Cabbage Recipes: 10 Tasty Ways to Cook Cabbage

Cabbage might be the most underrated vegetable in Britain. A whole head often costs less than a pound, it keeps for weeks in the fridge, and it can be crisp, silky, smoky or sweet depending on how you cook it. It is the backbone of the Sunday roast and the star of bubble and squeak, but lately it is having a moment far beyond the classics: cabbage dumplings, cabbage soup and even cabbage pasta are all trending as cooks look for cheap, filling food with real flavour. These cabbage recipes prove that one humble vegetable can carry a whole week of dinners.

On this list you will find the old favourites done properly, plus the newer dishes everyone is suddenly making. Most of them use one cabbage, a few store-cupboard basics and less than 40 minutes of your time. There are ideas for using up roast leftovers, ideas for a fast weeknight tea, and even a simple ferment you can make in a jam jar. If you are building a list of easy meals to cook for dinner on a budget, start here: pick one cabbage at the shop and work your way through the lot.

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1. Bubble and Squeak
2. Buttered Cabbage with Bacon
3. Charred Hispi Cabbage Wedges
4. Cabbage and Pork Dumplings
5. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
6. Hearty Cabbage Soup
7. Crunchy Homemade Coleslaw
8. Stir-Fried Cabbage with Garlic, Chilli and Bacon
9. Cabbage Alfredo Pasta
10. Simple Homemade Sauerkraut
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts
Sources
Gallery

1. Bubble and Squeak

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Bubble and squeak is Britain's best leftovers dish: cold mashed potato and cooked cabbage, fried together until crisp and golden. For four people, use about 400g of leftover mash and 250g of cooked cabbage, finely chopped. A little finely sliced onion, a handful of grated mature Cheddar or a few chopped rashers of bacon all fit in happily, and leftover Brussels sprouts, carrots or leeks can join the mix too. Season well with salt and black pepper, because plain potato and cabbage need a confident hand with both.

Mix everything in a bowl and shape it into one big cake or four smaller patties. Fry in a knob of butter and a splash of oil over a medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side, pressing down gently, until the edges are deeply crisp. The name comes from the happy bubbling and squeaking sound it makes in the pan. Serve it with a fried or poached egg on top for brunch, or next to cold ham and pickles for tea. It is the traditional Monday-night answer to the Sunday roast, and it costs almost nothing.

2. Buttered Cabbage with Bacon

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Few side dishes sit as happily on a roast dinner as soft, buttery cabbage with smoky bacon running through it. Take one Savoy cabbage, about 600g, and shred it into ribbons roughly 1cm wide, dropping the hard core. Fry 150g of bacon lardons in a large pan until the fat runs and the edges crisp, then add a knob of butter, the cabbage and two or three spoonfuls of water. The dark green, crinkly leaves of a Savoy are perfect here because they stay tender without turning to mush.

Cover the pan and let the cabbage steam in its own juices for 6 to 8 minutes, tossing it a few times, until it is soft and glossy but still bright. Finish with lots of black pepper and a tiny grating of nutmeg if you like. In Ireland the same pairing is served as a main course, with thick slices of boiled bacon, the cabbage cooked in the bacon liquor, and a creamy parsley sauce poured over, as in the photo. Either way, put it next to roast chicken, pork with crackling or a simple gammon joint and watch it disappear first.

3. Charred Hispi Cabbage Wedges

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This is the dish that turned cabbage into a restaurant favourite. The hispi, also sold as sweetheart cabbage, is the pointed, pale green one; it is sweeter and more tender than a round white cabbage, and it chars beautifully. Cut one hispi lengthways into four wedges, keeping the core intact so each wedge holds together. Brush the cut sides with oil and sprinkle with salt. That is honestly most of the work.

Sear the wedges cut-side down in a very hot, heavy frying pan for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply golden and blackened at the edges. Flip them, add a knob of butter and a splash of water, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes until the middle is soft. Or roast them at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Spoon over miso butter, tahini dressing, or just lemon juice and crispy fried shallots. The outside goes smoky and crisp while the heart stays sweet and juicy, and a whole wedge makes a proper vegetarian main with flatbreads and yoghurt.

4. Cabbage and Pork Dumplings

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Dumplings filled with cabbage and pork are one of the most searched-for cabbage dishes in the world right now, and they are far easier at home than they look. For about 30 dumplings, mix 250g of pork mince with 200g of white or Chinese leaf cabbage, shredded very fine. Salt the cabbage for 10 minutes, then squeeze it hard in a clean tea towel; this keeps the filling juicy, not watery. Add grated ginger, a crushed garlic clove, two chopped spring onions, a tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of sesame oil.

