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–+ servings
overhead shot of red cabbage in a slow cooker.
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5 from 3 votes

Slow Cooker Red Cabbage

A German staple, Slow Cooker Red Cabbage is a bit sweet, sour, and subtly spiced resulting in a side dish that’s vibrant in both color and taste.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Servings: 8
Author: Sarah Olson

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. purple cabbage cored and shredded
  • 1 Granny Smith apple cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 small white onion thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. butter (salted or unsalted)
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the shredded cabbage and sliced apples and onions to the slow cooker. Stir to mix them together.
  • Sprinkle in the sugar ground cloves, cinnamon, salt, pepper and butter; stir to combine.
  • Pour in the apple cider vinegar and water, stir well.
  • Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours.
  • When the time is up, open the lid and stir to dissolve the apples. Taste for salt and add more if needed to taste.
  • Replace the lid and cook on low for an additional hour or high for about 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

Adaptions and Variations:
  • Vinegar — You can substitute the apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or even white vinegar.
  • Apple — Braeburn, Fuji, golden delicious, or your favorite variety will work well. In a pinch you can even use apple sauce.
  • Sugar — Brown sugar can be swapped out for white sugar.
  • Onions — Use caramelized onions instead of raw onions. This will create a deeper flavor.
  • Water — Use chicken broth for added flavor as well instead of water. For even sweeter red cabbage, use apple juice.
  • Spices — Juniper berries are an ingredient used in the traditional recipes but can be hard to find. If you do find them, use 3-4. You can also swap the ground cloves for 3-4 whole cloves. I'd recommend adding them to a cheese cloth pouch or a empty tea bag. You do not want to bite into either of these and they could be hard to fish out after the dish is cooked.

Nutrition

Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 782mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1366IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg

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