Cabbage Dishes to Complete Your Meal

Complement Your Main Dish With One of These Scrumptious Cabbage Recipes

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 07/09/20

Cabbage is a nutritious vegetable that has many applications and goes well with everything from pork and beef to lamb, chicken, and other poultry. Cabbage is readily available year-round in the supermarket. It is inexpensive and keeps well, so it's a good choice when on a budget. You don't have to buy a colossal head of cabbage if you don't think you can use it. Some supermarkets offer wedges or half-heads, and you'll find packaged shredded cabbage or slaw mix in most markets.

Here are some excellent ways to use cabbage as a side dish, including braised cabbage, red cabbage, slow-cooker cabbage, cabbage salads, and more easy-to-prepare dishes.

  • 01 of 20

    Easy Skillet Cabbage

    Skillet cabbage
    The Spruce

    Vinegar and a few basic seasonings flavor this easy skillet cabbage dish. Serve the cabbage with a ham dinner, pork chops, or a beef roast. The dish is a quick preparation, too; you'll have it on the table within 30 minutes.

  • 02 of 20

    Crunchy Cabbage Salad With Bacon

    Cabbage salad with bacon

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    This crunchy chopped cabbage salad features bacon, green onions, and a full-flavored mayonnaise and apple cider dressing. If you're looking for an alternative to the typical coleslaw, this salad is a superb choice.

  • 03 of 20

    Cabbage With Leeks

    Cabbage and leeks

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    This tantalizing cabbage and leek dish goes with just about any main dish. Serve the cabbage and leeks with a pork roast or chops, beef, corned beef, or poultry. The cabbage and leeks are sautéed and then simmered with a small amount of chicken stock, butter, and seasonings.

  • 04 of 20

    Roasted Cabbage With Parsley and Parmesan Pesto

    Roasted Cabbage with Pesto
    Roasted Cabbage with Pesto.

    Jennifer Meier

    A parsley, garlic, cheese, and walnut pesto adds color and flavor to this sliced roasted cabbage. This is an excellent choice that will nicely complement grilled steaks or chops.

    Continue to 5 of 20 below.
  • 05 of 20

    Traditional Bubble and Squeak

    Bubble and squeak
    The Spruce

    Bubble and squeak is a British dish traditionally made with cooked vegetables from Sunday dinner. Leftover mashed potatoes and cabbage are classic ingredients, along with carrots, rutabagas, or Brussels sprouts.

  • 06 of 20

    Cabbage With Leeks and Bacon

    Cabbage With Leeks and Bacon
    Diana Rattray

    Leeks and bacon add flavor and texture to this cabbage side dish. Go beyond plain boiled cabbage with this excellent combination. Serve this easy cabbage and bacon dish with just about any main dish. It goes especially well with ham, roast beef, and corned beef. Add it to your St. Patrick's Day menu!

  • 07 of 20

    Boiled Cabbage With Bacon

    Boiled cabbage with bacon

    The Spruce

    This simple combination of cabbage and bacon is a snap to prepare and cook. Some chicken broth or water, cabbage, onion, and bacon come together in this easy dish.

  • 08 of 20

    Pickled Red Cabbage

    Pickled red cabbage in jars.
    Diana Rattray

    Pickled cabbage? Why not. This pickled cabbage recipe is great when paired with deep-fried or grilled fish tacos, and makes a lovely complement to a heavy, braised pork sandwich. Although cabbage might not be the first thing you think to pickle, you'll soon find yourself sprinkling it on tacos, pitas, flatbread, sandwiches, and more. It's an ideal way to brighten up any bowl or snack with a little tang, sweetness, and crunch.

    Continue to 9 of 20 below.
  • 09 of 20

    Baked Cabbage Steaks

    Baked cabbage steaks drizzled with a mayonnaise-based sauce

    The Spruce / Anita Schecter 

    By cutting heads of cabbage into slices or steaks as in this baked cabbage steaks recipe, more surface area is open to the pan giving them a caramelized quality with soft interiors and crispy edges. It's a technique that is often used with cauliflower.

