Sweet and Sour Cabbage Side Dish

If you are a fan of cabbage, you will love this easy to make sweet and sour side dish. It can be made using either red or green cabbage or a combination of both.  Your choice!

Made with white cabbage

I've always loved the flavors of cabbage whether in coleslaw, cabbage soup, or stuffed cabbage that my mom made when I was a kid.

Cabbage, although a humble vegetable, deserves a place at the dinner table. Not only is cabbage packed with essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamins C and K, and antioxidants, but it’s also incredibly budget-friendly. 

Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a crowd, cabbage is easy to prepare and can be transformed into a delicious side dish in no time. Its mild flavor makes it a perfect companion to almost any main course.  

Do you like cabbage? 

This simple recipe has a sweet and sour taste which is mild and pleasing. Add chopped tofu to turn it into an entree. 

Author of the blog: Judee Algazi

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes 

Feeds: 4 side portions 

Ingredients: 

1/2 medium head of cabbage sliced 

1/2 cup of vegetable broth

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1 small red onion, diced

ketchup (you can use sugar-free)

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice 

2-4 tablespoons of sweetener of your choice ( sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup)

1/4 teaspoon of curry powder

Two ways : This recipe can be made in the oven or on the stove top

Directions: Oven method 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees if using oven method

Layer ingredients in a tall rimmed pyrex container. Begin with vegetable broth on the bottom. Add 1/2 of the cabbage, tomatoes, and onion. Squirt with lines of ketchup. Layer again with remainder of cabbage, tomatoes, and onion. Squirt with a few long squirts of ketchup. Sprinkle the top with sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar. add lemon juice and curry powder.  

Cover and bake in oven on 350 for half hour or until cabbage is off, checking occasionally to see if it needs liquid. If so add a 1/4 cup of vegetable broth.

Stove Top Method: 

Add vegetable broth to the bottom of the skillet. Add  the cabbage, tomatoes, and onion. Squirt lines of ketchup across the mixture and mix.. Cook covered for about 10 -12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning (add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth only if needed to prevent burning)

Sprinkle the top with sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar. add lemon juice and curry powder.  Mix well and cook 1 additional minute.

The Backstory: 

I was invited to my neighbor's house for dinner one night here in Florida. 

She had a 2 week house guest from Toronto who is 84 years young, enjoys cooking, entertaining, and is very personable, lively and active. She walks 5-7 miles a day. 

Anyway, she (Hindi) made the menu and cooked a completely plant-based gluten-free meal for me and my husband. In addition to this delicious cabbage dish, she made roasted eggplant halves topped with roasted red peppers and tahini, and a salad. There was also baked salmon for everyone else. Dessert was a fruit platter.  

My Notes: 

1. All recipes on this blog are gluten-free. Since 2021, they are also vegan and oil-free. 

2. I often eat this recipe made with white cabbage only because I think the white cabbage cooks up a little softer. I prefer making the stove top method because it is faster.