5 Recipes That Prove Cabbage Is the Betty White of the Produce Aisle

Like a superstar from classic TV shows that slipped out of the limelight, cabbage is making a comeback. We’re loving it more than ever because we’re seeing its versatility and charm with fresh eyes. It fills us with fond nostalgia, but we are excited about the new things it can do today. Cabbage is the Betty White of the produce aisle.

I adore cabbage. I was raised by cabbage farmers who endowed me with a lifelong devotion to this under-appreciated staple. I embrace that it’s equally delicious and useful whether raw or cooked. I am impressed that it keeps well for days, perhaps weeks, in the fridge. I am grateful that it is one of the most affordable foods to be found in the produce aisle, especially during colder months when fresh vegetables are harder to come by, and yet is available in good form year-round. I am charmed by its agreeable, subtle, slightly sweet flavor that makes it both a star and trusty sidekick in recipes. My cabbage-centric upbringing might make me biased, but it doesn’t make me wrong.

Sure, you know cabbage, but this isn’t the cabbage you might expect. These recipes hang on to the best of what’s familiar about cabbage, but come at things with fresh techniques and flavors. There’s nothing stodgy about cabbage when it’s in the right hands. Cabbage, cooked or raw, delivers big bowls of intriguing comfort. These recipes show that to the greatest effect.

Cabbage didn’t change; we just stopped noticing it while we were fawning over kale and cauliflower. Our bad. It’s time to take a fresh look and get ahead in our dinner game.