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Caraway Cabbage, a Finnish Recipe | ![]() |
Keeping Us Fed During Long Winters
This week’s recipe is from the far-north country of Finland where once upon a time, before the marvel of the modern food distribution system, the selection of fresh vegetables became sparse during long winters.
Rich in Vitamin C and inexpensive, cabbage was a winter-vegetable standby – but here is prepared in a new way, cooked on top of the stove with tomato, onion and caraway. Sautéed in butter, the cabbage softens until almost noodle-like in texture, though more flavorful.
If you’re in a rush, use a bag of pre-cut coleslaw cabbage. That said, chopping up a cabbage yourself just before cooking seems to better release the cabbage’s own natural sweetness. You can, however, successfully substitute fennel seed for caraway and canned tomatoes for fresh.
For a well-rounded, satisfying meal, serve this side dish with pork, a green vegetable and salad.
CARAWAY CABBAGE
Time to table: 50 minutes
Makes 6 cups
- 2 – 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small head green cabbage, chopped (about 10 cups, 750g)
- 1 onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups) or a 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-1/2 tablespoons (yes, tablespoons ...) caraway seed
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
On medium heat, melt the butter in a large, heavy pot like a Dutch oven. Add the cabbage and onion as they're prepped. Cook, turning occasionally, until the cabbage is limp but not brown.
Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes until the cabbage reaches the desired softness; I like it somewhere between still-crisp and noodle-soft.
Serve hot. Easily made ahead of time, just gently rewarm, hydrating with a splash of water if needed.








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Alanna - I love anything combining cabbage and caraway, so I've added this recipe to the list of things to cook during this holiday season (we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, but Christmas is soon approaching and your caraway cabbage would make a nice alternative to the more usual caraway sauerkraut!)
ReplyDelete11/08/2006
It may be a Finnish recipe, but it's also a North German one. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a cabbage and I have been craving something like stuffed cabbage but my family is not a fan. I am so excited to try this. It looks delish.
ReplyDeleteAlanna, I partook in a fall vegetable CSA and was e-veggie-inundated! Used the celeriac, 4 butternut squash, 2 stalks of brussel sprouts, several bags of cipollini onions and fingerling potatoes, a red cabbage, a napa cabbage, and lots of beets - BUT two cabbages are still residing in my fridge, and I am SO relieved to find this recipe! Thanks! I plan on using your site for more "use 'em!" inspirations.
ReplyDelete