Festive Braised Red Cabbage with Apple, Dates, Pomegranate and Pistachios

Categories : lent, potatoes & vegetables, Recipes, soups & salads, vegetarian or vegan

Gorgeous colours in a delicious side dish that pairs perfectly with ham or turkey. Red cabbage, apple and dates, simmered in a balsamic cream dressing and sprinkled with pomegranate and pistachios.

A railroad titled recipe here guys. But I didn’t want to leave out any of these amazing ingredients. Who would have thought cabbage could be such a delicious and festive side dish? Well, it is. Simmered in a pomegranate flavoured balsamic cream dressing, it cooked into an amazing sweet and sour combination. You can play with the sweetness to tartness ratio according to your own taste buds, by adjusting the vinegar. It goes really well with turkey and also pork or ham, which makes it an ideal festive side option.

The really great thing about this red cabbage is the fact that it gets better the next day, or even the day after. The flavours have time to mingle and meld, and the whole thing matures into an amazing concoction that you will want to eat with everything. I’ve had it in sandwiches with ham and brie (just the memory has me drooling now), as an accompaniment to a cheese and deli meat platter, and last night I plopped some next to my grilled salmon and mashed potatoes. It made the perfect partner to the fish as its tartness cut through the slightly fatty taste that salmon sometimes has.

The colours and type of ingredients might put this on the festive menu, but it’s definitely a dish you will want to enjoy all winter.

Ingredients

50 gr butter

1 kg (1 small) red cabbage, shredded

250 gr (2 medium) Granny Smith apples (green and slightly tart), in chunks (no need to peel)

120 gr dates, pitted, roughly chopped

100 ml balsamic cream dressing (mine was pomegranate flavour, pink in colour)

25 ml white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked

100 gr pomegranate arils

50 gr pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped

3-4 Tbs parsley, finely chopped

Step 1

Heat a large saucepan over high heat. When hot add the butter and as soon as it melts add the cabbage. Sautee stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add the apple and dates. Stir to distribute and let cook for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add the balsamic cream dressing, vinegar, salt and pepper and turn heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 55 minutes stirring occasionally.

Step 3

Check the cabbage and if there are some liquids in the pan turn the heat to medium, remove lid and cook for another 5 minutes so that liquids evaporate.

Step 4

Just before serving add the pomegranate arils and the pistachios. The pomegranate will lose its colour due to the heat, so do this at the last minute. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.