It was during the beginning of the pandemic, when we were trying to limit trips to the grocery store, that I really started to appreciate cabbage.
It’s a vegetable that can happily sit in your refrigerator for weeks, waiting patiently for you to crave crunchy slaw, or buttery slow-cooked cabbage or a bowl of vegetable soup.
How long does a fresh head of cabbage keep in the refrigerator? I can’t say for sure, because I’ve never actually seen one go bad. It’s the rare vegetable that you can stash in the fridge and completely forget about, until one Sunday night when you’re trying to pull together odds and ends for dinner.
When you buy cabbage, the freshest ones are heavy for their size with tightly wrapped leaves. Whether you buy green or purple is entirely personal preference. Purple/red cabbage will bleed color into the dish, so keep this in mind when making soup or a mayonnaise-based slaw (which might turn pink).
Once you cut into a head of cabbage, it will start to go bad faster. You can always trim off browning leaves to reach the middle, which will probably still be fresh and crunchy.
A few cabbage recipes my family has enjoyed recently:
Kielbasa, Cabbage & Potatoes with Dill Vinaigrette
This easy sheet-pan recipe combines three ingredients that are absolutely perfect together: kielbasa, cabbage and potatoes. A zippy dill & mustard vinaigrette is served on the side, either to drizzle on the cabbage & potatoes or over a green salad.
Instant Pot White Bean, Cabbage and Tomato Soup
A very simple but flavorful soup that uses up that small wedge of cabbage you’ve been hanging on to. Add canned white beans and tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrots and cook in the Instant Pot for just 5 minutes. This soup is more flavorful the day after it’s made, so plan ahead.
Instant Pot Cabbage with Lemon and Parsley
If you like soft, buttery cabbage this one is for you. Lemon, parsley and garlic perk up the flavor of this cabbage side dish. Serve with any type of meat (especially pork or chicken) or with mashed potatoes and roasted mushrooms for a vegetarian dinner.
A few other cabbage recipes from other places:
Easy, crunchy Asian slaw from Feasting at Home
Spicy Peanut Soba Noodle Salad from Pinch of Yum
Suspiciously delicious creamed cabbage from Food52
Air Fryer Cabbage from Sustainable Cooks
Cabbage Roll Casserole from Eating Well
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Natasha’s Kitchen
More Ways to Use Up Cabbage
Shred it for tacos and burritos, toss with lime and salt
Add it to any stir-fry
Saute chopped cabbage briefly and add it to fried rice
Slice cabbage thinly and saute it with a can of garbanzo beans and garlic, add lots of grated parmesan and serve over pasta
Saute shredded cabbage with ground meat
Add it raw to any grain bowl, rice bowl or green salad
Cookbooks
I first read this cookbook when it came out in 2018 and recently pulled it off the library shelf again. The photos of simple, fresh dishes are still appealing and you’ll find a wide variety of side dishes and main courses, like sweet potatoes with ginger and scallion, roasted chicken stir-fry and Brussels sprouts caesar salad. Eat Better was written by Sam Kass, the former personal chef for the Obama family and advisor to Michelle Obama in the White House.
Have a good weekend! We’re going on an afternoon whale watching trip near Santa Barbara, which is something we’ve been wanting to do for years.
Speaking of whales, take a few minutes and listen to a true story from This American Life called The Synchronized Swimmers. I can’t stop thinking about it, especially because I’m someone who’s always been a little bit scared of the ocean. At the age of 17, competitive swimmer Lynne Cox took an early morning swim in the Pacific Ocean and had an incredible experience…..I won’t say any more, but it’s heartwarming and brave and a fun listen.
xo
Jenny