Vegetarian or Vegan Cabbage Recipes

Are you looking for some new cabbage recipes? Cabbage can be prepared in so many delicious ways, and it is good for you, too. But since we are talking about cabbages, let me divert a bit and talk about romance. . . .

If someone called you a cabbage, would you think of it as a compliment?

In French, to call someone "mon petit chou" is an endearment. It may not have the same ring in English -- "my little cabbage" -- but we do have cabbage patch dolls and decorate our yards in the fall with decorative cabbages.

As a food, cabbage is a staple in many cultures. So much can be done with the lowly cabbage. We eat cabbages raw or cooked, alone on the side or as part of a main dish. Cabbages are good for you, too. They contain large doses of vitamin C and, as a member of the brassica family, cabbage guards our bodies against the ravages of cancer and other diseases.

This hub brings together many cabbage recipes for you to try. These recipes include those that are vegan and vegetarian, and links to some with meat. I hope you enjoy them, mon petit chou. Bon appetit!

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/

Delicious Cabbage-Beet Soup

This borscht recipe is quite easy to make. It utilizes all those winter root vegetables in a wonderful way.

Though I haven't a drop of Russian blood in me, I've sometimes immersed myself in Russian culture. I also keep my root cellar filled with veggies and have experimented with various ways to serve them. Soups nourish both the body and the soul. I call this soup a "borscht" because of the ingredients in it. (I used to just say it was "cabbage soup" until friends ate some and said, "Oh, delicious borscht."

Vegetarian Borscht Recipe

Ingredients:

* Olive oil

* 2 onions

* 1/4 head medium red or green cabbage

* 2 beets

* 2 medium carrots, optional

* 2 quarts vegetable stock

* 1 T balsamic vinegar

* 3 T Dijon mustard

* 4 cloves chopped or crushed garlic

* 2 t dill

* Salt and black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Chop the onions and stir fry in olive oil.

2. Grate the beets, the cabbage, and the carrots. Add the grated vegetables to the onions.

3. Cook gently, then add the vegetable stock, balsamic vinegar, mustard, dill, garlic, and black pepper and salt to taste and bring to a boil.

4. When everything is boiling, turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for twenty minutes or more. Add extra water as necessary.

5. If you want, you can add a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt to the borscht as you serve it.

This vegetarian borscht is wonderful when served with homemade bread and butter. It is good when served right away, but as with most soups, it is even better the next day. You can vary the ingredients -- adding more beets or less cabbage, leaving out the carrots or putting them in -- depending upon what ingredients you have. Each change will vary the flavour, of course, but will still produce a delicious soup.

Sweet and Savoury Cabbage Dish

Sweet and savoury combine to make this recipe a hit. Serve it as a side dish with pork or on its own with rice.

Recipe for Cabbage Stir Fry

* Large onion

* Olive oil

* 4 cups chopped purple cabbage

* 1/2 cup raisins

* 4 T balsamic vinegar

* 1T soy sauce or tamari

* 3T water

* black pepper

* 1 T caraway seeds (optional)

* 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Stirfry the onions in the olive oil until clear.

2. Add the cabbage and stirfry for another few minutes until the cabbage starts to get a little darker.

3. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, water, black pepper, raisins, and caraway seeds.

4. Continue simmering until everything is soft, about 10-15 minutes.

5. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Adjust the seasonings as needed.

Serves 4 as a side dish or, as a main dish, makes 2 healthy portions served with rice.

I have a Ukranian friend who makes the best galumpkies (stuffed cabbage). She makes them whenever we have a potluck or a special event. Until I get her to part with her recipe, I will post some recipes from other sites here.

There are some other fine cabbage recipes here as well.