One-Pan Sweet & Sour Cabbage with Sausage
Incredibly simple and delicious, One-Pan Sweet & Sour Cabbage with Sausage is a one-dish dinner you can make any night of the week.
Are you guys tuning into Instagram stories yet?
Instagram stories, if you don’t know (which I wouldn’t blame you for not knowing–it’s hard to keep up with all the changes in social media land myself!) are short little live videos that live at the top of every Instagram feed.
If you have an Instagram account, you may have noticed the little circles with people’s faces in them at the top of your feed. Tap those circles and you can watch each person’s videos for the day.
Instagram stories are basically a direct copycat of Snapchat stories, and they are similar in that they only live on the platform for 24 hours before they disappear.
When Instagram stories first showed up on the social media scene I wasn’t sure what I thought. I hardly even have enough time to keep up with work, family, blogging, and regular social media, and so I didn’t think I wanted to add anything else to my plate.
I gave stories a try, though, because I’ve been trying to figure out how to create more video content for you guys, and it seemed like a good place to start.
And, while there are days when I don’t have time to create any video, I have to say that I kind of like the realness of real-time video. Nothing can be edited, and the result is a very realistic snapshot of my everyday life.
Plus Elle has really gotten into doing live cooking demos with me. Let me tell you, there’s nothing better than watching a four-year-old give cooking lessons. She loves “helping mommies and daddies know what to cook for dinner,” and she takes her job very seriously!
One of my favorite ways to use Instagram stories, in addition to cooking with Elle, is to record what we’re making for dinner.
This meal was created on a nights in which I shared the process on Instagram stories. It’s such a simple dish that it hardly needs a recipe. I heard from many of you, though, that you wanted the exact measurements and times written down and shared on the blog, and so for those of you that asked–this is for you!
Growing up, my mom made a version of sweet and sour cabbage similar to this, though she used brown sugar and red wine vinegar. This is my own twist on the classic recipe, using apple cider for sweetness (in place of refined sugar) and apple cider vinegar in place of red wine vinegar.
I happen to think purple cabbage is one of the most under-utilized vegetables in the produce section, which is a shame, since it’s inexpensive, packed with nutrients, and easy to prepare.
I buy it so often that Elle has “rebranded” it, referring to it now as “princess cabbage.” I guess the purple color correlates with princess to her, and I’m certainly not going to argue, since she eats it raw right off the plate.
Now I can’t argue your child with eat raw cabbage if you call it princess cabbage, but it’s worth a shot, right?
Anyway you go and no matter what you call it, this is a simple, humble dinner that’s easy to make any night of the week. I hope you enjoy. Now, let’s make some One-Pan Sweet & Sour Cabbage with Sausage!
RECIPE & KID-FRIENDLY ADAPTATIONS
1 | Use green cabbage in place of purple.
2 | If you don’t have apple cider, substitute ⅓ cup chicken stock whisked together with 2 tablespoons honey.
3 | Skip the sausage and turn this into a vegetarian/vegan side dish.
THIS RECIPE IS . . .
Naturally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Grain-Free, and Paleo Friendly
One-Pan Sweet & Sour Cabbage with Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound fully cooked apple chicken sausages, organic if possible*
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 medium apples, any kind, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 small purple cabbage, about 1.5 pounds, cored and very thinly sliced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ⅓ cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over in a Dutch oven or large, lidded pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until browned on both sides, flipping once, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside. Heat an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and slightly browned, about 8 minutes.
- Add the apples, cabbage, ½ teaspoon salt, apple cider and apple cider vinegar, stirring to combine.
- Cover and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes. If the pan starts to dry out, add a splash more apple cider.
- Uncover and test the cabbage. The liquid should be nearly dry and the cabbage should be tender. If there’s extra liquid, cook on medium with the lid off until nearly dry. If the cabbage is still tough, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until tender.
- Add the sausage back to the pan, stirring to warm through. Taste and add additional salt, apple cider vinegar, or freshly ground pepper to taste.
This was so good, my whole family liked it. It was super easy too, perfect for a week night. Thanks!
Savannah, yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed this one!
This was fantastic and I grew up eating my German mother’s red cabbage!! I cooked it in my Instantpot and it only took 6 minutes actual cook time for the cabbage. I’m so looking forward to lunch leftovers tomorrow. Thanks for sharing this!
That’s so wonderful, Trish! 6 minutes in the IP is amazing–thank you for sharing!