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Traditional German Red Cabbage – Oma's Rotkohl

If you’re a cabbage lover, this German red cabbage recipe—also known as rotkohl, rotkraut, or blaukraut—is a must-try! It’s one of Germany’s favorite vegetable side dishes, thanks to its irresistible sweet and sour taste. Perfect alongside rouladen (or flatladen in my family) and meatloaf, this traditional recipe is simply wunderbar with any German meal!

Servings:

Makes 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) bacon fat, butter, or oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 pounds/900 g)
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons (10 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan or large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Lightly sauté onion.
2. Add cabbage. Continue to sauté for several minutes, stirring. When some of the cabbage has browned, add about 1 cup of water.
3. Add salt, pepper, cloves, and sugar. Stir.
4. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for about 30 - 60 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Add a little water, as necessary, and stir occasionally during simmering.
5. Once cabbage is tender, add vinegar. This will give the cabbage that beautiful red color. Taste, and season with more salt, cloves, pepper, sugar, and/or extra vinegar as needed.
6. Mix cornstarch with cold water and slowly stir in just enough to thicken the liquid. Serve and enjoy!

Notes/Hints:

• Traditionally, this is cooked until nearly soft and tender. If you prefer a bit more texture, slice instead of shredding and cook for about 30 minutes.
• For extra flavor, swap water for apple juice and use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge—it tastes even better the next day!
• If using whole cloves, halve the onion and stud the cut side with 4 to 6 cloves. Skip sautéing and remove the onion before serving.
• This pairs beautifully with German classics like rouladen and schnitzel, as well as roast beef or chicken.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Recipe update: February 7, 2025