“Melting Cabbage” Is So Good, I Want to Make It for Dinner Every Night

If you want to learn to love a vegetable, melt it. “Melting” is a technique that transforms basic, boring veggies into something you want to build a meal around. Basically, melting is a two-step process, where vegetables braise in a flavorful broth until tender and silky, then cook uncovered until the broth reduces and the outer edges of the vegetable caramelize and crisp. I’m giving every piece of produce I can get my hands on the melting treatment. I started with melting potatoes, but I’ve moved on to sweet potatoes (one of our most popular recipes in the last couple of years!) and even melting onions (another very beloved recipe). It was only a matter of time before I turned to melting cabbage. 

The Kitchn’s culinary producer, Kelli Foster, came up with a recipe for melting cabbage that’s so delicious, even cabbage skeptics will love it. Hearty wedges of cabbage (you can use the red or green variety) are cooked in a tangy, savory broth until the leaves turn silky and tender, and then uncovered to allow the oven’s heat to caramelize the outer leaves and concentrate the pan sauce. If you’re looking for a foolproof way to fall in love with cabbage (it’s trending right now), this is the recipe to try. 

Get the recipe: Melting Cabbage 

The texture can’t be beat! Starting the cabbage covered gives the leaves time to soften and soak up the flavorful broth. Finishing it uncovered caramelizes the edges and intensifies the juices so that every bite is unforgettable.

Then there’s the flavor. The ingredients are so simple — broth, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard to name a few — but they play perfectly together. The sweet and savory flavors of apple cider vinegar and grainy mustard complement the cabbage so deliciously, it’s no wonder it’s a classic flavor combination. 

• Make a flavorful broth. This cabbage gets its silky texture and delicious flavor from the broth it cooks in. You’ll need low-sodium chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, whole grain Dijon mustard, caraway seeds, dried thyme, kosher salt and black pepper. 
• Prepare the cabbage. Cut a whole cabbage into eight wedges. Make sure to keep the core intact so that the wedges hold together. Coat with olive oil then season with kosher salt. 
• Sauté the aromatics. Cook sliced red onion and minced garlic cloves with dried bay leaves until soft and fragrant, then add more apple cider vinegar and cook to mellow the flavor and reduce by half. 
• Cook the cabbage. Arrange the cabbage wedges snugly in the pan, then pour in the broth mixture. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, then uncover and cook until the cabbage is tender and caramelized at the edges.

• Keep the core intact. Removing the core will cause the cabbage wedges to inevitably fall apart, so do your best to leave a portion of the core on each wedge. The core will maintain some bite after cooking, but will soften enough to enjoy along with the meltingly tender cabbage leaves. 
• Whole grain mustard is non-negotiable in my book. While smooth Dijon mustard works in a pinch, you’ll miss the texture that whole grain mustard provides.

Get the recipe: Melting Cabbage

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: "Melting Cabbage" Is So Good, I Want to Make It for Dinner Every Night