Slow Cooker Red Cabbage with Cranberries & Spice {Vegan & Gluten Free}

Delicious slow cooker red cabbage with cranberries and festive spices is so easy to make.  Simply peel, chop and leave it to cook in the Crock Pot or slow cooker.  A delicious holiday dish with barely any effort. Freeze ahead too, vegan and gluten free as well!  3 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion

Slow Cooker Red Cabbage

I’ve become a red cabbage addict this winter.  A bowl of braised red cabbage has never really graced my table before; for some reason I thought I didn’t really like it but I am now a convert.

This braised slow cooker red cabbage is so effortlessly easy to make: peel, chop and slice and away you go.    I think that the slices of the red cabbage are so pretty with the layers of the leaves – white on the inside and that glorious Palatine purple.

Slow cooker red cabbage is classically cooked with apple and onions.  I’ve put a festive twist on it and by adding fresh tart cranberries, cinnamon, cloves and star anise to add some light spicing.

This braised red cabbage is a delicious Christmas or Thankgiving side dish that is versatile to serve and so easy to prepare – simply slice and dump into the slow cooker or Crock Pot to cook. This slow cooker red cabbage can be made ahead of time and frozen before reheating in the slow cooker or microwave.

There is plenty to love about the humble red cabbage; it is both thrifty and robust – a red cabbage will last a week or so in the salad crisper once you have cut into it.   It is easy to prepare and adaptable.

That deep purple is such a glorious colour, and of course it provides a healthy helping of vegetables and certainly counts towards my everyday healthy food mantra.

My one simple mantra for Fuss Free Food & Healthy Eating

“Eat a generous portion of (raw) vegetables with every meal whenever you can”

How to Make Slow Cooker Braised Red Cabbage with Cranberries

Step one – gather your ingredients – red cabbage, onions, apples, cranberries and spices.    Peel and slice the onion and cabbage, peel the apple and cut it into chunks.

How to Choose & Prepare Red Cabbage

When you buy a red cabbage, choose one that is firm, heavy and has crisp tightly packed leaves.    Avoid any red cabbages which feel light, or are soft.

Red cabbage is easy to prepare.  Simply cut into quarters, removing the outer leaves and the white core before slicing.    To preserve its beautiful colour always add a little vinegar or something acidic such as lemon juice when cooking.

Step Two – Throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker – the prepared vegetables, vinegar and sugar, plus the spices.

Put the lid on and cook for an hour on high, then 5 hours on low.  If it looks pale half way through cooking, don’t worry!  The colour will come back towards the end of the cooking process!

Step Three – Check the cabbage about an hour before the end of cooking, if needed, leave the lid ajar so some of the liquid can evaporate.

Slow Cooker Red Cabbage with Cranberries Recipe Notes, Hints & Tips

Spices

• Use the best spices you can – I find it pays dividends in terms of the flavour.  The better quality they are then the more flavour the spices will have.
• Remember that the flavour will develop over time, less is more when it comes to spices – adjust to suit you.
• Add some different spices – as well as, or instead of, the cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Other spices which would be delicious could include cardamon, juniper berries, all spice and a grating nutmeg.  Don’t go mad and add all of them!

Ingredient Adaptions / Substitutions

This is a very forgiving and easily adapted recipe.

• Use what you have in your fridge and pantry.  Add an extra onion, or apple.  You could even add a pear, and grate some orange zest in.
• Use fresh or frozen cranberries, if you don’t have these, then replace with dried cranberries or cranberry sauce.  You could even use cranberry juice in place of the water.

My cabbage has lost its colour!

• Whilst it is cooking this dish will lose some of its glorious colour, but towards the end of the cooking it goes darker again.  It is essential to use vinegar to preserve the colour.
• If you want a very vibrantly coloured dish then grate some beetroot and add during the last hour of cooking.

Can I Freeze Slow Cooker Red Cabbage?

Yes – this is the ultimate make ahead dish – cook and then freeze for up to a month in an airtight plastic box.  Defrost and reheat for 2 hours in the slow cooker.

How Long will Slow Cooker Red Cabbage keep in the Fridge?

Once made place in a covered dish in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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4.95 from 18 votes

Slow cooker red cabbage with cranberries and festive spices

Delicious slow cooker red cabbage with cranberries and festive spices is so easy to make. Simply peel, chop and leave it to cook in the Crock Pot or slow cooker. A delicious holiday dish with barely any effort. Freeze ahead too.  Vegan and naturally gluten free.

Servings: 10

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time6 hrs

Total Time6 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb red cabbage ((small))
• 1 onions
• 2 apples
• 1/2 cup cranberries ((fresh))
• 4 tbs soft brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 3 tbs red wine vinegar

Instructions

• Cut the cabbage into quarters, discard the core and outer leaves and then thinly slice.
  
• Peel and slice the onions
  
• Peel, core and chop the apples
  
• Lightly oil the inside of the slow cooker pot, add all the ingredients and mix well.   
  
• Add enough water so it is about 1"  2.5cm deep in the pot.
  
• Cook on high for an hour, then low for another 5 hours.   Stir from time to time.
  
• If needed leave the lid slightly ajar for the last hour of cooking to reduce the liquid.
  

Notes

Slow Cooker Red Cabbage with Cranberries Recipe Notes, Hints & Tips

Spices

• Use the best spices you can - I find it pays dividends in terms of the flavour.  The better quality they are then the more flavour the spices will have.
• Remember that the flavour will develop over time, less is more when it comes to spices - adjust to suit you.
• Add some different spices - as well as, or instead of, the cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Other spices which would be delicious could include cardamon, juniper berries, all spice and a grating nutmeg.  Don't go mad and add all of them!

Ingredient Adaptions / Substitutions

This is a very forgiving and easily adapted recipe.

• Use what you have in your fridge and pantry.  Add an extra onion, or apple.  You could even add a pear, and grate some orange zest in.
• Use fresh or frozen cranberries, if you don't have these, then replace with dried cranberries or cranberry sauce.  You could even use cranberry juice in place of the water.

My cabbage has lost its colour!

• Whilst it is cooking this dish will lose some of its glorious colour, but towards the end of the cooking it reabsorbs the cooking liquid and regains its colour.  It is essential to use vinegar to preserve the colour.
• If you want a very vibrantly coloured dish then grate some beetroot and add during the last hour of cooking.

Freezing

• Freeze in an airtight container for up to a month.  Defrost and then reheat.

Nutrition

• This recipe is 3 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion

 

 

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts

Slow cooker red cabbage with cranberries and festive spices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 60

% Daily Value*

Sodium 13mg1%

Potassium 169mg5%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 10g11%

Vitamin A 525IU11%

Vitamin C 29mg35%

Calcium 29mg3%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword: braised red cabbage, slow cooker red cabbage

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For another healthy slow cooker recipes try my fat free slow cooker root vegetable soup

and this would make a delicious side for my leftover turkey and ham pot pies.