This beautiful deep purple dish delivers a double dose of purple with all its beneficial phytonutrients. Blueberries add sweetness and an interesting tart-sweet flavor. Leftovers are just as good as the first time around.
Serves 8
Time: 35 minutes
1 generous cup red onions cut into strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about one 1½-pound head)
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup pure maple syrup, agave syrup, or brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
In a soup pot or large saucepan on medium-high heat, sauté the onions in the oil for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir for a couple of minutes until the cabbage is glistening and beginning to wilt. Add the water and salt, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add the blueberries. If they’re frozen, increase the heat and stir for a couple of minutes to maintain the temperature of the cabbage, and then lower the heat. If the water has evaporated, add a little more, just a tablespoon or two. Stir in the maple syrup and vinegar and cook, uncovered, on medium heat until the cabbage is tender yet firm and the blueberries retain their shape, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with additional salt to taste.
NOTE: With leftovers, you can make a delicious hash: fry some onions and potatoes, and when they’re done, stir in Red Cabbage with Blueberries and cook just long enough to heat through.
Red Cabbage with Blueberries is a sweet-and-sour counterpoint to Scalloped Potatoes and Mushrooms or Autumn or Winter Potpie. Add a dessert, such as Custard and Pear Pie or Pumpkin Cheesecake to one of these meals and you have a feast.