Shop-bought dumpling wrappers from an Asian supermarket or the world-food aisle make this a realistic weeknight project. Put a teaspoon of filling in each wrapper, wet the edge, fold and pinch it shut. Fry them in a little oil for 2 minutes, splash in 100ml of water, clamp on a lid and steam for 6 minutes, then lift the lid so the bottoms crisp again. Serve with black vinegar or soy sauce mixed with chilli oil. They freeze brilliantly on a tray before cooking, so make a double batch and thank yourself later.

5. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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Stuffed cabbage rolls, called gołąbki in Poland and loved all over Eastern Europe, are proper comfort food: tender leaves wrapped around a savoury filling of mince and rice, baked in tomato sauce. You need one large white or Savoy cabbage. Lower the whole head into boiling water for a few minutes, then peel off the softened outer leaves one by one as they loosen; you want about 12 big leaves. Mix 400g of beef or pork mince with 100g of cooked rice, a finely chopped fried onion, garlic and a teaspoon of sweet paprika.

Put two spoonfuls of filling on each leaf, fold in the sides and roll it up snugly. Pack the rolls seam-side down in an oven dish, pour over 500ml of passata loosened with a little stock, cover, and bake at 180°C (fan 160°C) for about 1 hour, until the leaves are silky and the filling is cooked through. A spoonful of soured cream on top is traditional. The rolls taste even better the next day, they freeze well, and a vegetarian version with mushrooms, carrots and feta in the leaves is just as good.

6. Hearty Cabbage Soup

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A big pot of cabbage soup is the cheapest filling lunch we know, at roughly 50p a bowl. Soften a chopped onion, two carrots and two sticks of celery in oil, then add two diced potatoes, half a shredded white cabbage (about 400g), a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato purée and 1.2 litres of vegetable or chicken stock. A bay leaf and a teaspoon of smoked paprika give it depth. If you love a slow-simmered soup like our broccoli cheddar soup recipe, this lighter, brothy bowl makes a nice change.

Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the cabbage has melted into the broth. For the trending gołąbki-style version, stir in 200g of browned mince and 100g of cooked rice and you have the stuffed rolls from idea 5 in soup form, with half the effort. The soup keeps for four days in the fridge, freezes for three months, and honestly tastes better on day two. Serve it with thick slices of buttered bread for dunking.

7. Crunchy Homemade Coleslaw

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Shop-bought coleslaw is often sweet, gloopy and dear for what it is; the homemade kind takes ten minutes and tastes fresher in every way. Finely shred half a white cabbage (about 400g), grate two carrots, and slice half an onion as thin as you possibly can. The secret to a crunchy slaw that does not go watery is to toss the vegetables with half a teaspoon of salt and leave them in a colander for 20 minutes, then squeeze gently before dressing.

For a classic dressing, whisk six tablespoons of mayonnaise with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a pinch of sugar. Swap half the mayo for Greek yoghurt if you want it lighter and tangier. Fold the dressing through, rest the slaw for at least 30 minutes, and it will keep happily for three days in the fridge. Pile it into jacket potatoes, burgers and sandwiches, or serve it next to grilled chicken. It sits proudly beside any of our easy salad recipes at a barbecue.

8. Stir-Fried Cabbage with Garlic, Chilli and Bacon

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When tea needs to happen in 15 minutes, this is the one. Tear half a cabbage (about 500g) into bite-size pieces by hand; torn edges catch more flavour and go crisp at the tips. Fry a few chopped bacon rashers or lardons until golden, then set them aside. In the same hot wok or your biggest frying pan, add a splash of oil, three sliced garlic cloves and a chopped red chilli, and give them 30 seconds before the cabbage goes in.

Stir-fry hard for 4 to 5 minutes. You want the leaves wilted and glossy with a few charred edges, not steamed and sad, so keep the heat high and the pan uncrowded. Splash in a tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of sesame oil, toss the bacon back through, and serve straight away over rice or noodles. A fried egg on top turns it into a full meal. The same method works with spring greens or chard when cabbage season wobbles.

9. Cabbage Alfredo Pasta

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It sounds odd until you try it: silky ribbons of cabbage through a garlicky, parmesan cream sauce taste rich and sweet, and this is the cabbage dish social media cannot stop making. Cook 300g of spaghetti or tagliatelle in well-salted water. Meanwhile, fry 100g of chopped bacon and a handful of sliced mushrooms until golden, add two crushed garlic cloves, then 300g of finely shredded white or Savoy cabbage. Let the cabbage slump down in the pan for about 5 minutes; it turns soft, sweet and almost buttery.

