My nana used to make gołąbki every few weeks with cabbage, rice, sauerkraut, and some ground meat. She was technically supposed to cook the whole thing in spicy tomato sauce, but she tended to throw ketchup on it in an attempt to assimilate. I've been thinking that I need to re-learn how to make those, as they were SUCH a great winter meal.
Cooking With Cabbage: Ten Cheap Meal Ideas
One of the few items that makes the cut when pennies are tight enough to implement my survival mode produce list, cabbage gets it done. Financially, it's always a great price. It lasts longer than most other forms of produce, making it a good bet to avoid unnecessary food waste. And flexibility? Oh yeah, baby. Here are ten different ideas, several of them with more than one recipe option, to use this consistently cheap veggie on the home front.
1. Salads and Slaws.
Who doesn't need a strong recipe repertoire of affordable side dishes? Here are four unusual ones that have either made, or are about to be included in, my personal recipe cut. Asian style cole slaw, Greek style cole slaw, El Salvadoran cabbage salad, and a very intriguing sounding lime and peanut cole slaw. Got another great one? Don't forget to sound off below in the comment section.
2. Soups.
Soups are frugal enough in their own right. Start factoring in a budget powerhouse like cabbage and you are really squeezing a nickel 'til it cries. Here are one, two, three separate soup recipes featuring cabbage as a main ingredient, and a link to an overall cabbage soup recipe collection.
3. Various noodle dishes.
I'm sure you are all aware of some equally fantastic options, but my two faves are pancit and lo mein. Both cheap, both tasty, and both reasonably quick to prepare.
4. Stuff it.
Cabbage rolls are certainly a safe bet for feeding a crowd on a budget, and stuffing an entire head of it is apparently a popular option as well. Here's a link to a Moldovan version of this idea.
5. Pair it up.
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Either as a side or mixed in for an overall skillet or crock pot dish, cabbage pairs nicely with brisket, hamburger or smoked kielbasa. Here's a link to an interesting sounding version of Norwegian Christmas cabbage that doesn't sound like too tough a way to jazz it up.
6. Sauerkraut.
Definitely short on ingredients. Use it as a side, or as item to dress up your gourmet hot dogs on backyard barbecue night. Here's a recipe link.
7. Kim Chee.
One of my husband's favorite things. He spent time in Korea during his military career and loves the food there. If you feel adventurous and want to give it a whirl yourself, here's a link.
8. Russian Pirozhki.
Cabbage and egg stuffed rolls baked in the oven. Pretty hearty dinner side, wouldn't you say? Here's a link to the recipe. (Yes, it includes a picture.)
9. In a casserole.
Loads of options are available, but here's a link to one of the more unique ones I ran across while researching for this article. It's paired with turkey breast and cranberries for a tangy, tasty and healthy one dish meal. Certainly one worth adding to your repertoire of things to do with left over turkey.
10. Egg rolls.
You didn't honestly think I'd forget, did you? I love these things, and the ingredients are dirt cheap. So trying it out at home shouldn't be a financial hardship. Here's a link to a recipe. Budget tip? Skip the shrimp, or consider substituting the smaller salad shrimp that can be purchased affordably in the frozen food section.
That's it, folks. Ten flexible ways to put food on the table and save your hard earned money. All with one powerful produce item. As usual, I'd love it if you'd share the recipe love.
Additional photo credit: Cynical Optimist
Best of Wise Bread
Don't forget about the red cabbage. I have some in my crock pot for tonight's dinner.
1 head of red cabbage, shredded
2 apples, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp caraway seeds (omit these if you don't like them, don't have them or don't want to spend the $ on them)
3 tbsp of honey and/or brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 C apple juice or cider
1/4 to 1/2 C vinegar (cider vinegar is best)
salt to taste
1/8 tsp allspice (ditto on the "omit these if....")
1 package (5 links) bratwurst
additional water as needed depending on your crock pot
Hi Andrea. I agree. Cabbage rocks, and so do most things made with it. And it's such a year round appropriate vegetable that stays affordable even out of season. I've seen it range from 19 to 54 cents a pound. And since it is such tightly packed vegetable naturally, it's an AWESOME bargain, providing lots of bang for the buck.
I can smell that by just reading your recipe. Red cabbage is so gorgeous, too. Really adds some zip and color to a green salad.
Andrea, if you can, pass your nana's recipe along when possible. Sounds like a winner.
The slightly sweet red cabbage (like the one mentioned above) is extremely good.
We do Colcannon a few times a year. It is mashed potatoes with sauteed cabbage and onions and lots of butter. Our kids actually ask me to make it.
My dad used to make egg rolls with browned ground pork, and they were the best egg rolls ever! I highly recommend it.
While trying to make do with the ingredients in my fridge, I stumbled upon this recipe of red cabbage.
Heat 2 spoonful oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, red chilli and a little turmeric.
Add coarse chopped red cabbage ( 1 cup), beans chopped into two ( 7-8), and a handful of cherry tomatoes (sliced into two). Add salt to taste, let cook on low flame for 15 mins, and thats it. Tomatoes gave it a slightly sweet-sour taste and beans and cabbage are crunchy to eat. Made a nice entree with Chapatis (sort of Indian tortillas)
Myscha, you're awesome. I read a post, think 'This is great!', look at the author, and it's you!
My two cents: I love a simple red cabbage side for grilled meat of any kind – great with sausages if you're on a budget. It's similar to the Norwegian recipe. You sauté half a chopped-up red cabbage in some olive oil, add two teaspoons of caster sugar (superfine sugar), a teaspoon and a half of white wine vinegar and a sprinkle of pine nuts and you're done. Elegant, cheap and totally delicious.
