Braised Red Cabbage with Sweet Apples and Onion Recipe

Popular in cuisines of Central Europe, including the Czech Republic and Germany, braised red cabbage seasoned with caraway seeds is a traditional and popular side dish. Its sweet-sour flavor complements roasted chicken, pork loin and root vegetables, too. Bringing health and flavor together, red cabbage adds to the rainbow on your plate, delivering anthocyanins, a type of phytonutrient with antioxidant benefits.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 small head red cabbage, cored and shredded (about 4 cups)
2 sweet apples (such as Fuji, Gala or Jonagold), cored and cubed
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
½ cup apple juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, toasted
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
2. Stir in cabbage and apples. Cook just until the cabbage wilts, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Combine brown sugar, apple juice and red wine vinegar in a small bowl and then stir the mixture into cabbage and apples. Add caraway seeds and bay leaf. Stir well.
4. Bring the cabbage-apple mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until cabbage is tender.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Before serving, remove bay leaf.

Cooking Notes

• To toast the caraway seeds and bring out their aroma, put seeds in a small heavy dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet frequently for 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Substitute 5 whole cloves for caraway, if desired; remove before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ¾ cup
Serves 6

Calories: 120; Calories from fat: 25; Total fat: 3g; Saturated fat: 0; Trans fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 220mg; Total carbohydrate: 25g; Dietary fiber: 5g; Sugars: 17g; Protein: 2g