This quick pickled red cabbage is an easy, delicious way to eat more cruciferous vegetables. It provides fiber and antioxidants behind its vibrant purple color-with a tangy crunch that brightens salads, sandwiches, tacos, and grain bowls. Made with apple cider vinegar, fresh lime juice, no added sugar, and a low-sodium option.
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- 🔍 Quick Look: Pickled Red Cabbage
- 👩🏽⚕️ Dietitian's Note
- 👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- 🌱 Substitutions
- 📝 How to Make Pickled Red Cabbage
- ✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- 🥬 Serving Suggestions
- 🌿 More Cabbage Recipes
- 🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
- 🫙 Related Recipes
- 👩🏽🍳 Made this recipe?
- ⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
- Pickled Red Cabbage Recipe (No Added Sugar)
- 🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
- 💬 Comments
🔍 Quick Look: Pickled Red Cabbage
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🎛️ Cook Time: 5 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: ~40 kcal (based on nutrition panel)
- 👩🏽🍳 Flavor Profile: Tangy, bright, and garlicky, with a crunchy texture and optional heat.
- 💪🏼 Nutrition: High in vitamin C to help boost iron absorption from plants.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy-just shred the cabbage, briefly simmer the brine, and combine.
👩🏽⚕️ Dietitian's Note
Red cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli and kale. It contains glucosinolates, plant compounds that break down into substances studied for their potential health benefits. Its purple color comes from anthocyanins, which have antioxidant properties. It also provides fiber to support regular bowel movements and nourish beneficial gut bacteria.
For an iron-rich meal, pair this pickled cabbage with lentils, beans, or tofu. Cabbage contains vitamin C, which helps your body absorb plant-based iron, although heating and storage reduce some of it. Add a squeeze of fresh lime before serving for extra vitamin C.
This is a quick vinegar pickle rather than a fermented food, so it is not a reliable source of probiotics.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
This pickled red cabbage recipe makes it easy to add more vegetables to your meals, and boost iron absorption. Plus, it's:
- Quick to prepare: Just a few minutes of shredding and a simple homemade brine.
- No added sugar or oil: Bright, tangy flavor from vinegar, lime, garlic, and spices.
- Crunchy and colorful: An easy way to make simple meals more satisfying.
- Made with low-sodium salt: Reduces the sodium added to the brine compared with regular salt.
- Meal-prep friendly: Keep a jar refrigerated for an easy vegetable topping throughout the week.
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.
- Red cabbage: Cabbage heads vary in size, so measure the shreds to keep the cabbage-to-brine ratio consistent.
- Apple cider vinegar: Gives this pickled cabbage recipe a fruity tang. Choose vinegar labeled 5% acidity.
- Lime juice: Adds a fresh citrus flavor that complements the vinegar.
- Low-sodium salt (optional): Seasons the brine with less sodium than regular salt. The amount of sodium varies by brand.
- Garlic: Lightly crush the clove to release its flavor into the brine.
- Jalapeño: Adds fresh heat. Remove the seeds and inner membranes for a milder result, or leave it out.
- Coriander: I use coriander seeds, but ground coriander also works. The seeds add a subtle citrusy flavor, while ground coriander disperses throughout the brine and may make it slightly cloudy.
- Black peppercorns and red pepper flakes: Optional additions for warmth and extra heat.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities.
🌱 Substitutions
This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.
- Apple cider vinegar: Substitute white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar labeled 5% acidity. Distilled vinegar gives a sharper flavor.
- Lime juice: Use the same amount of lemon juice.
- Red cabbage: Green cabbage works, although it won't have the same vibrant color or anthocyanin content.
- Coriander: Use the same amount of coriander seeds or ground coriander. Both work well.
- Less heat: Omit the jalapeño and red pepper flakes.
- Salt: Regular salt works in the same amount, or omit entirely, if preferred.
📝 How to Make Pickled Red Cabbage
The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.
How to Shred Cabbage:
- Cut the cabbage: Remove any damaged outer leaves and rinse the cabbage. Cut it into halves or quarters, depending on its size and the tool you are using.
- Shred: Cabbage peeler: This is my preferred method for thin, delicate ribbons. Place the cabbage securely on a cutting board and shave across a cut face, following the tool's instructions. Keep your fingers away from the blade and discard the tough core when finished. Shred it thinly. Thin ribbons absorb the brine quickly and are easier to eat in sandwiches, wraps, and tacos. Sharp knife: Remove the core, place each wedge flat-side down, and slice crosswise as thinly as possible. Mandoline: Use a thin slicing setting and a hand guard. Food processor: Use the slicing disc, cutting the cabbage into pieces that fit the feed tube.
