Versatile cabbage, which can be used cooked in soups, stews and cabbage rolls and raw in salads, is often featured in St. Patrick’s Day meals. Here are some recipes to try that can also be enjoyed at other times of the year.
St. Patrick’s Soup
Full of flavour from winter vegetables, this delicious soup has a hint of green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) butter
- 5 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 onions, chopped
- 750 ml (3 cups) shredded Savoy cabbage (preferably greenest part)
- 250 ml (1 cup) mushrooms, sliced
- 5 ml (1 tsp) dried marjoram
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.75 l (7 cups) chicken stock
- 250 ml (1 cup) chopped fresh parsley
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) creme fraiche or sour cream
- Parsley sprigs or snipped chives
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add potatoes, onions, cabbage, mushrooms, marjoram, salt and pepper; cook for 7 minutes, stirring often. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute.
Stir in stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes or until potatoes and cabbage are tender. Stir in parsley; simmer, uncovered, for 1 minute.
Puree in batches and pour into a clean saucepan. (Soup can be prepared to this point, cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Taste and adjust seasoning; reheat.)
Serve in warm soup bowls, garnishing each serving with a dollop of creme fraiche and sprig of parsley.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Nutrition information per serving when recipe serves 6: 180 calories; 5 g protein; 8 g fat; 22 g carbohydrates
Source: Foodland Ontario.
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Cabbage and Kielbasa
Beer gives this dish a special flavour. Enjoy this easy stew with creamy mashed potatoes and pickled beets. But unlike most stews, this is best eaten right away.
- 500 g (1 lb) smoked kielbasa sausage
- 1 355- or 341-ml can or bottle of ale or lager
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground allspice
- 2 l (8 cups) shredded cabbage (1 small)
- 250 g (8 oz) mushrooms, sliced (about 625 ml/2 1/2 cups)
- 2 carrots, diagonally sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 sweet red pepper, sliced
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Remove outer skin from kielbasa, slice in half lengthwise, then thinly slice across; set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, stir together beer, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and allspice until cornstarch is dissolved. Stir in cabbage, kielbasa, mushrooms, carrots, onion, red pepper, apple, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes; uncover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until carrots are cooked but still crunchy, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf.
(For a slow-cooker version, slice carrots very thinly. Using only half a can or bottle of beer, combine ingredients (except sweet red pepper) in slow cooker as above; cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, without stirring. Stir in red pepper for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Discard bay leaf.)
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Nutritional information per serving when recipe serves 6: 354 calories; 14 g protein; 23 g fat; 21 g carbohydrates.
Source: Foodland Ontario.
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Potato Cabbage Bake
Potato and cabbage dishes are traditional to Irish cuisine and this one is a delicious variation. It’s great served with corned beef, sausages or ham.
- 1 l (4 cups) finely sliced Savoy cabbage
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 1-cm (1/2-inch) pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 kg (2 lb) Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 425 (1 3/4 cups) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
In a large saucepan, boil cabbage for 2 minutes. Drain well. Place in a large bowl. Blot with paper towel.
In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and toss with cabbage. Add onion to bacon drippings; cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove from heat and stir in potatoes.
In a 23-cm (9-inch) square baking pan, layer one-third of the potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Add 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the cheese and half the cabbage mixture. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining potatoes.
Cover with foil. Bake in a 200 C (400 F) oven for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove foil; top with remaining 175 ml (3/4 cup) cheese. Return to oven for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 367 calories; 15 g protein; 16 g fat; 30 g carbohydrates.
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Coleslaw
Coleslaw, or cabbage salad, is one of the most common uses for fresh cabbage and can be endlessly varied in taste and texture, depending on the preferences of your family or guests. This version comes from cabbage farmer Mary Shabatura.
- 1 medium green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 medium red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, shredded
Coleslaw Dressing
- 175 ml (3/4 cup) mayonnaise
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) sugar
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) oil
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) vinegar
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) dry mustard
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) celery seed
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground black pepper
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, red onion and carrot.
In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients, stirring well to make sure sugar is dissolved.
Add dressing to cabbage mixture and serve.
Makes about 2.5 l (10 cups).
Variations: If you want to reduce the sugar slightly, add a handful of raisins to the salad. The addition of fruit – orange segments, matchstick pieces of apple or pear, pineapple chunks or grape halves – offers an interesting variation. Adding a handful of red cabbage gives a punch of colour. The texture of the salad can be changed by cutting the cabbage by hand instead of shredding it. For lower-fat coleslaw, replace mayonnaise with low-fat yogurt. And if you want a “softer” salad, use Savoy cabbage instead of green cabbage.
Source: Mary Shabatura.
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