6 Cookbooks That Prove Cabbage Is the Most Underrated Vegetable

Rosie Steinberg is a Senior Analyst and head of all things email at SmarterTravel Media. She's an avid traveller, eater, and dinner party host.

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For far too long, cabbage’s reputation has been tarnished by store-bought coleslaw and the cabbage soup in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. But hear me out—Cabbage is the perfect quarantine vegetable. It’s incredibly versatile and it lasts way longer in the fridge than most other produce. Not convinced? Let these cookbooks take you on a global tour of this cruciferous unsung hero.

Smitten Kitchen Every Day

Deb Perelman is the queen of everyday comfort food. Every recipe in this sensational blogger’s second cookbook is both crave-able and approachable—think Caramelized Cabbage Risotto.

Nothing Fancy

Have you ever had a cookbook you find yourself sitting down to read on rainy Sunday afternoons as if it were a novel? For me, this is that cookbook. Every recipe makes me want to roast a chicken and open a bottle of wine with my quarantine pod. My mom and I are in a fierce debate over the best cabbage recipe in Nothing Fancy. She thinks it’s the Spicy Red Cabbage With Sweet Onion and Lime, while my favorite is Just-Cooked Cabbage With Butter, Anchovy, and Lemon.

Ottolenghi Simple

I used to find Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks simultaneously gorgeous, inspiring and intimidating… until he released Ottolenghi Simple, a much more-accessible cookbook for those of us with a less exciting spice rack. Do yourself a favor and try the Roast Cabbage With Tarragon And Pecorino.

Six Seasons

Six Seasons is just as much a love note to seasonal vegetables as it is a cookbook. It has almost ten pages of incredibly delicious cabbage recipes, including one for Cabbage and Farro Soup (a full-on hug in a bowl). If you or a family member thinks vegetables can’t constitute an entire meal, prepare to have your mind blown by any of the dishes in this gorgeous cookbook.

Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking

An ode to cabbage would not be complete without a recipe for the stuffed version. Everyone’s grandma has their secret recipe, but my brother swears by Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking for his winter dinner parties. Go ahead and buy the whole cookbook so you don’t miss out on festive recipes like the “Black/White Russians” with homemade cocoa nib vodka.

The New Basics Cookbook

Published in 1989, The New Basics Cookbook may no longer qualify as new, but this classic cookbook is still a staple on every cook’s bookshelf. It contains simple and delicious recipes like Red Cabbage Braised With Vinegar and Bacon. Throw an egg on it if you want to modernize…or Swansonize.

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