31 Days of Green: Day 12 Cabbage

I LOVE CABBAGE! Okay whew, just had to get that out there. Todays post may sound biased towards pro-cabbage and that’s because it is! Cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables. My mom always made delicious cabbage soup growing up and since my grandfather is Polish we have a great family golumpki recipe ( I promise to share another day). My grandmother is from Hawaii so we ate cabbage and spam a lot and my other grandfather is Irish so we definitely chowed down on corned beef and cabbage as well. Hmm, what else? Oh, I have a crazy love for sauerkraut, something I plan on getting around to making myself one day. Our son also inherited this love; it is the perfect thing to go with eggs. My aunt and I were talking over Thanksgiving about how delicious roasted cabbage is and how we could eat a whole head of it prepared that way. Speaking of Thanksgiving, this past year my grandfather made some amazing sweet glazed red cabbage. My sister makes delicious enchilada casserole featuring cabbage. Besides all of the above methods we also like to add cabbage to sautés or make it into raw cold salads. It is a staple in our home not only because of its versatility but also because of its price and nutrition. Cabbage is very cheap for the amount that you get so it is great for bulking up any recipe. I imagine there are probably more types but the three main types of cabbage you will find are green, Napa, and red cabbage. All are great and nutritious. I like Napa because it is a little more delicate but red adds a lot of beauty to your dish and holds up well to steaming. Green seems to be the cheapest; I enjoy its crunch and sweet but savory taste. Like other greens, cabbage is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber which you can read more about here. 

If cabbage isn’t a staple in your house-hold then I hope todays post will encourage you to make it one. I decided to share a simple cabbage salad today because we are still unpacking the kitchen, but my mouth is watering over here so I can’t wait to share more cabbage love in the future. This salad is easy to prepare and keeps for several days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can eat it as a side or throw some meat or cooked veggies on top for a salad. You can even throw it in a pan and sauté it. I like to keep something like this in the fridge for quick snacks and meals.

Marinated Cabbage Salad

Gluten Free,

Serves 4-6

½ head cabbage, thinly sliced

2-4 carrot, about 1 cup shredded

1 medium turnip, about ½ cup shredded

5 kale leaves, thinly slices

1 lemon juiced, about 4 tablespoons

3 tbl sesame seeds

2 clove garlic, minced

3 tbl olive oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp maple syrup

Remove the hard core from the cabbage and thinly slice. Add it to a large mixing bowl (my was a 5 quart bowl).  Thinly slice the kale leaves and add to the bowl, you can throw the stems in to, just slice them up then. Shred the carrot and turnip and add them to the bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Toss with your hands and massage until the cabbage starts to soften a little. You can eat right away but it tastes better if it sits for a few hours. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days.

Notes and Substitutions 

• Many food processors have a shred attachment that this would be great for this. Mine is still packed up so I just used a julienne tool for my carrots and turnips. You could also just thinly slice them.
• This recipe is pretty adaptable, feel free to change up the kale for another green or add different spices. Fresh ginger is great in this.
• The sesame seeds are interchangeable as well. Slivered almonds or pumpkin seeds are also great in this.

What is your favorite way to prepare cabbage?

Do you have any food that seems interwoven into your family?