Ukrainian Braised Cabbage
Ukrainian shredded, braised cabbage is a warm, filling side often served on its own if you add meat. It can be stuffed into fried yeast dough (Piroshki) or dumplings (Vareniki), and is a popular side dish. My mom's recipe is perfect for using up fresh cabbage and sauerkraut in abundance. It is so delicious with a slight tang, sweetness from the caramelization, and is just addictive to eat from the spoon!
Equipment
- 1 6-quart pot
- 1 Mandoline or sharp knife, (to shred the cabbage)
Ingredients
- 1 medium green cabbage
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups Ukrainian sauerkraut , (packed)
- 2 medium yellow onions, (diced)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp homemade ketchup
- 13 Tbsp avocado oil , or vegetable oil (I used up to 13 tbsp total)
Instructions
- Keeping the core intact, cut the cabbage in half lengthwise. Shred finely into a large pot (preferably a non-stick pot). It will seem like a lot of cabbage, but the volume will reduce significantly during the cooking process.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat. Once the cabbage starts to sizzle slightly, add one cup of water. Cover the pot with the lid slightly tilted, allowing steam to escape.
- Allow the cabbage to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so until almost all the water has evaporated. Toward the end of 15 minutes, you can increase the heat to high for a few minutes to allow the water to evaporate more quickly.
- In the meantime, prepare the onions by dicing them finely.
- Once the water has almost evaporated, add about 5 tablespoons of oil to the pot of cabbage and stir thoroughly.
- Add the diced onions, sauerkraut, salt, ground black pepper, vinegar, sugar, and ketchup. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook the cabbage for 1 ½ hours, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, and adding oil when necessary (about 8 tablespoons in total). The cabbage is light in color during the first stage of cooking but will darken as it continues to cook and caramelize.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Ukrainian sauerkraut has an addition of shredded carrots. To make old-fashioned sauerkraut use this recipe (my favorite).
- If you don't have ketchup, you can use tomato paste or sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Ukrainian Braised Cabbage
Serving Size
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
180
% Daily Value*
Fat
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
11
g
Sodium
694
mg
30
%
Potassium
236
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
11
g
4
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
7
g
8
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
114
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
35
mg
42
%
Calcium
48
mg
5
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
