pint) vegetable stock
- 2 pears, cored and sliced
- salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1Warm the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Stir in the sliced red onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Mix in the crushed garlic, shredded red cabbage, muscovado sugar, red wine vinegar, juniper berries, ground allspice, and vegetable stock. Season everything generously with salt and black pepper. The vinegar helps the cabbage retain its bright purple color as it cooks.
- 2Bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pan tightly, and cook for 30 minutes.
- 3Stir the sliced pears into the cabbage mixture. Continue cooking uncovered for another 15 minutes until the cabbage is completely tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Notes
- Make ahead: This dish tastes even better the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock if it looks dry.
- Swap: If you don't have muscovado sugar, dark brown sugar works perfectly as a substitute.
- Prep tip: Remove the tough outer leaves and the hard white core of the cabbage before shredding for the best texture.