Braised Cabbage with Sausages
Braised cabbage is one of those dishes that smells like home before you even lift the lid. We brown the sausages first and cook everything else in their fat, so the smoky flavour runs right through the cabbage, and a splash of vinegar at the end keeps it from tasting flat.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 490 kcal
Ingredients
-
What to use instead
Any smoked sausage works here, from kielbasa to smoked frankfurters. Add unsmoked hot dogs only for the last 5 minutes so they don't split.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
-
Step 1: Brown the sausages
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Fry the sausages for 4–5 minutes until the cut sides are browned, then lift them onto a plate.
-
Step 2: Soften onion and carrot
Add the remaining oil and the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft. Stir in the carrot and cook for 3 minutes more, until the oil turns orange.
-
Step 3: Add the cabbage
Add the cabbage in 2–3 batches, stirring each time so it collapses, and season with the salt. Cook uncovered for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until it has wilted and shrunk by about a third.
-
Step 4: Add the tomato
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the water, add the bay leaf, sugar and pepper and stir well.
-
Step 5: Braise
Cover and braise over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The cabbage should be soft and slightly translucent with a light caramel tinge. If it starts to stick, add 50 ml water.
-
Step 6: Return the sausages
Put the sausages back in, add the vinegar, stir and cook covered for another 10 minutes, until the sausages are heated right through.
-
Step 7: Serve
Remove the bay leaf, taste and add more salt if needed. Scatter with dill and serve hot.
Tips & variations
-
Tip
Young summer cabbage braises faster, in 15–20 minutes, while dense winter cabbage can need 40. Go by tenderness rather than the clock.
-
Variation
Swap a third of the fresh cabbage for rinsed sauerkraut for a deeper, tangier flavour — then skip the vinegar.
-
Swap
Any smoked sausage works here, from kielbasa to smoked frankfurters. Add unsmoked hot dogs only for the last 5 minutes so they don't split.
-
Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, and the cabbage tastes even better the next day. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 490 kcal | 1,960 kcal |
| Protein | 18 g | 72 g |
| Fat | 38 g | 152 g |
| Carbohydrates | 20 g | 80 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
Cooked it? Rate the recipe
No ratings yet — yours will be the first.
