Slow Cooker Red Cabbage

5 from 1 vote

The slow cooker red cabbage recipe is a traditional German side dish that pairs perfectly with any meal! Just dump the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it do the work.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Course: German Sides, Side Dish

Cuisine: German

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 116kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Slow cooker or crock pot

Ingredients

2 lbs red cabbage 1 kg
1 apple
1 onion
⅓ cup red wine 75 ml, Note 1
2 tablespoons brown sugar Note 2
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar Note 3
5 juniper berries
3 whole cloves Note 4
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons butter optional but nice

Instructions

Shred the red cabbage: Remove the outer leaves and discard them. Quarter the cabbage, remove the tough stem, and then thinly slice the quarters. Place the shredded cabbage in the slow cooker.
2 lbs red cabbage / 1 kg
Peel and finely chop the apple and the onion. Add them to the slow cooker.
1 apple + 1 onion
Add ingredients: Wine, vinegar, sugar, and all the spices. Stir well to combine. Dot the red cabbage with small butter pieces.
⅓ cup red wine / 75 ml + 2 tablespoons brown sugar + 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar + 5 juniper berries + 3 whole cloves + 3 bay leaves + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1-2 tablespoons butter
Slow-cook the red cabbage on HIGH for 4 hours or until tender, stirring halfway through. If it is not tender enough, stir it again, cover it, and give it another 30 minutes to 1 hour, checking again after 30 minutes. The red cabbage should be tender but not mushy.

Notes

Red wine: If you don’t want to use alcohol, replace the wine with the same amount of apple juice or vegetable broth. If the juice is very sweet, only use 1 tablespoon of brown sugar for the cabbage.
Sugar: You can use white sugar or maple syrup instead.
Vinegar: Use any other type of vinegar you have in your pantry instead of apple cider vinegar - for instance, white or red wine vinegar or balsamic.
Spices: Remove them when eating. The bay leaves are easy to find and remove, and you might enjoy the flavor of juniper berries. But be careful with the cloves—they're unpleasant to bite into; try to avoid them.

Nutrition