Why You Should Add Cabbage to Your Cart This Week
As grocery prices soar, I find myself leaning on a sturdy, reliable, cruciferous friend: the humble cabbage. Not only is your average head of green or red cabbage a versatile shapeshifter, but it is also reliably cheap and long-lasting — a killer combo when you’re trying to make the most of your dollars at the grocery store.
What’s So Great About Cabbage?
Cabbage is one of those vegetables that can be delicious raw, roasted, braised, grilled, and tossed into stews and stir-fries. Unless I’m looking for a bright pop of color, I tend to favor green cabbage in most of these applications for its sweeter, more mild flavor (and so it doesn’t turn my dish purple). It’s available year-round (almost always at under a dollar a pound!) and can stand up to all kinds of flavors and cooking techniques. Not to mention that it is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
However you choose to use this affordable super veg, feel free to toss any remaining cabbage right in your crisper and forget about it for a week or two. Next time you are looking for a crisp-tender sheet pan of roasted veggies, or want to add some substance and fiber to a soup, that cabbage half will still be good as new — it’s like a free vegetable!
What’s the Best Way to Use Cabbage?
One of my favorite ways to enjoy cabbage is perhaps also the simplest way to prepare it: Shred it into thin strips and dress it generously with acid, salt, and a pinch of sugar. The sky’s the limit on flavor additions here!
You can add condiments like mustard, mayo, and hot sauce; herbs like chives, parsley, and cilantro; and spices like chili flake, crushed coriander seed, and celery seed. Simply taste and adjust the seasoning as the cabbage sits, and you’ll have a zippy slaw that works as a side salad or a bright, crunchy topping for tacos, sandwiches, and more. A little shredded cabbage goes a long way, so often you’ll have leftovers, which is a good thing — unlike most leafy salads, slaw only gets better with time, so you can continue to snack on it for days.
Cabbage is also a total flavor sponge and can stand up to some serious heat. I like to tuck some cabbage wedges along with my aromatics under and around a chicken before roasting. Those cabbage wedges will soak up all the savory shmaltz, becoming super flavorful and tender and delightfully charred and crisp in spots.
Buy: Fresh Green Cabbage, $3.28 for 1 head at Walmart
What budget-friendly vegetables are you adding to your cart this week? Tell us about it in the comments below.