Britons now crave red cabbage as trimming with Christmas dinner but make sure you cook it correctly

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Don’t leaf it out! Britons now crave red cabbage as standard trimming with Christmas dinner… but make sure you cook it correctly

  • Vegetable is alongside sprouts and roasties as an essential part of festive dinner
  • It was the most searched recipe on the website BBC Food on Christmas last year  
  • Braised red cabbage with cider and apples was the most popular recipe online 

By Dominique Hines For The Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

It may be overlooked on our plates at Christmas among the slices of turkey and piles of pigs in blankets, but it seems red cabbage is fast becoming a British seasonal staple.

The vegetable is squeezing in alongside sprouts, roasties and bread sauce as an essential component of a festive dinner – but it seems many families aren’t sure how to prepare it.

Red cabbage was the most searched recipe on the website BBC Food on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year. 

Red cabbage was the most searched recipe on the website BBC Food on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year

Recipes online included red cabbage with beetroot and red cabbage with coriander seed, but braised red cabbage with cider and apples was the most popular.

The vegetable has grown in popularity over the years thanks to several creative recipes from celebrity cooks, including Nigella Lawson, Mary Berry and Jamie Oliver.

Second place on the BBC Food list was less surprising – turkey.

Food experts believe red cabbage recipes topped the search because many households will find out how to cook their turkey in advance of the big day, but will research the accompaniments at the last minute.

The vegetable has grown in popularity over the years thanks to several creative recipes from celebrity cooks, including Nigella Lawson (pictured)

The vegetable has grown in popularity over the years thanks to several creative recipes from celebrity cooks, including Nigella Lawson (pictured) 

Jazz up your side dish with port and cinnamon 

Peel off large red cabbage’s outer leaves, cut into quarters and remove core. Slice thinly.

Heat 25g of butter in a large saucepan, then tip in two finely chopped red onions. Gently fry until softened (about 5 mins).

Add one orange’s zest to the pan along with a cinnamon stick, then cook for one more minute.

Add the cabbage, 150ml of port, 1tbsp of red wine vinegar, the juice from the orange and 150ml of water. 

Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. 

Cover the pan and cook for 45mins/hour until cabbage is softened.