German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)

Food is an important part of family. We identify certain types of food with certain family gatherings, or simply certain family members. I will be honest, I never had German Red Cabbage until I married my husband, Andy. My family heritage is from Sweden and England and most often, it was mostly the Swedish side that we celebrated with food.

Andy’s grandmother on his father’s side immigrated from Germany in the earth 1900s. Then, he lived in Germany for two years in his early 20s. German food has always been an important part of his life. Naturally, I wanted to learn to cook it so that it would also be a part of my children’s life. Luckily I have a great friend whose mother is from Germany and she has given me some excellent recipes. I have tweeked them a bit and am happy to pass them on to you.

We always eat German food at Christmas time but I also like to make it at Easter, too. Do you celebrate holidays with traditional food from your heritage? I think it is a special way to make the holidays memorable.

I also think it is good to expose our kids to all kinds of food. I love having international food nights – what a great way to learn about other cultures and experience their food as well. It might be fun to try this with your family.

As for making the red cabbage, it is fairly simple. You first need to shred an entire head of red cabbage. I do with in my food processor in a couple batches.

Next, you’ll saute the onion in the butter in a large pot on the stove, add the rest of the ingredients, and let it simmer on low for 5-7 hours. It won’t take long for your house to smell like cabbage. My kids always think of Christmas well they smell it! Believe me, it tastes way better than it smells. It is a sweet, delicious side to rouladen or schnitzel.

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German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)

This traditional German recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and sour and a great side to a hearty meat.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine German

Keyword German Red Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Rotkohl

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 hours

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 1 head red cabbage
• ½ large onion diced
• ¼ cup butter
• 32 ounces apple juice
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Shred the cabbage in a food processor. Set aside in a large bowl.

2. In a large pot on medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until tender.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. When the liquid begins to boil, add the cabbage. Turn to low and let simmer for 5 hours. Serve hot.