Pour in 200ml of double cream, let it bubble for a minute, then stir in 50g of finely grated parmesan and a ladle of the hot pasta water to make the sauce glossy. Toss the drained pasta through with lots of black pepper and extra parmesan at the table. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes and tastes like a treat-night dinner, though half the pan is vegetables. If creamy pasta is your weakness, our collection of spaghetti recipes has plenty more weeknight inspiration.

10. Simple Homemade Sauerkraut

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Sauerkraut is just cabbage, salt and time, and making your own costs pennies next to the fancy jars in the deli aisle. Take 1kg of white cabbage, shred it finely, and weigh it: you need 20g of fine sea salt, which is 2 per cent of the cabbage weight. Massage the salt into the shreds with your hands for about 5 minutes, until the cabbage softens and releases plenty of juice. A teaspoon of caraway seeds or a grated carrot, as in the photo, are both classic additions.

Pack the cabbage tightly into a clean 1.5-litre jar, pressing down so the brine rises above it, and weigh it down with a small zip bag filled with brine or a clean jam jar. Leave it at room temperature, out of direct sun, for 1 to 4 weeks, tasting as you go; it is ready when it tastes pleasantly tangy. Keep everything below the brine, and if a little harmless white yeast film appears on top, just skim it off. The finished kraut keeps for months in the fridge and is wonderful in toasties, on sausages, or straight from the jar while you cook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which type of cabbage should I buy for each dish?

Savoy, the one with dark green crinkly leaves, is the all-rounder: best for bubble and squeak, buttered cabbage and rolls, because it stays tender and sweet. Hispi (sweetheart) is the pointed one, made for charring and roasting in wedges. Firm white cabbage is the choice for coleslaw, dumplings, stir-fries and sauerkraut, where you want crunch. Red cabbage is for slow braising with apple and spices, and it looks beautiful on a roast dinner. January King, with its purple-green leaves, is a lovely winter treat if you spot it.

How do I core and shred a cabbage properly?

Cut the cabbage into quarters through the core, then slice out the hard white core wedge from each quarter with one angled cut. Lay each quarter flat-side down and slice across into ribbons: about 1cm wide for cooking, and as thin as you can for coleslaw and kraut. A big sharp knife works well, a mandoline is faster (mind your fingers), and a food processor with a slicing disc handles a whole cabbage in seconds. Rinse the shreds in a colander and spin or pat them dry so dishes fry instead of steaming.

How long does cabbage keep, and can I freeze it?

A whole, uncut cabbage keeps for two to three weeks in the salad drawer of the fridge, which makes it one of the least wasteful vegetables you can buy. Once cut, wrap the rest tightly and use it within a few days. Cooked dishes keep for three to four days in the fridge. Raw cabbage does not freeze well, but blanched cabbage (2 minutes in boiling water, then iced water) freezes for up to three months, and finished dishes like cabbage soup and the stuffed rolls freeze beautifully.

How do I stop cabbage smelling strong when it cooks?

The famous cabbage smell comes from overcooking, full stop. Cook it fast and fresh: stir-fry it, steam it briefly, or braise it gently rather than boiling it for half an hour. Keeping the lid ajar helps the sulphur smells escape instead of building up, and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice at the end brightens the flavour as well. Fresh cabbage smells mild and sweet; if a head smells strong in the bag, it is past its best.

Is cabbage actually good for you?

Yes, properly good. Cabbage is high in vitamin C and vitamin K, full of fibre, and very light in calories at about 25 calories per 100g, so a big, satisfying portion costs you almost nothing in energy terms. Red cabbage adds antioxidants, which is where its deep purple colour comes from, and fermented cabbage like sauerkraut brings friendly bacteria along too. Add the price, often 65p to £1 for a whole head, and it is one of the best-value vegetables in the shop.

Final Thoughts

One cabbage, ten dinners: that is the honest promise of this vegetable. The same head that pads out Monday's bubble and squeak can fill Friday's dumplings, and the other half is quietly turning into sauerkraut for next month. Start with whichever dish matches what is already in your fridge, keep the heat confident and the cooking times short, and cabbage will quickly move from side-dish afterthought to the thing you actually plan meals around. Of all our cabbage recipes, the charred hispi wedges are the one that converts doubters, so try those first if your family needs convincing.

Sources

Gallery

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

A bowl of glossy braised red cabbage, sweet, tangy and deep purple

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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