  • 10 of 20

    How to Cook Boiled Cabbage

    Boiled cabbage

    The Spruce

    This boiled cabbage couldn't be easier, and there are so many possible variations for flavor. Drizzle the boiled cabbage with pepper vinegar sauce or simply add butter.

  • 11 of 20

    Scottish Rumbledethumps

    Scottish rumbledathumps

    JackF / Getty Images

    You might want to prepare this one so that you can tell people about the whimsical name. Scottish rumbledethumps is a combination of leftover mashed potatoes, rutabagas, and cabbage. Some grated cheese makes it hearty enough to serve as a main dish. 

  • 12 of 20

    Colcannon Potato Skins

    Colcannon Potato Skins
    Colcannon Potato Skins. Photo by Jennifer Meier

    Mashed potatoes, cabbage, and cheddar cheese get together to make up the filling for these crispy colcannon baked potato skins. Serve the potato skins as a side dish or snack.

    Continue to 13 of 20 below.
  • 13 of 20

    Cheddar Cabbage Gratin

    Baked cabbage gratin

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    A little mustard adds zing to this delicious cheddar cabbage casserole. Serve this flavorful cabbage casserole as part of a family meal or add it to your holiday dinner menu. Add Parmesan cheese to the buttered breadcrumb topping for more taste and texture. This casserole is an excellent way to enjoy cabbage.

  • 14 of 20

    Two-Cabbage Coleslaw (Classic Dutch Koolsla)

    Dutch coleslaw in a bowl

    The Spruce / Karin Engelbrecht

    This exciting Dutch coleslaw includes a tasty mayonnaise and mustard dressing. The salad contains leeks, red and green cabbage, carrots, and sprouts.

  • 15 of 20

    Kale and Cabbage Slaw With Mustard Vinaigrette

    Kale and cabbage slaw with walnuts and dijon mustard vinaigrette.

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Kale and cabbage team up in this colorful salad. The Dijon mustard dressing is lighter than the typical cabbage salad with mayonnaise dressing, and the salad is quite versatile. Add some chopped toasted pecans or almonds, or add bacon to the cabbage and kale mixture.

  • 16 of 20

    Butter-Braised Cabbage

    Bowl with butter braised cabbage.
    The Spruce / Molly Watson

    All you need for this braised cabbage is some butter and a head of cabbage. Season it with some sea salt, and you have a fabulous side dish that is nearly effortless.

    Continue to 17 of 20 below.
  • 17 of 20

    Easy Beer Braised Cabbage

    Easy Beer Braised Cabbage
    Easy Beer Braised Cabbage. Katie Workman / themom100 / Evi Abeler

    This beer braised cabbage will be an instant hit! It's made with only four main ingredients: cabbage, beer, onions, and bacon. Add this dish to your St. Patrick's Day bash.

  • 18 of 20

    Red Cabbage With Apples and Bacon

    Red cabbage and apple

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Nutritious and attractive red cabbage is delicious with a little bacon, tart Granny Smith apples, optional caraway seeds, and seasonings. You can use turkey bacon to keep the dish low in fat. If you are cooking for children or people who cannot tolerate alcohol, you can replace the red wine with apple juice or stock.

  • 19 of 20

    Slow Cooker Cabbage and Tomatoes

    Slow Cooker Cabbage and Tomatoes

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    This easy recipe teams cabbage with stewed tomatoes and onions for a delicious and fuss-free slow cooker side dish. It couldn't get any easier than this. The dish adds color to your plate as well as essential nutrients when you serve it with meat or chicken.

  • 20 of 20

    Kimchi

    Kimchi, cabbage relish
    The Spruce

    This spicy pickled cabbage is a kimchi-like blend of cabbage, scallions, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper. Add cabbage relish to stir-fries, rice or noodle dishes, and egg dishes. Or serve it as a condiment.