Updated 1/1/2025
Sweet and sour cabbage with bacon is rooted in the traditional cuisines of the slavic countries of Eastern Europe. It’s made with nutrient rich green cabbage, which is well suited to the region’s growing conditions. Cabbage has long been considered a staple here, due to its affordability, long shelf life, and versatility.
In Poland, this dish is known simply as kapusta (cabbage) or zasmażana kapusta (fried cabbage). It’s traditionally served as a side with sausages like kielbasa and also pairs well with roasted and grilled meats. It may also be served as a main dish over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Cooking Tips
For the cabbage
While this recipe is usually made with green cabbage, you can substitute Savoy or red cabbage. This recipe requires 6 cups of chopped cabbage. That’s close to what you’ll get from a medium head weighing close to 2 lbs or 1 kg.
To prepare the cabbage, remove the outermost leaves. They have seen lots of handling and may be a little wilted, bruised or dirty. Work on a cutting board with a good sharp and sturdy chef’s knife. Start by cutting away the top of the head of cabbage. Work your way down to the core and don’t use this tough inner part. Chop the cabbage into roughly 1-inch pieces.
For a faster cook time and slightly different texture, shred the cabbage as you would for coleslaw. However, this finer cut will cook up less crunchy and may get a bit mushy.
Buying a bag of shredded cabbage is a time saver compared to chopping a head of cabbage yourself. However, 6 cups of store shredded cabbage will usually be pricier than 1 head of cabbage.
Seasonings
For the vinegar, regular white vinegar can be used but apple cider vinegar works best with the cabbage.
Some variations of sweet and sour cabbage use whole pepper corns and whole allspice. I prefer coarsely cracked black pepper and a smattering of caraway seeds.
The salt level is up to your a personal preference. But remember that the smoked bacon you’ll use is cured using a fair amount of salt.
Presentation
Once cooked, transfer the cabbage mixture to a serving dish. Top it with a sprinkle of sweet or hot paprika, some freshly chopped dill or parsley and a few extra bacon bits.
Sweet & Sour Cabbage
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 6 cups green cabbage (chopped into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
Instructions
- In a deep frying pan or dutch oven, fry the bacon until medium done. Remove the bacon and set aside.
- Keep the bacon grease and add the butter, cabbage and onion to the pan. Cook about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the other ingredients and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes.
- Mix the cooked bacon into the cabbage. Adjust seasonings as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Per serving Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5.5g | Iron: 0.5mgDid you make this recipe?
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2 replies on “Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon”
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