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Home » Recipes » Sides

Vegan Red Cabbage Recipe

Published: Nov 16, 2019 · Modified: Sep 18, 2022 by Claire · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases · Leave a Comment

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This vegan braised red cabbage recipe with apple is full of flavour and the perfect side dish for your Christmas dinner and holiday recipes. Super easy to make in your skillet, it saves on valuable oven space for your other dishes!

vegan braised red cabbage with apple in a light brown bowl with a spoon in it next to red apples.

While red cabbage can of course be enjoyed year-round (lovely with a Sunday roast!), it's such a traditional dish for Christmas, Thanksgiving and holiday meals. This vegan red cabbage recipe is full of flavour, and of course quite pretty too!

On my table there are always so many sides, perhaps more than there needs to be! Everyone has their favourites, but mine are the honey roasted vegetables, celeriac sweet potato mash and cranberry sauce so perhaps you would like to check them out. It doesn't quite feel like a special occasion dinner without a lot of dishes does it!

This recipe was updated on 26 May 2022 with minor amendments to the recipe, new tips and photos.

Jump to:
  • ⭐ Why you will love this recipe
  • 🍎 Ingredients
  • 📖 Variations to the recipe
  • 🔪 Step by step instructions
  • 💭 Recipe tips and notes
  • 📋 Frequently asked questions
  • 🍽 More side dishes to enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

⭐ Why you will love this recipe

  • Easy recipe: this won't take up much time when you want to be celebrating with your family!
  • Flavourful: neither slimy nor too sweet, this has the perfect balance of a touch of sweetness from maple syrup, and a savoury flavour from cinnamon and bay leaves.
  • Stovetop red cabbage with apples: this recipe doesn't take up valuable oven space as we make it in a skillet.

🍎 Ingredients

individually labelled ingredients for vegan red cabbage including herbs, spices and apple.

All the ingredients are set out in the recipe card below. The main ones are:

  • Red cabbage - slice fairly finely and choose a fresh, unbruised cabbage.
  • Apple - personally I think red apple is better as it has a nice sweetness, whereas green apples are more tart.
  • Cinnamon - adds a hint of spice, but is optional for my low histamine readers.
  • Apple cider vinegar - or white distilled vinegar, if preferred, for a tang.

📖 Variations to the recipe

If cinnamon isn't your favorite or doesn't work for you (it's debated in terms of histamine), then you can simply swap for a tiny pinch of cardamom.

You can of course leave out the apple and simply have red cabbage.

🔪 Step by step instructions

One of the things that is tricky about cooking Christmas dinner, or those for the holidays, is oven space. With at least seven around our table, and a few different dietary requirements including vegetarian and, for me, low histamine, there's a lot of dishes and baking trays to juggle around!

This is a simple vegan red cabbage recipe with just a few steps, and you can easily rope in a guest to make it . . .(!)

shredded red cabbage on a chopping board with a knife labelled number one.
red cabbage and a bay leaf in a grey skillet labelled number two.

Step 1

Remove any bruised or tough outer leaves, and then finely shred the cabbage with a sharp knife (image 1).

Step 2

Add all the ingredients, with the exception of the apple, to a skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very light simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally (image 2).

chopped apple on a wooden chopping board labelled number three.
red cabbage, apple and a bay leaf in a skillet with a spoon in it labelled number four.

Step 3

Chop the apple and add to the skillet. Stir to combine (image 3).

Step 4

Add the apple and cook for a further 10-15 minutes (image 4). Keep an eye on it towards the end of the cooking time to ensure that it doesn't start to stick or burn if the water has been evaporated. Add more water (or stock) if required.

💭 Recipe tips and notes

  • Shred the cabbage quite finely. It is quite a tough leaf, so better to finely shred and then cook down slowly.
  • Dice the apple just before adding to the skillet rather than at the same time as the red cabbage to prevent it from browning.
  • For a more savoury taste you can use vegetable stock in place of water.
  • Add more water (or vegetable stock) to the skillet if it is getting too dry.

📋 Frequently asked questions

Does this vegan red cabbage have to include the apple?

No, you can simply make without if you prefer.

Is this braised red cabbage sweet or savory?

It's very slightly sweet from the cabbage. If you like a more savory taste you can use vegetable stock instead of water.

vegan braised red cabbage in a bowl with red apples in the background.

🍽 More side dishes to enjoy

Whether it's for the holidays or a special occasion, you will find so many tasty sides here, including my creamy potato cauliflower mash and fun ginger Brussels sprouts. Some recent recipes:

  • roasted sage potatoes in a white bowl next to garlic cloves and sage leaves.
    Roasted Sage Potatoes
  • pesto quinoa in a bowl next to a jar of pesto, fresh basil leaves and olive oil.
    Pesto Quinoa
  • roasted beet and carrot salad on a white plate.
    Beet and Carrot Salad
  • cucumber celery salad on a white plate next to fresh mint leaves and olive oil.
    Cucumber Celery Salad

I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ if you've tried the recipe!

📖 Recipe

vegan braised red cabbage with apple in a light brown bowl with a spoon in it.

Vegan Red Cabbage Recipe

Claire
This vegan red cabbage with apple is a lovely accompaniment to your holiday dishes. Unlike some recipes for red cabbage, this dish is cooked on the stove top rather than in the oven so freeing up some space for all your other holiday dishes!
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, British
Servings 4 servings
Calories 62 kcal

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Sharp knife

Ingredients
  

  • ½ red cabbage finely shredded
  • 1 apple cored and cut into cubes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup water or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional, or white distilled vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper optional, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add all the ingredients, with the exception of the apple, to a large skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, give it a good stir, and let simmer for 25 minutes.
  • Add the apple and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on it towards the end of the cooking time to ensure that it doesn't start to stick or burn if the water has been evaporated. Add more water as required.
  • Remove the bay leaf, and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Add a touch more water to the skillet if it has evaporated but the cabbage isn't cooked to the texture of your preference.
  • While I use water for this recipe, you can use a vegetable stock instead for a more savoury taste.
  • I like my apple in bigger chunks, but cut to the size you prefer.
  • For my low histamine readers, if you prefer to stick to foods that are mostly rated as 0 on SIGHI, then you can swap out apple cider vinegar for white distilled vinegar.
  • Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
 
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) compatibility list for histamine
All ingredients score 0 on the SIGHI list with the exception of:
  • red cabbage scores 0 but has a ? as a liberator.
  • apple cider vinegar, which scores 1.
  • cinnamon scores 0 on the list, but is rated as higher histamine on others. Cardamom could be a good swap.
  • black pepper, which scores 2 although small amounts are stated to be well tolerated.
  • bay laurel is not rated with a number, although it is stated that small amounts are well tolerated.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 30mgPotassium: 309mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1197IUVitamin C: 62mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @lowhistaminekitchen or tag #lowhistaminekitchen!
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Hi, I’m Claire. After a diagnosis of MCAS I began to follow a low histamine diet, which has helped me manage my symptoms. Here I hope to show that a restrictive diet can still be full of flavourful meals, and help you enjoy being creative in the kitchen.

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Please see my disclaimer. I am not a doctor or healthcare professional. All posts are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical or dietetic advice in any way.

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