Unlike sauerkraut, which is made with green cabbage and has a much more sour and pungent taste, rotkohl is rather savoury-sweet and therefore more palatable to eaters who are not used to strong, pickled flavours. The vinegar in the dish changes the red cabbage to a dark purple colour, and the sugar balances the tartness of the vinegar.
Rotkohl is a favourite dish in families of German heritage, and is also popular with many other people who call it by various names: sweet and sour cabbage, German style cabbage, sweet sauerkraut, and purple noodles (a personal favourite).
This version is based on a traditional recipe without set amounts for the ingredients, so the amounts given here are rather flexible; don’t be stingy with the sugar and vinegar, and feel free to add more if you like, since that’s where much of the flavour comes from. Some cooks like to add other ingredients such as apple juice, red wine, or whole cloves; however, this version is very satisfying as is.
Rotkohl makes a wonderful traditional side dish for a dinner of roast beef and potatoes, or meatballs, schnitzel, or spätzle (German noodles).
This recipe also freezes and reheats well; if you plan to freeze it, undercook the cabbage just slightly so that it's still tender crisp before freezing.
You will need:
- 1 small or medium head of red cabbage
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup sugar (more to taste)
- ¼ cup white vinegar (more to taste)
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Peel the outermost leaves off the cabbage and discard. Chop the rest of the cabbage coarsely, as if for a chunky coleslaw.
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon over medium heat in a large cooking pot. Once the bacon is cooked but not crisp, add the sugar and onions and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the sugar is slightly caramelized.
- Stir in the cabbage, apple, onion, bay leaves, sugar and vinegar, as well as generous amounts of salt and pepper. Cook on medium for several minutes until the ingredients are heated through, stirring constantly to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Cover the pot and reduce heat to medium low. Allow the cabbage to cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cabbage should still be very slightly tender-crisp.
- Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly; you may find that for a larger head of cabbage, more sugar and vinegar will be required.
Serve the rotkohl steaming hot. Enjoy!
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