Braised Red Cabbage Wedges

Braised Red Cabbage Wedges

Vegan braised red cabbage wedges are the kind of side dish that quietly steals the whole show. We braise them low and slow with red wine, cinnamon, star anise, and a splash of red wine vinegar until they're deeply tender and fragrant. A crunchy chestnut and breadcrumb topping goes on at the end for a bit of texture against all that soft, sticky cabbage. This one's brilliant alongside a roast, or honestly just piled onto a plate on its own on a grey weeknight. It takes about 70 minutes but almost all of that is hands-off, so you've got nothing to lose.

Cook: 70 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Large casserole dish with lid
  • Small saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 red cabbage
  • 1 knob plant-based butter
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 5 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 100ml red wine
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 40g cooked chestnuts
  • 20g breadcrumbs
  • handful of fresh parsley

Method

1

For the cabbage braise

  • Cut the cabbage head in half through the core, then cut each half into three wedges, cutting through the core so that the wedges stay intact. Nestle the wedges into the casserole dish and add the butter, bay, thyme sprigs, cinnamon stick, star anise, sugar, salt, vinegar, red wine and veg stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Pop the lid on and carefully transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and cook for a further 30-40 minutes until the cabbage is soft
2

Whilst the cabbage is cooking

  • Crumble the chestnuts into a breadcrumb like texture and finely chop the parsley
  • Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the chestnuts and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, turning golden. Add the breadcrumbs and toast for a couple of minutes so that the crisp up then stir through the chopped parsley
3

Finish and serve

  • Carefully spoon the cabbage braising liquid into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and let the liquid reduce until you have a sticky syrup
  • Plate the cabbage and pour over the sticky syrup and finish with a sprinkle chestnut breadcrumbs

Tips & Variations

  • Get a good sear first: Before adding the liquid, let the wedges sit cut-side down in the butter until they pick up some colour. That bit of caramelisation makes a big difference to the final flavour.
  • Don't rush the braise: Keep the heat low and give it the full time. The cabbage needs to be genuinely tender all the way through before you add the crumb topping.
  • Toast the breadcrumbs: Fry the breadcrumbs and chestnuts in a little plant-based butter before scattering them over. They'll stay crunchy for longer and taste much better.

Why This Works

Cutting the cabbage into wedges instead of shredding it means you get proper caramelisation on the flat sides and the cabbage holds its shape rather than going mushy. The brown sugar and vinegar balance each other out and give you that sweet-sharp thing that makes braised cabbage so addictive. The chestnut crumb at the end is the move, don't skip it.