Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth - My Favorite Recipe • New Life On A Homestead (2024)

Growing up, we never ate cabbage. So the first time somebody gave me a homegrown head of cabbage, I had no idea what to do with it. Boil it? Fry it? No clue.

Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth - My Favorite Recipe • New Life On A Homestead (1)

And then an elderly lady at church made cabbage for a potluck, and I was in love. I had to know how she made it. Of course, she didn’t have a recipe. She tried to tell me she just used a little of this, and a little of that. But try as I might, I never could get it to taste like hers.

Not until I came across this cabbage recipe, that is! When I saw it, it sounded so much like the way this lady had prepared hers, I knew it had to be good. And boy is it!! She made hers a little sweet, but I’ve been omitting the sugar with just as delicious results.

It’s simple, very inexpensive (especially if you’ve grown the cabbage!), and tasty enough that even my kids enjoy it. The secret is in the chicken broth.

Varieties of Cabbage for Simmered Cabbage

You can use just about any kind of cabbage for this simmered cabbage recipe, including green, savoy, Napa, and Red Cabbage.

Personally, I prefer using red cabbage and I pull the leaves apart so that it’s more of a leaf cabbage in form (although true leaf cabbage would technically be kale).

I just find it’s easier to manage in this way, and I also prefer the taste. If you harvest red cabbage when it’s young and tender, the flavors are unbelievable!

Red cabbage looks just like green cabbage except it’s more purple than green in color. The heads are smaller, too, but the leaves are moist and heavy. You can slice your red cabbage thinly (you would use it in coleslaw in this form, too) or you can just pull apart the leaves, as I did in this recipe.

I like using red cabbage because it is filled with antioxidants (as most colored vegetables are) and it gives the water a really cool blue color when you cook it.

That’s one of the reasons why I recommend washing and draining it first. Besides getting rid of dirt and pests, it also lets the dyes leach out so they don’t turn the broth a weird color!

If you don’t want the discoloration to happen, you can add an acid (like lemon juice) when you cook it.

Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth - My Favorite Recipe • New Life On A Homestead (2)

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Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head cabbage chopped into 1″ squares, or one head cabbage torn into sheets
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 c. chicken broth
  • 2 tsp. sugar optional

Instructions

  • Heat oil and butter in a large pot, till melted.

  • Thoroughly wash and rinse your cabbage. I usually rinse mine several times, just so I’m sure I’ve removed any dirt along with pests like cabbage worms (they tend to hide in all the nooks and crannies). Again, using leaf cabbage can help prevent some of the pests from hiding!

    Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth - My Favorite Recipe • New Life On A Homestead (3)

  • Add chopped cabbage, salt and pepper, stirring over low heat for 5 min

  • Pour in the broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and allow to continue cooking for 15 min., stirring occasionally, or until tender.Raise the heat to med., uncover, and cook until the liquids have reduced by half.

    Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth - My Favorite Recipe • New Life On A Homestead (4)

  • Taste and season.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is not only delicious, but it’s loaded with nutritional benefits. Cabbage has less than 25 calories per cup and is a great source of fiber and vitamin K. Bone broth is also a great source of nutrients.

You could easily substitute bouillon cubes or some other form of storebought stock when you make this recipe, but I always stick to canned chicken stock that I’ve made myself. Not only is homemade bone broth rich in vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium, but it’s also a valuable source of collagen.

Collagen helps support your bone and tissues and also contains lots of iron, selenium, and manganese. It’s great for your joints and is loaded with protein, too.

You can make large pots of chicken stock up ahead of time and freeze or can them (using a pressure can) to have on hand for recipes like this.

You can also just make the chicken stock when you make your cabbage broth by boiling about three pounds of chicken bones with a gallon of water. It only takes about 12-24 hours and can be done overnight in a slow cooker.

This is seriously the only way I make cabbage now.

Do you have a favorite cabbage recipe to share?

Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth - My Favorite Recipe • New Life On A Homestead (5)

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Simmered Cabbage with Chicken Broth - My Favorite Recipe • New Life On A Homestead (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to boil a piece of cabbage? ›

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add cabbage. (It's OK to crowd the pot because the cabbage will shrink!) Step 2Boil until tender, about 5 minutes for shredded cabbage and 10 minutes for wedges. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate to dry.

What is the difference between red cabbage and green cabbage? ›

Aside from the noticeable difference in color, red cabbage has an earthier taste and bulbs are smaller and denser. Green cabbage tends to turn sweeter when it cooks and a little bigger in size than the red. The leaves of the green are wide fan-like while of red are small fan-like. They both have crunchy texture.

Why do you put vinegar in cabbage when boiling it? ›

Then, there is the red cabbage which tends to turn blue when cooked and so, most commonly just eaten raw. If you do want to cook it, add a touch of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to lessen the effect.

How much water do you use when boiling cabbage? ›

ingredients
  1. 1 head cabbage.
  2. 8 -10 beef bouillon cubes.
  3. 8 -10 cups water.

Is cabbage good for your gut? ›

If you want to improve your digestive health, fiber-rich cabbage is a great option. This crunchy vegetable is full of gut-friendly insoluble fiber, a type of carbohydrate that can't be broken down in the intestines.

Which is healthier red or green cabbage? ›

But red cabbage has higher levels of some types of antioxidants than other types of cabbage. These nutrients are thought to help reduce the risk of health conditions such as cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Red cabbage is particularly rich in anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoid.

Which is healthier green or purple cabbage? ›

Purple cabbage is a great source of antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds that help protect against cellular damage. Its antioxidants include vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoid antioxidants, such as anthocyanins and kaempferol. In fact, it often contains higher amounts of these than green cabbage (2).

Is Boiled Cabbage good for you? ›

It's Packed With Nutrients

Half a cup of cooked cabbage has about a third the vitamin C you need for the day. It also gives you doses of fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and K, and more.

Is boiled cabbage water good for you? ›

Drinking cabbage water can have a positive impact on your digestive system. It contains natural compounds that aid in digestion and help relieve symptoms of indigestion, bloating, and constipation. Cabbage water is also rich in dietary fiber, which promotes regular bowel movements and contributes to a healthy gut.

Does cabbage need to be washed before boiling? ›

BOILING: Wash and cut cabbage into quarters or large wedges. Add about 1/2 inch of water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cabbage and continue boling uncovered, until the pieces are tender, about 8 to 11 minutes. STEAMING: Cut the cabbage head into 4 wedges.

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