Add this festive Braised Red Cabbage with cranberries to your holiday table!
Braised Red Cabbage is the perfect side dish for your holiday table. This Braised Red Cabbage is an inexpensive side dish that your family will love. Plus, it is full of antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Red cabbage is also high in Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Yay for plants!
As the red cabbage cooks with the cranberries, apple cider, a cinnamon stick, and bay leaf, the aroma of the holidays fills the kitchen. Your house will smell just like the holidays. The cabbage slowly cooks until it is tender and sweet. Then an apple, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar get added to the mix. A little bit of sugar is needed just to balance out the flavors. I didn’t add too much apple cider vinegar because I didn’t want the dish to be overly tart since there are cranberries. You can adjust to amount of sugar and vinegar to your taste.
Isn’t the color of this Braised Red Cabbage just gorgeous?!
This dish would be perfect for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free too!

Braised Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Head of Red Cabbage
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Cranberries
- 1 Cup Apple Cider
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Large Tart Apple, diced
- 3 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, or to taste
Instructions
- Peel off the outer leaves from the cabbage and discard. Quarter the cabbage, removing the tough stem, then thinly slice.
- In a large, deep sided skillet or stockpot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, 5-6 minutes, until soft.
- Add the sliced cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add in the cranberries, apple cider, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Stir. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 50-60 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the diced apple, brown sugar, and vinegar. Cook until the apple is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more vinegar to add tartness.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve.

Xo Jeni
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