This rich comforting cabbage dish has plenty of old-fashioned goodness. The recipe is shared by Virginia Dishman of Lansing, Michigan, who admits she finds it a challenge to cook small quantities since she once fed a family of nine!
Creamed Cabbage
Updated Sep. 04, 2024
This creamed cabbage recipe addresses one of the most common objections raised against cabbage: it can be watery and sour. Now you can banish any painful memories of badly cooked cabbage with this smooth, creamy side dish. This dish is certainly a worthy equal of the better-known creamed spinach.
Adding sour cream to sauteed cabbage is a great way to extend the life of leftovers, and this recipe is inspired by the hearty but humble country dishes from a century ago in Europe, brought to America by Irish and German cooks. Watch as your guests dip into it with a small spoon before diving in with a big one.
Ingredients for Creamed Cabbage
- Bacon: A strip of salty and/or smoky bacon gets this dish going and establishes the founding flavors.
- Onion: Chopped onion adds sweetness and aroma.
- Apple cider vinegar: This helps to soften the cabbage more quickly and sets up a sweet-sour interplay with the sugar.
- Sugar: Brown or white sugar also helps to bring the cabbage to life and sweeten the cream.
- Salt: Combines with the sugar and vinegar to give depth to the dish.
- Pepper: You only need a little freshly ground pepper to leave a lingering trace, and it’s always good with cabbage.
- Cabbage: Use a tender, sweet white cabbage, shredded into thin slivers rather than chunky leaf sections. Wrinkly savoy cabbage is also a great choice.
- Apple: Peel and chop a small, tart apple for texture.
- Sour cream: This gives the whole dish its velvety texture and comforting quality without adding too much fat.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the bacon
In a skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp, then remove it to a paper towel.
Step 2: Add the liquids and seasonings
In the bacon drippings, saute the onion until tender. Add the cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper, and cook until the mixture is bubbly.
Step 3: Add the cabbage and apple
Stir in the shredded cabbage and apple, tossing until the slivers are glazed in sauce. Cover and cook for five to six minutes, until the cabbage is tender.
Step 4: Add the sour cream
Stir in the sour cream and heat through, but do not boil. Top with diced bacon and serve.
Editor’s Tip: Watch that heat! The lower fat content in sour cream means it can split easily, so you really only want to add it at the end and warm it through, no more.
Creamed Cabbage Variations
- Try turkey bacon: Lean turkey bacon is a healthier alternative to traditional bacon, but you’ll need to add some butter to compensate for the lack of fat. The texture is a bit more rubbery too.
- Use heavy cream: We’re using sour cream because it’s tangy rather than milky, but you can substitute heavy cream for a richer, sweeter dish.
- Thicken with flour and milk: You can get a passably creamy version with fewer calories by making a roux with flour, butter and milk, allowing it to simmer, then finishing off with just a dash of sour cream. This can also rescue a watery cabbage and cream.
How to Store Creamed Cabbage
Allow the creamed cabbage to cool, then you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freezing isn’t advisable, as the sour cream, like most frozen dairy products, can turn grainy and coarse once frozen.
How long does creamed cabbage last?
Cabbage is usually good for up to five days if refrigerated, but the presence of sour cream lowers the lifespan to three days. It’s definitely one of those recipes that tastes even better on day two, however.
Creamed Cabbage Tips
What other flavor options work with cabbage and cream?
If you want some kick with your comfort food, add onion and garlic powder while you saute the cabbage, or red chili pepper flakes for heat. Stirring some mustard into the sour cream also adds a surprising finish.
What do you serve with creamed cabbage?
In Germany, where cabbage is such a popular presence at the dinner table, creamed cabbage makes a gentler alternative to sauerkraut to go with bratwurst or sausages. In America, you’ll usually see creamed cabbage served with a Sunday roast or as part of a holiday season feast.
How do I make cabbage less bitter?
The bitter, sulfurous character we often associate with cabbage isn’t given much of a chance when you saute it as instructed in this recipe. If you’re sensitive to the slightest trace, try soaking the cabbage leaves in cold water for 15 minutes first, even with a pinch of baking soda, to draw out all the bitterness.
Creamed Cabbage
Prep Time
10 min
Yield
1 serving
Ingredients
- 1 bacon strip, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1-1/4 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash pepper
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 small tart apple, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
- In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towel. In the drippings, saute onion until tender. Add the vinegar, water,sugar, salt and pepper; cook until bubbly. Stir in cabbage and apple; toss to coat. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until cabbage is tender. stir in sour cream; heat through (do not boil). Sprinkle with bacon.
This rich comforting cabbage dish has plenty of old-fashioned goodness. The recipe is shared by Virginia Dishman of Lansing, Michigan, who admits she finds it a challenge to cook small quantities since she once fed a family of nine!
Recipe Creator
