Not everyone likes cabbage, but let’s be honest, you can make so many delicious things with it. AND: It’s healthy too! So, get your cabbage(s) ready and quickly whip up this tasty Cabbage, Bell Pepper & Bratwurst Skillet. Thanks to just a few simple ingredients, this dish is quite inexpensive and tastes fantastic! We love these kinds of easy weeknight meals because they’re on the table in no time and don’t require much preparation.
We have some people here at home who aren’t fans of every type of cabbage. Brussels sprouts are a divisive veggie in our house. I (personally) love everything the cabbage family has to offer, but that’s not the case for everyone. Obviously. White cabbage is one of the more »acceptable« types of cabbage, you could say. White, regular cabbage can be used in many recipes and combined with many flavors – Bussels sprouts on the other hand, tend to get a little bitter and that limits their use. You really have to like that…
In winter, I love cooking with white cabbage or pointed cabbage because both are seasonal and regionally available – therefore usually inexpensive at the supermarket. Well, and if regular bell peppers or pointed peppers are on sale at the Turkish supermarket, this delicious weeknight meal is practically begging to be made! Typical Mediterranean veggies like peppers, zucchini, and the like aren’t always so cheap in winter. Every so often you have to bite the bullet when you’re craving them, but usually, we can wait until these veggies are a bit more affordable again.
Anyway. This pot of cabbage, bell peppers, and sausage is quick and easy to prepare – this delicious meal should be on the table in less than 30 minutes. If you’re really pressed for time in the evening, you can chop the veggies in advance and keep them in the fridge until needed. Perhaps you have a little time in the morning before work or during your lunch break to prepare a few things (when working from home).
We like to use our large Dutch oven for these kinds of one-pot meals. It’s also called a cocotte. They’re quite expensive when bought from one of the two major manufacturers. Our pot is linked in the recipe text, for example – but you can find cheaper alternatives online that work just as well. For years, we had an inexpensive pot that »only« cost 40 euros, and it was pretty perfect… until the coating on the bottom of the pot unfortunately started to peel off. In that case, you have to throw it away immediately. It hurt because we had cooked together for so many years. ;P
Tips & Tricks for a good result
Brown the sausage meat well.
The shredded sausage meat should really get a good color before being removed from the pot. The browning will later add significantly more depth of flavor to the dish.
Don’t shred the cabbage too finely.
Larger, bite-sized pieces retain their structure during cooking and don’t become mushy. This keeps the cabbage pleasantly firm and juicy. This is especially important if you plan to reheat it later.
Lightly crush the caraway seeds.
Lightly crushing the caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle beforehand allows them to release their aroma more effectively and distribute more evenly throughout the dish. The crushed caraway seeds also help prevent bloating in the stomach. Some people are quite sensitive to this…
Stir in dairy products only after reducing the heat.
The heat should be reduced slightly after deglazing with the broth before adding the sour cream and mustard. This keeps the sauce nice and creamy and reduces the risk of curdling.
Let the cabbage rest briefly before serving.
After braising, remove the pot from the heat and let the cabbage rest for 2–3 minutes. During this time, the flavors meld together better, resulting in a more balanced overall taste.
As I mentioned before, I love cooking with cabbage – whether it’s white cabbage, pointed cabbage, savoy cabbage, or even Brussels sprouts. If you prefer something less intense and less cabbage-heavy, you can start small and try, for example, our Pasta with Salsiccia & Savoy Cabbage (Carbonara Style). This dish has more pasta than cabbage, allowing you to gradually ease into it.
A dish we make quite often when it comes to cabbage recipes is our German Schupfnudeln & Cabbage Skillet. Thanks to ready-made gnocchi from the refrigerated section, it’s a particularly simple and quick weeknight meal.
For a generous portion of cabbage and for all true cabbage lovers, we recommend our Cabbage Stew with Minced Meat & Potatoes. This cabbage dish takes a little longer to prepare, but it’s definitely worth the effort!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4-5 servings)
some oil for frying
14 oz. (400g) coarse bratwurst, shredded
1 large white onion, diced
1/2 white cabbage (approx. 28 oz./800g), shredded
2 pointed red bell peppers, in strips
1 tsp. Herbes de Provence*
1 tsp. caraway seeds*
5 fl. oz. (150ml) chicken broth
7 oz. (200g) sour cream
1 tbsp. mustard (medium-hot)
salt, pepper
some chopped flat-leaf parsley
(4-5 Portionen)
etwas Öl zum Anbraten
400g grobe Bratwürste, zerrupft
1 große (weiße) Zwiebel, gewürfelt
1/2 Weißkohl (etwa 800g), in Stücken
2 Spitzpaprika (rot), in Streifen
1 TL Kräuter der Provence*
1 TL Kümmelsamen (ganz)*
150ml Hühnerbrühe
200g Schmand
1 EL Senf (mittelscharf)
Salz, Pfeffer
etwas gehackte Petersilie (glatt)
Possible Alternatives & Adaptations
Meat: The sausages can, of course, be replaced with regular ground meat – ground pork or mixed ground meat (pork & beef) works perfectly. For a plant-based option, you can also use veggie (fake) ground meat.
