Braised cabbage

Every time I have some good pickled cabbage and a bit of pancetta in the fridge, I make this quick sautéed cabbage. It’s one of those recipes that doesn’t require much attention, but you need to have patience for it to cook properly. If I also have some hot polenta on the side, that’s enough.

Quick Info

Total time: about 1 hour
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Servings: 4-5
Difficulty: easy
Traditional recipe for lunch or dinner, especially in winter

Ingredients

1 pickled cabbage
100 grams pancetta
1 onion
1/2 cup oil (about 100 ml)
Salt
Pepper
2 bay leaves
100 ml tomato juice
1 Knorr cube (or other type of soup concentrate)

Preparation method

1. Rinse the pickled cabbage, cut it in half, then chop it finely or to your preference. I do not recommend leaving it too thick so it cooks well. If it is very salty, you can rinse it twice and then squeeze out the water.
2. Peel, wash, and finely chop the onion. It doesn’t have to be perfectly chopped, but the smaller it is, the more evenly it cooks.
3. In a large pan or pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and diced pancetta. Sauté them over medium heat until the onion becomes slightly golden and the pancetta releases its aroma.
4. Add the chopped, well-squeezed cabbage. Stir everything with a wooden spoon to combine the flavors. After a few minutes, the cabbage begins to soften a little.
5. Pour hot water into the pan, just enough to cover the cabbage, but not drown it. Add the bay leaves, the concentrate cube, salt (only if needed, as the pickled cabbage is already salty), and pepper to taste.
6. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally. When the cabbage has softened well (after about 30-35 minutes), pour in the tomato juice and stir.
7. Let it simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes, until the liquid reduces and everything is well combined. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper if necessary.
8. Serve warm, traditionally with polenta.

Why I make this recipe often

It’s practical if you have pickled cabbage and a few simple ingredients. It cooks quickly, doesn’t require constant supervision, and leftovers keep for a few days in the fridge. Pancetta adds good flavor without needing a lot of meat.

Tips and variations

Tips

- If the pickled cabbage is too salty, rinse it well and taste it before adding more salt.
- For a more intense flavor, you can let the pancetta brown a little more.
- Don’t add all the oil from the start if the cabbage is very oily or the pancetta is fatty.
- Stir often after adding the tomato juice to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

Substitutions

- Pancetta can be replaced with kaiser, smoked ham, or even bacon.
- If you don’t have a Knorr cube, use another concentrate or skip it, but watch the salt.
- Tomato juice can be replaced with tomato paste or canned tomatoes, crushed.

Variations

- For a meatless version, simply omit the pancetta.
- You can add a small grated carrot, but it’s not necessary if you don’t have one.
- Instead of water, you can use bone broth if you want.

Serving ideas

- I always serve it with polenta, but it also goes well with fresh bread.
- A bit of pickled hot pepper can go well on the side.

Frequently asked questions

1. Do I need to wash the pickled cabbage before cooking?
Yes, especially if it’s very salty. You can wash it even twice, then squeeze it well.

2. Can I use another type of meat instead of pancetta?
Yes, any kind of smoked meat works. You can use kaiser, bacon, or even lard.

3. How thick should the chopped cabbage be?
Ideally, it should be finely chopped, but you don’t need to measure it. The important thing is that it cooks well.

4. What do I do if there’s too much liquid left after cooking?
Let it simmer on high heat without a lid for a few minutes to reduce the liquid.

5. Can I make the recipe with sweet cabbage?
The recipe is designed for pickled cabbage. It won’t have the same taste with sweet cabbage.

Nutritional values

Approximately, one serving has around 250-300 kcal, with about 7-10 grams of protein, 15-20 grams of fat, and 15-20 grams of carbohydrates, depending on the amount of oil and pancetta used. The values are just estimates and depend a lot on how much cabbage and pancetta you actually used.

Storage and reheating

The sautéed cabbage can be stored in the fridge, in a covered container, for about 3-4 days. It can be reheated either in the microwave or on low heat in a pot. If it has thickened too much, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. I do not recommend freezing it, as the texture changes upon thawing.

 Ingredients: 1 pickled cabbage, 100g pancetta, 1 onion, 1/2 cup of oil, salt, pepper, 2 bay leaves, 100ml tomato juice, 1 Knorr cube

 Tags:  braised cabbage