Cabbage isn’t the most glamorous ingredient. Here are some recipes to help change that perception.
Read more about cabbage.
Mango Cabbage Slaw
by WSU executive chef Jamie Callison, from the 2013 cookbook The Crimson Spoon
Photo detail by E.J. Armstrong
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced mango
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons pickled ginger liquid
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Stir together all ingredients; allow it to sit at room temperature at least one hour for flavors to develop.
Yield: 3 cups
Red Cabbage Braised with Apples
by WSU executive chef Jamie Callison
Courtesy Jamie Callison
“This is a really good traditional rustic side for pork chops,” Callison says. “The acidity helps with the recipe. The cabbage stays nice and red. You could cook it for longer; all those flavors—the sweet onion, the bacon, the apple—really come together. It’s a really nice dish.”
2 pounds red cabbage, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons butter (can sub oil)
1 cup sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large apple, cored and diced (Callison uses Cosmic Crisp)
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 chicken stock
½ teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 pieces bacon, cooked and cut into strips (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Soak cabbage in cold water until needed. Melt butter in large pan braising pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook on low for about 5 minutes until onions become tender. Add cabbage and all ingredients except for lemon juice. (If using bacon, add it here.) Bring to simmer, cover, and cook for about 15-20 minutes until cabbage is tender.
Remove lid and reduce excess liquid. Add lemon juice, and season to taste.
Serves: 4
Apple Shaved Brussels Sprouts (or Cabbage) Slaw
by WSU executive chef Jamie Callison
Brussels sprouts are related to cabbage, and Callison uses them interchangeably in this elevated slaw featuring WSU-developed Cosmic Crisp® apples.
For the salad dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey (Callison recommends WSU honey)
For the salad:
2 medium Cosmic Crisp apples, washed, seeded, and julienned (can sub honey crisp or desired apple)
16 ounces Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, and shaved very thin (can sub green or red cabbage)
Mix dressing ingredients together, and adjust seasoning to taste. Place half the dressing into a mixing bowl with cut apples to prevent browning. Cut sprouts or cabbage, and add to apple mixture. Add additional dressing as needed.
Notes: You may not need all the dressing. For best results refrigerate for two hours.
Yield: 1 quart
Servings: 16
Corned Beef, Cabbage Slaw, and Buttered Potatoes
by WSU executive chef Jamie Callison
Photo detail, courtesy Jamie Callison
“On St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll eat 80 percent cabbage, 15 percent corned beef, and a little bit of potato,” Callison says. “It has bacon and caraway. And it’s so good because it’s not overcooked or mushy. Cabbage is my main on St. Patrick’s Day.”
For the corned beef
1 large onion, diced or julienned (about 1½–2 cups)
2½ pounds raw corned beef brisket
4 quarts simmering water, enough to cover brisket throughout cook time
For the glaze
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup stoneground mustard
¼ cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons honey (Callison recommends WSU honey)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
For the slaw
4 slices thick-sliced bacon, medium diced
1 sweet onion, julienned
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, washed and chopped
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste
6 cups green cabbage, cored and sliced
2 cups reserved cooking liquid from corned beef
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the potatoes
1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes or new potatoes, washed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flatleaf parsley, washed and chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place corned beef in simmering water, cook for about 4 hours or until fork tender. This can also be done in a pressure cooker following the manufacture’s recommendations. Remove corned beef, reserving cooking liquid.
Mix all glaze ingredients together.
Trim excess fat off of brisket and coat both sides of brisket with glaze, and broil until golden brown on both sides. Keep in warm place until cabbage slaw, potatoes, and other items are done. When time to serve, slice against the grain. Note: This is very important.
Cook bacon until it just starts to brown, add onions, thyme, caraway seeds, and a pinch of kosher salt. Drain excess fat off of bacon mixture. Cook cabbage for about 4 minutes, boiling in the reserved liquid from cooking corned beef, strain, and add cabbage to onion mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Season to taste.
