Five Ways to Eat Cabbage

Photo Credit: Michael Dvorak Photography

Good for you in all the best ways (immune-boosting, heart-health helping, cancer-fighting), cabbage is underappreciated and usually overlooked....until now, when we most appreciate it’s long-lasting endurance in the refrigerator. These recipes are all from my Nourish: Cooking with Love in Four Seasons cookbooks. Here’s a link to a .pdf of the recipes, or read on below.

Citrus Cabbage Slaw
Salvadoran Cabbage Salad
Colcannon
Czech Cabbage and Carrot Soup
Okonomiyaki (Japanese Vegetable Pancake)

Pantry item checklist (for all recipes): 
Cabbage
Napa or Savoy Cabbage
Carrots
Potatoes
Scallions
1 leek
Onions
Garlic
Shiitake mushrooms, fresh or dried (can omit)
Ginger
Broccoli stems
Frozen baby peas
2 eggs

Citrus Cabbage Slaw
Yield: 6-8 servings 

1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 medium green cabbage (about one pound), finely shredded
1 large or 2 medium carrots, shredded on the large holes of a box grater

Whisk orange juice, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and olive oil together with salt and pepper. Pour over shredded cabbage and carrots and toss well to combine.

Salvadoran Cabbage Salad

Yield: 4 servings

6 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (or substitute red wine vinegar) 
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to mix. Set aside for 1 hour or longer, refrigerating if necessary. 

Colcannon

Colcannon is an Irish potato dish that’s usually high in butter and cream, but by using potato cooking water and using fresh kale, it makes a warm, quick and satisfying side. The comfort and natural sweetness of mashed potatoes can usually convince those who aren’t familiar with eating dark leafy greens to give it a try. Serve with warm beans or any animal protein and a fresh green salad to complete the meal.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (any potatoes work fine) cut into 1” pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only (or sub onions)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (can omit if needed, and chives can be added if you have them)
1/2 cup potato cooking water or whole organic milk
2 1/2 cups roughly shredded cabbage (or use 1 bunch kale, cut off the rib and shredded)
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve one cup cooking water. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash with a fork or potato masher.

2. Meanwhile, get vegetables prepped and then heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat until warm. Add butter and leeks and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add scallions and milk, then reduce heat to low and continue to keep warm to steep the milk in the flavors while you prepare the rest of the dish. 

3. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved potato cooking water to the milk mixture along with the shredded kale, increasing the heat to medium. Cook for 3 minutes until the kale is wilted. Add the milk-kale mixture to the potatoes and stir until blended, adding additional potato water if necessary. Taste for salt, adjust if necessary, and add freshly ground pepper before serving. 

Note: Can be prepared ahead and put in a buttered round baking dish to bake in 375º oven and serve as a gratin. Leftovers can be pan-fried as mashed potato fritters.

Czech Cabbage and Carrot Soup

This is my mom’s recipe, a favorite soup of hers that we love to eat in the fall, when cabbages are large and carrots are sweet. It is simple, comforting and uncomplicated. We traditionally eat it standing outside, taking a break from working the apple press, and trying to keep warm as we press gallon after gallon of fresh cider.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Gluten-free optional, Dairy-free optional

6 cups finely chopped green cabbage (about 1 pound)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, or a combination of half olive oil and half butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or 2 tablespoons potato starch (also called potato flour)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 cup finely diced, unpeeled potatoes (about 1/4” dice)
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup heavy cream (use coconut milk or just omit for dairy-free)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

1. Place the shredded cabbage in a large, heavy soup pot and bring a separate pot of water to boil. Pour boiling water just to cover the shredded cabbage and let sit for one minute. Drain and let cool.

2. Warm a 5 quart soup pot over medium heat, then add the butter, onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour or potato starch and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. 

3. Bring the broth to a simmer, then add the drained cabbage, carrots, potatoes, caraway seeds and vinegar. Simmer, stirring often from the bottom with a wooden spoon, for about 30 minutes. 

4. Stir in the cream and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary, then season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and vinegar, if using.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Vegetable Pancake)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 2 servings as a dinner

1 1/2 cups finely shredded Napa or savoy cabbage, or white or red cabbage, thinly sliced
2-3 ounces (1 cup) fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced (or use 1/4 cup dried shiitakes, rehydrated in 1 cup water, squuezed dried and sliced)
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
3 scallions, white and green, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded broccoli stems
1/2 cup thawed frozen baby peas
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1” piece ginger, shredded on a grater
2 eggs
2/3 cup cassava (yuca) flour (or use white flour in a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil (more as needed)
Coconut aminos

Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup raw shrimp, cut into bite-sized pieces; 3 ounces raw, cooked, canned or smoked salmon fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces; 1/2 cup cooked chicken, roughly chopped; thinly sliced cauliflower; shredded pac choi; shredded zucchini, fresh mung bean sprouts

1. Prepare the vegetables and combine in a medium bowl. 

2. Warm a large cast-iron frying pan over medium heat (or use ceramic or non-stick) until hot to touch. While the pan is warming, add eggs, flours, and salt to the vegetables and stir with a fork to combine. Add half of the oil to the hot pan, swirling or spreading with a silicone brush to evenly coat the surface with oil. Add half of the vegetable mixture to the pan in a large circle and press with the back of a spatula until evenly distributed and no more than 1/2” thick. Press gently with back of a metal spatula. Cook on the first side until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip onto a plate or a large pot lid, re-oil the pan and slide the uncooked side back into the pan to cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Slide the pancake onto a clean cutting board, cut into wedges and serve immediately with sauces and optional garnishes.

Okonomiyaki-Style Sauce
2 tablespoons organic ketchup (or tomato paste)
1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Combine ingredients in a small bowl.  Can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Lemon Aioli
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, handmade or prepared
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, pressed

Combine all ingredients and blend. Season with extra sea salt if desired.