Red Wine Braised Cabbage

Take a red wine braised short rib and make it fully plant-based, and I give you: Red Wine Braised Cabbage! It’s rich and hearty, with the cabbage slowly roasting into a nearly fall-apart texture that my fiancé could have SWORN was meat. And yes, this meal is a little protein-light, but it’s so rich and filling you won’t miss it. I recommend adding in beans to the mix if you feel like you need a little extra umph, and you’ll have a cozy, classic, and wintry meal right at your fingertips. It’s a great weeknight dinner, and an even better date night option if you or your partner/friends are plant-based!

Now by now it is no surprise, I love cabbage. You can catch me in the winter months with at least one cabbage in my fridge. Occasionally two, and sometimes (like last weekend), three. It was during this abundance-of-cabbages time that I decided I was finally, finally, going to treat them like short ribs.

And that’s how this beautiful Braised Red Wine Cabbage was born. And let me tell you, she might not be a looker, but she is a STUNNER. Flavor-wise, smell-wise – it’ll have you hooked.

What makes this red wine cabbage similar to braised short ribs?

So if you’re familiar with braised short ribs (which some of you might be, but my vegetarians…might not), you know they start with a pretty serious sear on either side of the short ribs. And I’m happy to report – this recipe is no different.

Searing the cabbage is so important to the recipe, first it builds their caramelized flavor, and second, it makes them look so beautiful. It also lets them fall apart on your fork after braising, and isn’t that what we all dream of?

This recipe begins with a hard, fearless cabbage sear, and then sets that aside. From there the aromatics go in to cook down. And I like to start with another sear, this time shallots, which builds their flavor as well before adding in the parsnips and celery.

From here it becomes almost a copycat of a short rib recipe. You add in stock, wine and vinegar, nestle the cabbage on top, and then let it go low and slow in the oven.

Ingredients I use for this red wine braised cabbage

The ingredients I use are fairly simple, but they come together magically. Here’s a bit of what you need, and why:

• 1 head of cabbage – it can be either red, green or savoy, but make sure it’s pretty hefty! Cut it, but keep the stem intact. It will have enough time to cook down and get nice and chewable.
• Extra-virgin olive oil – this is imperative to almost all my recipes, but here it really helps both the cabbage and shallots with their browning, and it builds flavor as everything cooks together.
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – this makes a big pot of food, so it will need a LOT of seasoning in it. Make sure to salt and pepper the ingredients liberally as you go, each step needs a season!
• Shallots – much better than an onion for this! But if you are in a pinch, you can use two small onions, sear them on their cut sides, and you’ll get a similar result.
• Parsnips – yes, you could use carrots, but it’s parsnip season! These are a bit sweeter but absolutely delicious in this.
• Celery – I used to think I could skip celery, but it’s herbaceous note and great texture is a wonderful addition to a braise like this.
• Aromatics, like rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and garlic – you can also add/sub herbs as you see fit, but these are consistently my favorite. And garlic is a must, no?
• Tomato paste – this adds a subtle acid and sweetness to the braise. It also cooks down into concentrated flavor and color, adding a lot to a recipe for even just a small amount.
• Vegetable stock – make sure to use one with a normal amount of sodium, it will help this recipe build flavor tenfold.
• Dry red wine – any wine will do, but just note a sweet one will reduce to a sweeter braise, and will result in you needing more salt, so opt for a dry, affordable red wine if you can find one.
• Balsamic vinegar – a needed touch, but you can also use red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar to finish this recipe.

How to prepare this red wine cabbage

Now, despite it feeling pretty hearty, this meal is very easy to prep. Just a bit of searing, and then a long time in the oven is all you need!

First, position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Cut the cabbage into wedges, and in two batches, sear the cabbage until brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Remove the cabbage from the Dutch oven and place in a bowl. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat on the Dutch oven to medium and add another glug of olive oil. Sear the shallots, cut-side-down, for 2-3 minutes or until they are charred. Flip them over. Then add in the parsnip and celery and stir to combine. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the parsnips have softened.

Next go in the herbs, garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste has darkened by one shade.
Pour in the broth, wine and vinegar, season and nestle all the cabbage pieces right on top of the broth.

Move the Dutch oven to the oven and let it bake, uncovered, for 60-70 minutes or until the cabbage is darkened on top and has sunken into the braising liquid.

Before serving, taste the broth under the cabbage and season with more salt and pepper as preferred.
Serve each wedge of cabbage with a big pile of grits, polenta, or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are a few hearty things I love to serve for a plant-based dinner!

And that’s everything for this Red Wine Braised Cabbage!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.