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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Czech Sweet and Sour Cabbage

    Published: Apr 7, 2022 · Modified: Jun 4, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
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    The best accompaniment to a succulent pork roast is without doubt bread dumplings and a nice scoop of sweet and sour cabbage. Today I would like to show you a popular Czech recipe for stewed green cabbage made from the fresh head.

    Czech sweet and sour cabbage in a bowl.

    Czech sweet and sour cabbage is a simple side dish loved by all Czechs. It is served as part of the main meal, for example, the famous Czech dish called 'knedlo zelo vepro'.

    Stewed cabbage made in a sweet and sour style appears quite often in Czech cuisine. In addition to green cabbage, you will also find tangy stewed sauerkraut with crunchy bacon or braised red cabbage on the Czech plate.

    ➜ Green or red cabbage?

    You may be wondering which cabbage is best for this recipe. In principle, both types of cabbage can be used.

    On the other hand, red cabbage is more suitable as a side dish for venison or poultry, such as this great roasted duck. In turn, sweet and sour green or white cabbage goes well with juicy pork roasts.

    Sweet and sour cabbage with pork roast and dumplings, served on a white plate .

    ➜ How much cabbage do I need?

    If you plan to make cabbage as a side dish for a large group of people, it is helpful to know how much cabbage to prepare.

    Count on two ounces of fresh cabbage to make a side dish for about six people. Or vice versa: For one serving of the braised side dish, you need about 6 ounces (170 g) of fresh cabbage.

    ➜ Ingredients

    Sweet and sour cabbage ingredients listed with captions.

    To make Czech sweet and sour cabbage, you will need:

    • Green cabbage; fresh head
    • Onion; peeled and diced
    • Lard; optionally sunflower or rapeseed oil
    • Caraway seeds; whole, for a typically Czech taste. Do not confuse caraway seeds with cumin.
    • All-purpose flour; for thickening (don't worry, just a little!)
    • White vinegar; for the sour flavor
    • Granulated sugar and salt; to complete the sweet and sour taste

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.


    Quick instructions:

    1. Clean the cabbage and shred it.
    2. Fry the onion in the fat over medium heat until golden.
    3. Season with the caraway seeds, and fry for 30 seconds.
    4. Add the cabbage, and cover with a ladleful of water.
    5. Season with salt and let simmer under a lid for 30-40 minutes.
    6. Dust with flour and simmer for another 10 minutes.
    7. Season with sugar and vinegar and salt if necessary. Stir well.

    ➜ Detailed instructions with photos

    STEP 1: Cleaning and preparing cabbage: Remove any wilted or damaged outer leaves of the head of cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half. Locate the cabbage's stem, also known as the core. Cut an angle into the core where the stem meets the cabbage leaves and remove it from each half. The triangular core should always be removed with a chef's knife.

    STEP 2: Shredding cabbage head: Simply cut the cabbage into thin strips with a chef's knife and further cut them in half to get manageable bites. Another way to shred cabbage is to use a hand box grater. Shred the cabbage on the side with the large holes, pressing the portion of the cabbage firmly against the holes with the palm of your hand and forcefully sliding it down.

    Shredded white cabbage.

    STEP 3: The cabbage needs to be scalded first. This will remove the pungent taste from the cabbage; it will also soften a little and become tender. Boil a kettle full of water. Put the cabbage in a large colander and gently scald with boiling water. I steam twice, each time with about ⅓ gal (1.3 L) of water, which is the capacity of my kettle.

    Scalded cabbage in a collander.

    STEP 4: Heat the lard or sunflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Throw in the chopped onions and fry until they turn golden. Stir frequently. Add the caraway seeds to the onions and fry for a further minute.

    Adding caraway seeds to fried onions.

    STEP 5: Add the shredded cabbage and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well. Pour in a ladle of water, turn the heat down to a third and cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes.

    Making sweet green cabbage.

    STEP 6: Thickening the cabbage: Take a small sieve and flour. Place a spoonful of flour in the sieve and sprinkle it lightly over the entire surface of the cabbage. Do not stir or shake the cabbage. Simply cover with a lid and let the flour steam for five minutes. Then stir, cover again and leave to simmer for a further five minutes.

    Thickening the cabbage with flour.

    STEP 7: The perfect flavoring of cabbage: This is where your taste preferences come in. Add about ⅔ of the vinegar and sugar to the cabbage from the amount in the recipe. Add salt, stir and taste. Gradually add vinegar, sugar, or salt until you reach the desired taste. Stir well each time.

    Flavoring the sweet and sour cabbage.

    ➜ Serving

    According to this recipe, stewed sweet and sour cabbage pairs greatly with roast pork or smoked meat. Serve with either bread dumplings or potato dumplings.

    MY TIP: Try a similar Czech recipe, creamy sweet and sour red cabbage!

    ➜ Storage

    If you have leftover cabbage, let it cool completely, transfer the cabbage to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge. The dish will keep for up to five days.

    White sweet and sour cabbage served in a bowl.

    ➜ Useful tips

    • The finer you shred the cabbage, the less time it will take to cook. Thin cabbage strips are ready in half an hour, while wider strips take about ten minutes longer.
    • Instead of scalding the cabbage with boiling water, boil it in water for about 10 minutes.
    • Note to thicken cabbage with flour: I got the trick of thickening with flour using a sieve from my mom. A thin layer of flour will cook through the hot steam and help prevent the lumps that would form if you simply poured the flour into the cabbage.

