3 Fabulous Ways to Enjoy Cabbage

If you think cabbage is just for coleslaw, you’re in for a treat. Cabbage is a versatile, vitamin C–rich veggie that you can enjoy steamed, boiled, braised, raw, fermented, pickled, sautéed, stewed or stuffed.

Good to know: In Canada, we grow red, green, Savoy and napa cabbage. Thanks to cold storage, we can enjoy local cabbage almost year-round.

People often buy a head of cabbage for a particular dish – and then don’t know what to do with the rest. Try adding shredded cabbage to stir-fries and fried rice, and of course you can make cabbage rolls, coleslaw and more. Here are a few tasty ideas:

• Roasted cabbage: Not a fan of the spicy or peppery taste of raw cabbage? Roasted cabbage is much mellower in flavour. Cut a green cabbage into wedges or thick slices, brush them generously with canola oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 400F for about 40 minutes, until cooked through and a bit crispy.

TIP: Remove the outer leaves and rinse the cabbage well before preparing it.

• Tuna or salmon salad: Add chopped raw cabbage to tuna or salmon salad for delicious crunch. Enjoy the salad in a sandwich or tortilla wrap.

TIP: Don’t waste that red cabbage! Cook and freeze it in an airtight container for up to 10 months, or look up a recipe for pickled cabbage. It’s easy to make and delish on burgers, in salads or as a garnish for curry or ramen.

• Okonomiyaki: These savoury pancakes are made with green cabbage, and they’re a cinch to prepare. Top them with sriracha mayo for a bit of heat.

TIP: Make mini pancakes for appetizers or larger ones for brunch or a meal.

Looking for more ideas? Here are eight recipes for cabbage.

Your cabbage cheat sheet

Cabbage is one of the best healthy buys at the grocery store. Adding more of this veggie to your mealtime lineup can help to keep your food budget in check. Here’s how to use the four kinds of cabbage:

• Green cabbage is round with tightly packed smooth leaves. It’s great for soups, stews, curries, cabbage rolls and stir-fries.
• Red cabbage (also called purple cabbage) is round with tightly packed smooth leaves. It adds a great pop of colour to tacos, coleslaw, nourish bowls and salads. (Note: The colour may transfer to other foods.)
• Savoy cabbage is round with wrinkly, deep green leaves that are not tightly packed. It has a milder taste than green cabbage. The leaves aren’t crisp, so Savoy is often served cooked in cabbage rolls, soups or stews.
• Napa cabbage (also called Chinese cabbage and sui choy) is the pale, oblong cabbage with wrinkly, light green leaves. It’s sweeter and more tender than green and red cabbage. Napa is great for dumpling fillings, stir-fries and slaws.

Culinary tip: A medium-size head of cabbage will yield about 8 cups of shredded cabbage.