Dairy: Instead of sour cream, you could use crème fraîche, sour cream, or a plant-based alternative made from soy or oats. They all help to get a rich and creamy sauce.
Broth: Chicken broth can easily be replaced with veggie broth – ideal for a vegetarian version (when excluding the meat or replacing it with a plant-basted alternative.
Spices: Herbes de Provence can be replaced with marjoram, thyme, oregano, and/or a pinch of paprika powder (sweet or smoked).
Veggies: Pointed peppers can be supplemented or replaced with carrot strips, leeks, or some fennel. However, you should keep in mind the potentially longer cooking times of each type of veggie. Everything should be cooked at roughly the same time.
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start with the veggies – peel and roughly dice the onion. Remove the core from the cabbage and cut everything else into bite-size pieces. Wash the bell peppers, dry them, remove the seeds and membranes, and then cut them into thin strips. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings and roughly shred it.
2. Heat up a large Dutch oven* with some oil and then brown the sausage meat for a few minutes – it should have a nice color all over. Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. If necessary, add a little more oil, then add the onions and sauté until soft and glossy. Next, add the cabbage and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the bell pepper strips, Herbs de Provence, and caraway seeds and sauté everything for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the cabbage with the chicken broth, add the sour cream, mustard, and the sausage meat you kept on the side and mix well. Reduce the heat, cover the Dutch oven, and let the cabbage simmer for about 5-6 minutes – stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
4. Once the cabbage is cooked nicely and tender, season to your liking with some salt and pepper, then divide among bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with some bread on the side, if you like.
1. Zuerst das Gemüse vorbereiten – dazu die Zwiebel schälen und grob würfeln. Den Strunk des Weißkohls entfernen und den Kohl dann in mundgerechte Stücke schneiden. Die Paprikaschoten waschen, trocknen, von den Innereien befreien und dann in dünne Streifen schneiden. Das Brät der Würste aus den Därmen drücken und grob zerrupfen.
2. Einen großen (gusseisernen) Topf* mit etwas Öl erhitzen und dann das Bratwurstbrät einige Minuten anbraten – es sollte rundum schön Farbe bekommen haben. Aus dem Topf herausnehmen und zur Seite stellen.
3. Falls notwendig, noch etwas Öl nachlegen, dann die Zwiebeln in den Topf geben und glasig andünsten. Den Kohl dazugeben und etwa 4-5 Minuten unter ständigem Rühren anbraten, dann die Paprikastreifen, Kräuter der Provence und den Kümmel dazugeben und alles noch einmal 2-3 Minuten weiter anbraten. Den Kohl mit der Hühnerbrühe ablöschen, Schmand, Senf und das beiseitegestellte Fleisch (wieder) dazugeben und alles gut vermengen. Die Hitzezufuhr reduzieren, einen Deckel auflegen und alles für etwa 5-6 Minuten schmoren lassen – zwischendurch gelegentlich umrühren, damit nichts anbrennt.
4. Wenn der Kohl ausreichend gegart und weich ist, nach Belieben noch mit etwas Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken, dann auf Schüsseln aufteilen und mit gehackter Petersilie bestreuen. Zum Kohl kann man noch etwas Brot dazureichen, wenn man das möchte.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Cabbage, Bell Pepper & Bratwurst Skillet
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 00:30
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: -
- Cuisine: Germany
Description
There is so much you can do with cabbage – for example, this delicious Cabbage, Bell Pepper & Bratwurst Skillet. The perfect fall and winter weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
some oil for frying
14 oz. (400g) coarse bratwurst, shredded
1 large white onion, diced
1/2 white cabbage (approx. 28 oz./800g), shredded
2 pointed red bell peppers, in strips
1 tsp. Herbes de Provence*
1 tsp. caraway seeds*
5 fl. oz. (150ml) chicken broth
7 oz. (200g) sour cream
1 tbsp. mustard (medium-hot)
salt, pepper
some chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
1. Start with the veggies – peel and roughly dice the onion. Remove the core from the cabbage and cut everything else into bite-size pieces. Wash the bell peppers, dry them, remove the seeds and membranes, and then cut them into thin strips. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings and roughly shred it.
2. Heat up a large Dutch oven* with some oil and then brown the sausage meat for a few minutes – it should have a nice color all over. Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. If necessary, add a little more oil, then add the onions and sauté until soft and glossy. Next, add the cabbage and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the bell pepper strips, Herbs de Provence, and caraway seeds and sauté everything for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the cabbage with the chicken broth, add the sour cream, mustard, and the sausage meat you kept on the side and mix well. Reduce the heat, cover the Dutch oven, and let the cabbage simmer for about 5-6 minutes – stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
4. Once the cabbage is cooked nicely and tender, season to your liking with some salt and pepper, then divide among bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with some bread on the side, if you like.
Notes
Let’s cook something amazing!
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