    More Czech recipes:

    • Bohemian beef noodle soup
    • Garlic roasted rabbit
    • Easy kolacky cookies
    • Fried cabbage and noodles (haluski)
    • Vinegar based coleslaw
    • Braised kohlrabi recipe

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    Czech sweet and sour cabbage

    Czech Sweet and Sour Cabbage

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    The best accompaniment to a succulent pork roast is without doubt bread dumplings and a nice scoop of sweet and sour cabbage. Today I would like to show you a popular Czech recipe for stewed green cabbage made from the fresh head.
    4 from 3 votes
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    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 40 minutes mins
    Total Time: 50 minutes mins
    Servings: 6

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 2 pounds green cabbage fresh head
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons lard (or sunflower oil)
    • 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
    • 1 laddle water
    • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour for thickening
    • 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 4 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
    • 3 teaspoons salt

    Instructions 

    • Cleaning and preparing cabbage: Remove any wilted or damaged outer leaves from 2 pounds green cabbage head. Cut the cabbage in half. Locate the cabbage stem, also known as the core. Cut an angle into the core where the stem meets the cabbage leaves and remove the core from each half.
    • Shredding cabbage head: Simply cut the cabbage into thin strips with a chef's knife, then cut in half to get small bites. Another easy way to shred cabbage is to use a hand box grater.
    • The cabbage needs to be scalded first. This will remove the pungent taste from the cabbage; it will also soften a little and become tender. Boil a kettle full of water. Put the cabbage in a large colander and gently scald with boiling water. I steam twice, each time with about ⅓ gal (1.3 L) of water, which is the capacity of my kettle.
    • Heat 1 ½ Tablespoons lard over medium heat in a large skillet. Throw in 1 onion, chopped, and fry until they turn golden. Stir frequently. Add 1 Tablespoon caraway seeds to the onions and fry for a further minute.
    • Add the shredded cabbage and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well. Pour in 1 laddle water turn the heat down to a third and cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer for 40 minutes.
    • Thickening the cabbage: Take a small sieve and flour. Place 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour in the sieve and sprinkle it lightly over the entire surface of the cabbage. Do not stir or shake the cabbage. Simply cover with a lid and let the flour steam for five minutes. Then stir, cover again and leave to simmer for a further five minutes.
    • The perfect flavoring of cabbage: This is where your taste preferences come in. Add about ⅔ of the 4 Tablespoons white wine vinegar and 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar to the cabbage from the amount in the recipe. Add salt, stir and taste. Gradually add vinegar, sugar, or salt until you reach the desired taste. Stir well each time.

    Notes

    • Makes about 6 portions of braised cabbage as a side dish.
    • SERVING: According to this recipe, stewed sweet and sour cabbage pairs greatly with roast pork or smoked meat. Serve with either bread dumplings or potato dumplings.
    • STORAGE: If you have leftover cabbage, let it cool completely, transfer the cabbage to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge. The dish will keep for up to five days.
    • The finer you shred the cabbage, the less time it will take to cook. Thin cabbage strips are ready in half an hour, while wider strips take about ten minutes longer.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1192mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
    Servings: 6
    Calories pro serving: 117
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Cabbage recipes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Comments

    1. Kristie Marinka says

      July 27, 2022 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Petra, My family is Czech and I grew up with this dish! I was so pleased to see your blog! My grandpa was born in Czechoslovakia. I love my heritage! I'm loosely following your recipe because I usually just wing it, but it's fun to see your recipe, too!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        July 28, 2022 at 12:54 pm

        Ahoj Kristie, thank you for your lovely comment! I firmly believe it's fun to see recipes you know from your childhood. For inspiration and fond memories 🙂

        Reply
    2. Nancy says

      September 03, 2022 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      Not quite like mom’s but I’ll get the hang of it!
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        September 09, 2022 at 9:37 am

        Thank you, Nancy, for your comment! I recognize that sweet and sour cabbage recipes may vary slightly, and each Czech region may have different cooking practices. However, I believe that the result will always be equally tasty!

        Reply
    3. Christine says

      February 24, 2023 at 11:29 am

      2 stars
      I'm a cabbage addict and 100% Czech but never had this. My spouse is German and never had anything like this either. We were not impressed. Followed the recipe to the T. The only thing good is the tip about scalding the cabbage as step one. I will def do this with other cabbage recipes.

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        July 14, 2023 at 3:41 pm

        I am sorry to hear that, but it is only natural that one cannot like every dish. At least you found the scalding useful.

        Reply
    4. Linnea J Westerberg says

      March 18, 2024 at 5:40 pm

      Love this recipe!! Thje czech recipes with a family touch are always the best!!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        April 02, 2024 at 8:43 am

        Aww, thank you for your kind words, Linnea!

        Reply

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    Hi there, I am Petra, born and raised in the Czech Republic, a self-taught home cook with over 20 years of experience. I am on a mission to keep Czech culinary heritage alive by sharing cherished recipes & stories with nostalgic hearts worldwide.

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