German Crimson Cabbage Recipe – Sugar Free Londoner

German pink cabbage (Rotkohl) is a straightforward aspect dish that goes nicely with roasted meats. This conventional braised pink cabbage recipe with apples tastes deliciously candy and tangy. It requires solely 5 minutes of prep time.

Rotkohl is likely one of the most well-known and widespread German aspect dishes. I grew up in Hamburg, which implies I’ve eaten (and love) it in all its variations.

My Mama all the time served pink cabbage with meat dishes resembling roast pork or beef roll-ups (Rouladen) on Sundays. And naturally, it’s a should on the vacation desk alongside the Christmas goose.

The gently sweet-sour taste and the fragrant spices of this German pink cabbage recipe remind me of my childhood. To me, Rotkohl is wintery, fantastic consolation meals and I can not wait to share with you my genuine AND sugar free model.

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Elements

Listed below are the substances you will want for braised pink cabbage:

Crimson cabbage – You will want a medium cabbage head. Finely shredded, ideally with a mandoline.

Apples – I used small pink apples. You will must core them, however there is no such thing as a have to peel them. German recipes by no means suggest a selected sort of apple for the recipe. I’ve used Braeburn, Gala and even Granny Smith.

Broth – I used vegetable broth to reinforce the flavour. Inventory cubes are wonderful.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Important! This places the German into the German pink cabbage. It provides the dish the tangy sourness that enhances roasted meat so nicely.

Sweetener – Equally essential because it balances the sourness of the vinegar. Conventional Rotkohl recipes name for white sugar, however my sugar substitute of selection here’s a golden erythritol monk fruit mix. It has the identical caramel notes of brown sugar. Nevertheless, any sugar substitute of your selection is ok. If carbs will not be a priority, use coconut sugar or honey.

Seasoning: Bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, sea salt.

See the recipe card for full data on substances and portions.

Directions

Let’s make a correct German braised pink cabbage recipe. It is simply 3 easy steps.

STEP 1

Shred the cabbage finely. I take away the outer leaves of the cabbage and minimize it into quarters. Then, I minimize out the stalk as this cabbage half tends to be arduous. The quarters could be simply dealt with and sliced on the mandoline.

If you do not have a mandoline, slice the cabbage very finely with a pointy knife.

STEP 2

Add all of the substances apart from the apples to a big saucepan. Placed on a lid and produce to a boil over medium warmth. Then, cut back the warmth to low and simmer till smooth. 

STEP 3

Add the apples and stir. Proceed to braise the combination to permit them to melt as nicely. Style and regulate seasoning if required.

Variations

Listed below are some concepts on how one can tweak Rotkraut:

Juniper berries – These berries are a well-liked ingredient in German recipes. They’ve an fragrant taste that’s each fruity and peppery. Add ½ teaspoon originally of cooking. In case you use juniper berries, you possibly can omit the star anise.

Cloves – You need to use both 2 cloves, which you take away after cooking, or add a pinch of floor cloves. Cloves have a powerful, pungent taste and I do not all the time really feel like including them. Nevertheless, they do go very nicely with pink cabbage.

Onions: Yellow onions or shallots style nice in pink cabbage. Finely cube one onion and fry it in a bit of oil over low warmth till it’s translucent and smooth. This takes about 10 minutes. Then, proceed with the recipe.

Jelly or jam: That is one other widespread addition to German pink cabbage. My Oma all the time added a tablespoon of pink currant jam to her Rotkohl. I generally add a spoonful of sugar free cranberry sauce to extend the fruitiness.

Apple cider or apple juice: Conventional recipes usually add apple cider or apple juice to Rotkohl. We’re attaining the identical stability of candy and bitter with the mix of apple cider vinegar and sweetener.

Recipe FAQs

Serving Solutions

German pink cabbage is the right pairing for meat dishes:

• Beef – German Rouladen or beef roll-ups are historically served with Rotkohl and potatoes or Knoedel (potato dumplings). Sliced roast beef additionally tastes good with it.
• Pork – Roasted pork pairs nicely with pink cabbage.
• Venison – Venison ragout is a basic German dish that’s eaten with Spätzle, cranberry sauce and pink cabbage.
• Duck – Is commonly served with orange sauce and pink cabbage.
• Goose – That is the final word festive meal. We all the time ate goose on Christmas Day at dwelling, with pink cabbage, inexperienced cabbage and all the opposite trimmings. I now make turkey as an alternative, however Rotkohl is all the time one of many sides!
• Hen, Fish or Sausages – These will not be historically served with Rotkohl in Germany. A conventional aspect for sausages is Sauerkraut, though rustic sausages do style nice with pink cabbage as nicely.

Storage and Meal Prep

Meal prep: As talked about above, German pink cabbage could be ready 1-2 days forward. Then, gently reheat it on the stovetop or within the microwave simply earlier than serving.

Storage: Retailer this dish in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Or, freeze it for as much as 3 months.

Scaling the recipe: You may simply double or triple the recipe. Simply use a bigger, heavy-bottomed pot. The cooking time stays the identical.

Enjoyable Truth

Braised pink cabbage known as Rotkohl in Northern Germany and in Southern Germany, it’s referred to as Blaukraut. “Blau” means blue in German (and “kraut” is, after all, the quick type of Sauerkraut).

So, why was the pink cabbage blue in Bavaria?

The explanation for the color distinction was the soil the cabbage was grown in. Earlier than the appearance of recent farming, the North German soil was extra bitter. This turned the cabbage pink reasonably than the blue color it had within the south.

You may emulate the identical course of at dwelling. In case you add extra vinegar to the cabbage, it is going to go redder. In case you add extra sugar and a pinch of baking soda, it turns into blue.

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