Start potatoes in cold water, then bring to simmer, cooking for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Melt butter, add parsley, and season to taste. Strain potatoes, and add to butter mixture.
Servings: 6
Note: Final yield of corned beef may significantly vary depending on grade and fat level of brisket.
Grilled Coleslaw with Cilantro Vinaigrette
from Linda Burner Augustine (’83 Home Econ., Honors) via her website ayearatthetable.com
Photo Linda Burner Augustine
Linda Burner Augustine is a Seattle-based food consultant and cooking teacher specializing in recipe development and food writing. She is a WSU Honors College graduate and studied at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris on scholarship from Julia Child. She co-authored The Crimson Spoon cookbook with WSU’s Jamie Callison and writes the dinner blog A Year at the Table with the goal of inspiring people to cook at home and eat dinner together at the table. Her blog features seasonal ingredients and streamlined recipes and cooking methods.
For the vinaigrette
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅓ cup olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the coleslaw
1 small-size head green cabbage (about 2 ½ pounds)
½ cup grated carrots
⅓ cup finely chopped green onions
Whisk together cilantro, vinegar, sugar, and mustard; whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Cut cabbage in half lengthwise, then cut each half into lengthwise quarters; remove the core.
Grill cabbage until lightly browned and charred, turning to grill all sides, about 10 minutes total time; remove from grill. Thinly slice grilled cabbage (there will be about 8 cups). Toss together cabbage, carrots ,and green onions. Add vinaigrette and toss to evenly coat; season with salt and pepper. Allow sitting 15 minutes before serving.
Serves: 4 to 5
Grilled Chicken Chop Salad
from Linda Burner Augustine (’83 Home Econ., Honors) via her website ayearatthetable.com
Photo Linda Burner Augustine
For the marinade/dressing
½ cup reduced sodium or regular soy sauce
⅓ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger (or, 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the salad
6 cups thinly sliced cabbage
2 cups shredded or thinly sliced carrots
1 cup roasted cashews
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic; measure ½ cup and put in a dish suitable for marinating or in a re-sealable plastic bag. Reserve remaining marinade/dressing.
Pound chicken breasts to ¾-inch thickness between wax paper or in a re-sealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken, turning to coat evenly. Marinate, refrigerated, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Preheat a grill or a grill pan on the stove to medium heat; cook chicken, turning when halfway done, until cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees); set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to “rest” (resting keeps the juices in the chicken instead of on the cutting board when it is cut). Thinly slice chicken (chicken can also be refrigerated and served chilled).
For the salad, toss together cabbage, carrots, cashews, cilantro, and green onion with the remaining marinade/dressing until everything is evenly coated. Top with sliced chicken (chicken can also be tossed together with salad ingredients).
Serves: 4
On the web
Watch WSU executive chef Jamie Callison prepare corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day in this video from 2017. (Recipes and transcript)
Callison’s tips for cooking the perfect St. Patrick’s Day meal, including corned beef from scratch and cabbage slaw (Spokesman-Review, 2017)
More cabbage recipes in a 2015 Spokesman-Review cabbage feature
Sauerkraut recipe (WSU Extension Skagit County, PDF)
Sauerkraut’s spicy Korean cousin, kimchi, was created after explorers and traders introduced chili peppers from the New World to East Asia in the sixteenth century. There are more than two hundred kinds of kimchi, but the most common is made with Napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis). Here’s an easy and approachable step-by-step guide for making kimchi at home.
Chinese Napa cabbage with glass noodles (Omnivore’s Cookbook)
Chinese cabbage stir-fry (The Woks of Life)
Vietnamese recipe for beef and Napa cabbage (Vietnamese Soul Food blog)
Traditional red cabbage dish from Denmark (Nordic Food Living)
Cabbage soup, a staple in Russia (The Spruce Eats)
Bigos, or Polish hunter’s stew, is made with both sauerkraut and fresh cabbage (Serious Eats)
Stuffed cabbage rolls, another Polish staple (The Polonist)
Cabbage and sauerkraut producers video feature on Washington Grown