Make the brine:
- Heat just until simmering: Stir to dissolve the salt, then remove from the heat. Prolonged boiling evaporates liquid and concentrates the brine.
- Pour over while hot: This helps soften the cabbage so it absorbs the tangy flavor.
Pickle the cabbage:
- Toss as it cools. The cabbage may initially sit above the liquid. Tossing helps coat all the shreds as they soften.
- Pack it down gently. Transfer all the brine to the jars and press the cabbage into the liquid. Give it time. This quick pickled red cabbage is delicious once chilled, but an overnight rest allows the flavors to develop.
For serving:
- Keep the cabbage covered (optional): If needed throughout the week, top up with freshly made, cooled brine using the same vinegar-to-water ratio-2 parts vinegar to 1 part water. Keep refrigerated and use within the original storage time.
- Serving tip: Use this pickled red cabbage in place of the raw cabbage in my Cabbage Kale Salad and skip the dressing-the tangy brine adds plenty of flavor.
✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Store in clean, covered jars in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks. Keep the cabbage pressed into the brine and use a clean utensil when serving.
Top up with freshly made, cooled brine using the same vinegar-to-water ratio-2 parts vinegar to 1 part water as needed.
🥬 Serving Suggestions
Spoon pickled red cabbage over lentils, beans, or tofu for a colorful addition to an iron-rich meal. Add a squeeze of fresh lime just before eating.
It is also delicious in:
- Tacos, burritos, and grain bowls
- Hummus wraps and sandwiches
- Veggie burgers and tofu sandwiches
- Lentil, chickpea, and white bean salads
- Bowls of roasted vegetables with tahini dressing
🌿 More Cabbage Recipes
Try this easy Cabbage Kale Salad. It's fresh, crunchy, and full of flavor, with crisp carrots, hearty kale, and a tangy garlic dressing.
This Red Cabbage Recipe is packed with plant protein and fiber, plus 10 mg of iron-about 56% of the Daily Value-per serving.
My Superfood Salad is a powerhouse of nutrition. Perfect for a quick lunch or a light dinner!
This Quinoa Lentil Salad packs protein and is fresh, colorful, and packed with flavor.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Pour a hot brine of vinegar, water, lime juice, salt, and seasonings over thinly shredded cabbage. Toss, cool briefly, and refrigerate. Sugar is not necessary for this quick refrigerator pickle.
Red cabbage provides fiber and anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigments responsible for its purple color. This recipe is also made without added sugar or oil and offers an easy way to add vegetables to meals.
This recipe is not fermented. Its tangy flavor comes from vinegar and lime juice, whereas fermented cabbage develops acidity through the activity of microorganisms.
No. This recipe must be refrigerated and is not intended for canning or room-temperature storage.
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Pickled Red Cabbage Recipe (No Added Sugar)
Ingredients
- 1 small head red cabbage about 4 to 5 cups thinly shredded
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt preferably low-sodium (see notes)
- 1 clove garlic lightly crushed
- ½ jalapeño thinly sliced, optional
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns optional
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander, optional
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
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Instructions
- Shred the cabbage: Remove damaged outer leaves and rinse the cabbage. Cut into halves or quarters. Use a cabbage peeler to shave thin ribbons from a cut face, keeping the cabbage stable and your fingers clear of the blade. Alternatively, use a sharp knife, mandoline with a hand guard, or food processor fitted with a slicing disc. Discard the tough core.
- Measure: Transfer 4 to 5 cups shredded cabbage to a large heatproof glass or stainless-steel bowl.
- Make the brine: Combine the vinegar, water, lime juice, low-sodium salt, garlic, and jalapeño in a small saucepan. Add the peppercorns, coriander seeds or ground coriander, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the salt, then remove from the heat.
- Combine: Pour the hot brine over the cabbage. Toss well with tongs and gently press the cabbage into the liquid.
- Cool and pack: Let cool briefly, tossing occasionally as the cabbage softens. Pack into clean jars, pour in all the brine, and gently press the cabbage down.
- Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of preparation. Enjoy once chilled, or refrigerate overnight for the best flavor. Keep refrigerated and use within 2 weeks.
Notes
- Salt: Optional. I used SaltWise Salicornia White Salt, a lower-sodium seasoning made from salicornia-an edible coastal plant with a naturally salty taste.
- Coriander: I use whole coriander seeds, but the same amount of ground coriander works, too.
- Milder flavor: Omit the jalapeño and red pepper flakes.
- Refrigerator pickle: This recipe is not suitable for canning or room-temperature storage.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
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