Red Pickled Cabbage

Once you try this red pickled cabbage recipe, you’ll never have store-bought pickled cabbage again! An easy dish perfect for a summer barbecue!

You’d be surprised how many items from your weekly grocery shopping list can easily be made at home, sometimes for a fraction of the price! From peanut butter and oat milk to apple cider vinegar and pickled onions. Today we are tackling yet another common product, red pickled cabbage. Did you know it’s super easy to make?

To me, the key to simple recipes is how hands-off they are. That’s why I love one-pot wonders, sheet pan meals, and casserole dishes. This easy red pickled cabbage recipe fits my criteria for simple recipes because it only takes 10 minutes to prep, and then you just wait for it to pickle!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• I can confidently say that almost anyone can make this. You don’t have to be an expert cook, you just have to be careful with the knife!
• This red pickled cabbage is a perfect addition to tacos, burgers, sandwiches, or simply as a side dish.
• It is beyond budget-friendly, especially if you think about cost to volume ratio.
• This pickled cabbage can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes, the rest is just waiting for it to pickle. If you prep it in the evening, you can simply leave it to marinate overnight and YUM! In the morning you’ll have the best red pickled cabbage you’ve ever had.
• As far as side dishes and toppings go, this is one of the healthiest things you can make. It only uses whole-food ingredients, and instead of drowning the cabbage in spices, it enhances its natural flavor.

How to Make This Recipe

The first step is to shred your cabbage. If you have a mandolin, that’s a great way to do it safely and evenly. However, you can also use the good old knife and cutting board. Pop it in a mixing bowl.

WARNING: red cabbage contains a powerful natural pigment that can leave a stain. This is why it’s best to use a metal or glass bowl. It will also leave blue or purple marks on your cutting board and even your hands, so use non-pristine equipment and wear gloves if desired!

Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour them over shredded cabbage. Give it a stir and add a lid. The latter can be a large plate or even a wax wrap. Allow it to sit for about 4 hours at room temperature to pickle.

And you’re pretty much done! Transfer to an airtight container (glass is best), and store in the fridge. Enjoy as a side or topping for burgers, sandwiches and tacos.

Hack It!

• Knife skills can take years to master. If you want to skip the chopping, see if your local store has pre-sliced cabbage. It is a safer option if you’re cooking with kids, or if you have mobility issues that make cutting difficult.
• This recipe can be made using almost any type of sugar. If you’re not a fan of refined sugar, you can use natural options such as coconut sugar.
• A great way to customize your pickled cabbage is to add extra veggies to it. For example, you can add thinly shredded granny smith apple or some julienned carrots for a pop of color.
• Red pepper flakes are optional, but if you like a bit of spice in your food, you’re welcome to add extra. You can also add some fresh jalapeno if you ready want the dish to pack a punch.
• Pickling is not only a flavoring technique, it’s a way to preserve food for longer. Once you make a batch of this easy red pickled cabbage, you’ll be able to enjoy it for a couple of weeks (unless you eat it all in one go!).

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Strawberry Cucumber Salad
• Dill Pickle Tofu Sandwich
• Tahini Cabbage Steaks
• Rainbow Cabbage Salad
• Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad

If you want some inspiration for your weekly menu, check out the PlantYou Planner! It’s a digital meal planner that is entirely plant-based and fully customizable! You can pick your dishes for the week from a database of over 550 recipes, and toggle the number of servings to feed your entire family. Even better, the planner generates a shopping list tailored to the menu you’ve selected. Plant-based living has never been easier!

In case you haven’t heard, the PlantYou Cookbook came out earlier this year, which ALSO features 140 unique vegan recipes. If you like having your favorite recipes in one place, you have to get your hands on this book! Thanks to the amazing support from the plant-based community, the book has been a huge success already, which means some online retailers sold out of stock pretty quickly. If you can’t find a copy in your local bookstore, you may want to grab a digital copy to enjoy these recipes!