According to my Google Trends search, cabbage is a rising recipe request, and quite right, too. Cabbage is an all-year-round star veg. It’s easy on the wallet, goes a surprisingly long way, and can be used in a multitude of recipes. Veg Power, a not-for-profit alliance dedicated to improving diets for kids and families (by making healthy, sustainable eating more desirable), has an always-on campaign to big up seasonal veg, and cabbage is currently starring. You can find ideas on their website.
For all kinds of information about cabbage, I recommend Cheryl Queen of Markets post from last year.
I frisked our editorial teams for notes on their favourite recipes and tips for cooking (and salad-ing) with cabbage. As usual, a look back into the archives showed that hispi, a summer cabbage, has been moving in and out of the spotlight for years. Restaurants love it, and establishments like Fallow do a good job of keeping it on diners’ radars.
Next, here are cabbage tips compiled by someone who, being of Polish heritage, has a genetic predisposition to find cabbage delightful (her words).
For recipes when you need to keep the leaves whole:
Cabbage lasts for ages in the fridge, so you can cut off what you need as and when. It’s a good idea to peel the leaves off individually, taking what you need, then putting the rest of the cabbage back in the fridge, wrapped up. You can then use these leaves whole or shred them as needed.
Depending on how old the cabbage is, you may not want to use the outer leaves, particularly if they are bruised, blemished or damaged. If they’re not good for soup, they can be composted.
When cutting a cabbage into wedges, you want to keep some of the core to help it keep its shape, but trim away the toughest part. A sharp knife is your friend here.
The central vein in each leaf is tough, particularly on the outer leaves, so you may wish to cut this away, too, especially if you want to cook the cabbage quickly, as this part is very dense and will take a long time.
My handy hack for shredding cabbage very finely is to use a sharp peeler instead of a knife. Cut the cabbage into manageable quarters, then use the peeler to shred the cabbage into fine ribbons. It is now perfect for squeezing over some lime juice, salt and a pinch of sugar for a quick pickle. A mandoline also works a treat if you have one.
A hispi cabbage cooks well on the barbecue. Slice into quarters (leaving the core on), drizzle with oil and salt, and sear on each side over the hottest part of the barbecue until charred. Transfer to a cooler spot until cooked through and tender.
Olive magazine was out of the blocks early; the above charred hispi cabbage with hazelnut romesco is from 2017 and still a ‘banging’ recipe as people younger than I would say.
Miriam (food writer and erstwhile Good Fooder): Sometimes I worry that, at home, we’re not eating enough veg and leafy greens, and because cabbage grows so well in the UK, it just seems a no-brainer to pick a day of the week where cabbage features in our meal. Therefore, cabbage Thursdays became a thing in our house!
The rules are pretty loose, but I do try to make sure that whatever we’re eating that night contains cabbage or a cabbage-adjacent vegetable. This might be a spring cabbage, red cabbage, cavolo nero, kale, or, at a push, spinach (which I know isn’t cabbage). I’ll select based on what’s in season, and our current recipes featuring cabbage on regular rotation are:
Our food editor Ailsa Burt shares her recipe for cavolo nero orecchiette.
Or how about Tom Kerridge’s sriracha-glazed chicken burger with pickled cabbage?
Helena Busiakiewicz has a colourful dish of tahini noodles with red cabbage & sichuan peppercorn slaw.
As veg goes, cabbage is a winner on many fronts; whole cabbages keep well in the fridge, slice up brilliantly in a food processor, and are usually one of the cheaper vegetables in the shop. It can be served raw, pickled, roasted, stir-fried or slow-cooked. By the way, we also have ‘bean Monday’ to encourage us to eat more pulses!
Barney serves up a recipe from his book, One Dish Four Ways, below – a slaw that’s packed with flavour.
White cabbage, chilli tomato & herb slaw (VE)
This started life as a simple, quick, red onion pickle that I would serve with curries or grilled dishes, then cabbage got added, then dates for some chewiness and seeds for extra crunch. Now I use this version as the base to a summer salad that is so good at barbecues, or for a bigger salad that could have shredded cooked chicken or cooked prawns tossed through it.
Serves 4-6
½ white cabbage, finely shredded
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 small green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
½ lemon, juiced
black onion seeds (kalonji)
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted if you want
1-2 tomatoes, finely chopped
small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
2 dates, finely chopped
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 Tip the cabbage into a large mixing bowl with the red onion and chilli, if using, a big pinch of salt, the lemon juice and spices, and scrunch everything together (beware those chilli fingers) until the cabbage starts to wilt a bit and break down.
2 Stir through the chopped tomatoes, then add the coriander just before serving, to keep the leaves perky.
Make ahead
The slaw can be partly prepped a day ahead and kept in the fridge; for the best flavour, stir through the coriander just before serving, then the dates and pumpkin seeds.
Anna, our head of video, has a very long list of favourites that she’s developed and written…
Green goddess cabbage salad
Charred hispi cabbage with hazelnut
Chilli butter, roast savoy cabbage with orzo
Gochujang maple chicken tacos with sesame lime mayo
Sticky chicken wings with pickled slaw & corn salad
Classic coleslaw
My personal favourite is Ailsa Burt’s sausage, miso & savoury cabbage one-pan roast because it 1) has beans in it, 2) uses up miso, 3) I can sub in whatever cabbage is in season, 4) I can leave the sausages out, and it still tastes fabulous.
Look at the beauty of it.
Elsewhere on Substack, I’m looking at these ideas:
Don’t panic but:
From Hetty Lui McKinnon:
Hispi again:
Feel free to add your favourite recipes and links in the comments.
My favourite cooking method is to microwave until softened (steamed) then add to a roasting tin, add olive oil and salt and roast. Sometimes adding a handful of grated cheese for the last minute. Cabbage is the bestest.
I have five cavolo plants barely escaping the foxes/deer/birds as I love how long it lasts on the plot and I can eat it right into winter. But you have reminded me that I forgot to plant red cabbage which to be honest I grow for the joy of cutting it in half and marvelling at how a mustard seed sized seed grows something so so stunning.