If you want to, you can also add grated carrot or a sprinkle of crisped-up bacon or chorizo or chinese sausage, and swap the pine nuts for chestnuts. And you can sauté onion and garlic with the cabbage if you like.
You all have inspired me for another week's (or more) of dinners. Thank you Myscha and thank you to the commentors as well!
Here's another good cabbage recipe. I use fresh mint in place of the coriander leaves for a really fresh taste. I also use savoy or nappa cabbage, which are both fairly mild in taste. If you don't like cabbage you should give one of these varieties a try.
Cabbage Salad (Pakistani Style) (Phool Gobhi Salad) Recipe
Ingredients:
• 2 cups of Cabbage (Phool Gobhi) (thinly shredded)
• 2 cups of Carrots (shredded)
• 1 Green Chilli (Hari Mirch) (chopped)
• ½ cup of Roasted Peanuts (Moum Phali) (crushed)
• ½ cup Fresh Coriander Leaves (Hara Dhania) (chopped)
• ½ tsp. Sugar
• Salt (to taste)
• Lemon Juice (Nimbu Arkh) (to taste)
• ¼ cup of Peanut Oil (Moum Phali Tail)
Directions:
1. Combine and mix together well the cabbage, carrots, green chilli, peanuts, cilantro, sugar and peanut oil.
2. Before serving, add salt and lemon juice to taste.
I haven't made it yet, but it's bookmarked for after tomato season is over: http://acookinglife.typepad.com/a_cooking_life/2007/07/crack-slaw.html
(and @cavale, you're not alone - I LOVE red cabbage with a little bit of raspberry vinaigrette.)
My favorite fall slaw is super easy--just toss shredded cabbage with diced apple and top with poppy seed dressing. Yummy!
Thanks for all the supportive comments and the great additional recipe ideas. The Pakistani salad looks amazing, and I think the red cabbage fans are right on the money with regards to this stuff adding a touch of color / flair / elegance / whatever to any meal. It's just such an eye-catcher, isn't it?
Last night the aforementioned red cabbage recipe was my first time cooking that particular meal in the crock pot. If you're going for looks, you might want to instead make this in a pot on the stove - some of the color got "washed out" by the long, slow cooking of the crock pot.
Taste, though - yeah, it was great!!
Hey Laurel.
Thanks for the update. With both options being available, folks can choose between having the meal on autopilot and going for a little more umph in the visual presentation. Either way though, it's an affordable way to put dinner on the table.
Thanks again.
I had to learn how to make Kim Chee a few years ago out of self defense, when we lived in a small town with no Asian market. I had to order the supplies online. I looked at your recipe link and I'd suggest you use Korean fish sauce instead of soy sauce, but don't use as much (it's strong stuff.) It's nice to hear someone else makes their own Kim Chee.
I love cabbage and eat it fairly often during the winter months when it's cheaper then everything else. I have a cabbage and potato skillet meal that I make frequently and I use it to make potstickers too. Of course, the usual slaws and such show up on our table as well.
Great post! I'd love to see a winter squash one too! ;)
Hi Reese. Thanks for jumping with the Kim Chee tip. I'm sort of a Kim Chee making virgin, only knowing that we like to eat it, and hoping to try it out for myself when we get settled again, whenver that may be.
The potsticker idea is a good one too. Do you happen to know of a good recipe link?
I grew up eating only cabbage soup for many, many meals (as that was all we could afford.) Once I got older, left the cabbage behind for a few years, and got my taste buds back, I'm hooked again. My favorite it just plain ol' steamed green cabbage with a touch of butter, salt and pepper. The kids can't get enough!
Linsey
You know Linsey, it's funny how so many items we ate a great deal of growing up due to affordability issues become something as adults we avoid for a while. (With us it was also potatoes.)
One of the additional things I now appreciate about cabbage though, is its flexibility. Not just with menu items, but with how long it can last in my fridge if I need to bump certain menu plans. Perfect for busy folks, along with carrots.
There is a great regional recipe for Runzas, which utilize cabbage, and taste fantastic -- http://thisfoodthing.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/original-runza-recipe/
The only problem is that a whole head of cabbage only has like 4 calories, so it really only fools your stomach into thinking you're not poor for a couple hours.
A head of cabbage has nearly 300 calories, so you're only off by a factor of nearly 100... nice job, not.
Not to mention all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. "The more you know..."
My wife and I buy 50 pound bags of cabbage for $13 at a local grocery wholesale and then we salt it as they do in Russia. This involves chopping up the cabbage (using a cheap food processor we bought at COSTCO to grate head after head of cabbage), adding some grated carrots, covering with a layer of salt and then squeezing the cabbage to create a brine. My wife then covers the cabbage with a board and a jar of water to press down on the cabbage as it ferments. She leaves it in a warm place for a couple of days. When it is ready, we then put it in clean jars (empty jars that we have collect rather than throwing them in the garbage). This cabbage lasts for months and can be used in soups. We can also eat it as a salad: add garlic and a bit of oil. It makes a delicious side dish and for less than $20, we can eat our salted homemade Russian cabbage for months.
Congratulations! You're making SAUERKRAUT, not "salted homemade Russian cabbage". But you can call it whatever you like.
As someone who loves the benefits of bulk buying and assembly cooking, I am totally impressed. I might get brave once settled and try a small test batch to see how successful I am. Thanks for sharing such a powerful budget strategy.
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