Learn how to make this pickled red cabbage at home using only 6 ingredients! Made with apple cider vinegar as a base, the result is a pickled cabbage that’s both tangy and a little fruity. It’s the best!
I’ve always been a big fan of pickled cabbage. Whether it’s sauerkraut, kimchi, curtido, dua cai chua, or this easy pickled red cabbage, I can’t get enough of the salty, tangy, sour, and sometimes sweet flavors of this popular condiment. It’s so versatile, pairs well with just about anything, and can turn a bland dish into something exciting.
I make this red pickled cabbage recipe on a weekly basis. It’s in my fridge, ready to eat and to use as a topping for most of our homemade salads. I love its bright, fruity, and tangy flavors, and vivid pink/purple color. The recipe is extremely easy to make – only 10 minutes to put together, and the rest is left unattended.
Table of contents
Pickled Red Cabbage Ingredients
- Red cabbage: About the equivalent of half a small head of cabbage, which roughly comes to 12 ounces.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is tart and fruity and has an amber color. It’s great for pickling because of its nutritional properties (full of antioxidants and probiotics) and has more depth of flavor than regular white vinegar.
- Water: Water to dilute the intense flavors of the pickling juice.
- Sugar: A little sugar to balance the saltiness and tartness.
- Salt: A little salt to enhance the tartness of the apple cider vinegar.
- Garlic: One garlic clove to impart a slight pungent and floral element.
How to Make Pickled Red Cabbage
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Start by shredding the cabbage. If using a whole cabbage, slice it in half and then in quarters. Remove the core, where the tough part is, and thinly shred the cabbage using a chef’s knife.
- Add the ingredients for the pickling juice to the jar. Place the remaining ingredients in a pickling jar and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Let the cabbage pickle for a few hours. Add the shredded cabbage to the jar and press it down to pack it. Put the lid on a refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The longer it sits in the pickling juice, the tastier the cabbage will be. I like to leave it overnight before eating it.
Recipe Tip
Slice the cabbage thin but not too thin. I have found that size matters when it comes to enjoying this red pickled cabbage. If it’s sliced too thick the cabbage can feel a little overwhelming after a few bites (too tasty and crunchy). If it’s sliced too thin the texture can get too soft, almost like sauerkraut, which isn’t great for salads. So what is the perfect width? I would say about โ of a pinkie (finger) or ยผ inch.
Pack it tightly. To make sure the cabbage pickles evenly, pack it as much as possible by pressing down on it. I recommend doing this every 30 minutes or so until the cabbage shrinks enough to reach the level of the pickling juice.
How to Serve Pickled Red Cabbage
This pickled red cabbage dish should be used as a condiment or topping. It’s not meant to be served as a salad or vegetable side to be enjoyed on its own. As I previously mentioned, I use it almost daily as a topping for salads because it adds a lovely pop of color and a satisfying crunch. It’s also very flavorful – to the point where we sometimes don’t even bother with a vinaigrette!
Other ways to use this pickled red cabbage is as a condiment for sandwiches, as a topping for noodles, or as an addition to a rice bowl like bibimbap or poke bowl. It’s also great as a small side – banchan style – to pair with grilled chicken or fish.
Other pickles recipes you might like to try: Japanese style pickled watermelon, salted pickled cabbage, pickled cucumber, pickled cherry tomatoes, pickled daikon radish, spicy pickled vegetables, tsukemono (Japanese pickles).
Tasty Cabbage Recipes
If you love cabbage as much as I do, give these recipes a try!
- Japanese coleslaw
- Detox red cabbage slaw
- Cabbage soup with kombu dashi
- Stir fried napa cabbage
- Cabbage stir fry with shrimp and dried chiles
- Mushroom and cabbage dumplings
- Vegetable egg rolls
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Pickled Red Cabbage
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: About 3 cups
- Category: Salad
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: N/A
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This bright pickled red cabbage is salty, tangy, and a little fruity. It’s the perfect condiment for sandwiches and topping for salads, rice bowls, and more.
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium size red cabbage (about 12 ounces)
- 200ml apple cider vinegar
- 300ml water
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Shred the cabbage. Place the cabbage on a cutting board and slice in half or quarter and using a chef’s knife. Remove the core, the tough part in the center, and shred the leaves. Set aside.
- Crush the garlic. Use the flat part of the knife and place it on top of the garlic clove. Place your hand over the knife and press down until the clove is lightly crushed, split in a few places.
- Make the pickling juice. In the jar that you will be using to pickle the cabbage, add the apple cider vinegar, water, garlic, sugar, and coarse sea salt. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Pickle the cabbage. Add the cabbage and close with the jar with a lid. Every now and then, turn the jar up and down to distribute the liquid evenly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Serve it. Use as a topping for salads, noodles, sandwiches, and rice bowls.
Notes
Storage: Keep the red pickled cabbage in the jar and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 23
- Sugar: 3.5g
- Sodium: 398mg
- Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4.9g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
