The Best Vegan Cabbage Recipes (Green & Red)

These smoky cabbage wedges come together in less than 20 minutes, making them one of the quickest and most impressive side dishes you can put on the table. The cabbage is rubbed with five spices before being seared until deeply golden, then braised until completely tender. A creamy, tangy yogurt drizzle ties the whole thing together, simple enough for a weeknight but striking enough to add to the holiday table.

Thomas's vegan take on the beloved Japanese savory pancake is loaded with shredded cabbage, marinated sesame jackfruit, and green onions. The cabbage makes up the bulk of the batter, giving each pancake that characteristic flavor, while the jackfruit adds a satisfying, meaty depth. It uses a clever blend of oat and buckwheat flour to keep things gluten-free, and the sweet-tangy okonomiyaki sauce and vegan mayo on top are non-negotiable. Readers are pretty enthusiastic: one said they made it and were already making it again the next day, another called it "absolutely scrumptious", and a former Japan traveler said it brought back all their okonomiyaki memories.

This is a recipe that proves patience is always worth it. A humble head of green cabbage is slowly cooked down with just a handful of ingredients until it becomes something jammy, deeply golden, and rich with smoky depth. It's the kind of recipe that transforms the most ordinary ingredient in your fridge into something you'll want to make again and again.

A dairy and egg-free coleslaw that's crunchy, fresh, and comes together in 15 minutes. Julie's version uses both green and red cabbage for color and keeps the dressing light with just a touch of sweetness. Readers consistently pair it with jackfruit BBQ sandwiches and baked tofu, and one called it the best coleslaw dressing they'd ever tasted. Several say you can't tell it's vegan.

Shruthi's one-pot vegan cabbage soup is built around cabbage, cannellini beans, and a simple base of tomatoes and aromatics, hearty enough for a weeknight dinner but light enough not to weigh you down. It comes together in 30 minutes and makes a large batch, so leftovers are taken care of too. One reader called it "the most wonderful soup ever" and says she tells everyone about it; another stumbled on it after her husband came home with an unexpected cabbage and said everything was perfectly balanced.

This is the Balkan side salad that appears on the table multiple times a week. Made with just five ingredients, it's crunchy, refreshing, mayo-free, and cuts through richer dishes effortlessly. It's the kind of side dish that takes five minutes to make and can be enjoyed with a range of different meals.

Ottolenghi uses hispi, also known as sweetheart or pointed cabbage, which has looser, sweeter leaves that char well on a grill. The wedges are finished with a coriander, garlic, chili, and lime oil that brings real heat and brightness. It's a simple recipe from one of the most well-known chefs that shows what cabbage can do when treated as the main event.

Tikil Gomen is a spiced Ethiopian vegetable dish that highlights cabbage, potato, and carrots ("gomen" literally translates to cabbage). It's a staple at Ethiopian restaurants, simple to make at home, and a great entry point into the cuisine if you've never cooked it before. One reader said the flavors were "just amazing" and that it had them looking forward to cooking their way through more of the site.

Nisha cooks a full eight cups of cabbage down until silky and sweet, then simmers it with warming Indian spices, coconut milk, almond butter, and chickpeas. The almond butter, suggested by Nisha's partner after the fourth recipe test, is what makes it. One reader said they don't like cabbage or chickpeas and still couldn't stop making it; another called it "utterly amazing" and said it "felt so luxurious for such inexpensive ingredients."

Just three ingredients: cabbage cooked down until caramelized, tossed with pasta and olive oil. Readers are consistently surprised by how good something so simple can taste. One said they were "not expecting to be so incredibly blown away", another said they "couldn't stop eating it", and a reader from Croatia recognized it immediately as a dish from their own childhood.

Thick slices of green cabbage roasted until caramelized and served over a creamy white bean puree- this is cabbage treated as a proper main. Lexi recommends green cabbage specifically, as it holds its shape better than red when cut into steaks. The white bean puree is optional, but readers say it takes the dish to another level. One reader has it in regular rotation and calls it one of their favorite quick dinners.

Thick, chewy udon noodles stir-fried with cabbage and vegetables in a dark, umami-rich sauce that comes together in under 30 minutes using simple, accessible ingredients. The vegetables are interchangeable, so it's also a good one for using up whatever is in the fridge.

Ania came up with this salad while cooking for her family during a difficult time. It started as a way to use what was in the fridge and ended up being something everyone wanted again. Finely shredded white cabbage, diced sundried tomatoes, a balsamic and garlic dressing, and toasted walnuts on top. Six ingredients, ready in 20 minutes. One reader said it reminded them of garden-fresh meals from their youth; another loved that they had everything on hand already and said it kept well for three days with the dressing stored separately.

Borscht is a beet-based soup that originated in Ukraine and has since spread throughout Eastern Europe, with each country having its own variation. This vegan version is vegetable-loaded, easy to make, and gets its striking deep crimson color from the beets and its body from the cabbage. It has a slightly sour quality that makes it unlike most other soups. One reader made it for the family and said even the fussy kid who declared she didn't like borscht loved it.

Sneh's cabbage fritters are gluten-free, eggless, and crispy around the edges thanks to a combination of besan and rice flour. Heavily influenced by okonomiyaki but with clear Indian roots, they're finished with a chili and curry leaf oil that brings real heat and flavor. Sneh points out that you don't need eggs or dairy to make a great fritter, just flour, water, and the right technique. One reader who made them simply said: "These were fantastic."

Green cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of vegetables, rice, and lentils, cooked in a simple tomato sauce. It's hearty, freezer-friendly, and works well with bread or mashed potatoes on the side, or on its own. A good one for the cooler months when you want something that goes a long way. One reader made it twice in a week and said the tomato sauce was so good everyone wanted more; another, with a Croatian husband, said it was wonderful to finally have a plant-based version of a dish that's a staple in their home.

Seven ingredients and about 20 minutes is all it takes to turn red cabbage into something tangy, crunchy, and a brilliant magenta color. Jeanine keeps a jar in the fridge and piles it onto everything: tacos, sandwiches, grain bowls, veggie burgers. It keeps for two weeks and gets better overnight. One reader made it for Taco Tuesday and said it added "a ton of punch and flavor"; another said it was "crunchy and addictive" and didn't last the two weeks.

Lori's slow cooker version of the German classic Rotkohl is red cabbage braised with apples, spices, and a sweet-and-sour balance that pairs well with hearty autumn and festive meals. The slow cooker does all the work, which frees you up for everything else. One reader with a German mother said it was very similar to her family's recipe; another made it alongside a creamy gnocchi bake and said it was a perfect side dish.

Poriyal is a South Indian dry stir-fry, and this purple cabbage version from Sandhya uses mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried chili, and fresh coconut. It has no onion or garlic, and Sandhya says she loves it so much she could eat it straight from the pan like a salad. Several readers were surprised by the cabbage and coconut combination but were won over by the result, and many noted how simple and quick it was to put together.

Three ingredients, one pan, 25 minutes. Dana's roasted cabbage gets crispy, caramelized, and sweet in the oven, and works as a side, in bowls, salads, or soups. The seasoning is completely flexible, which readers take full advantage of: curry powder, garam masala, harissa, berbere, zaatar. The comments read like a spice rack. One reader made it twice in the same week; another said it was as good as roasted Brussels sprouts.

Red cabbage and grated beets massaged with salt and fermented together for 5 days into a tangy, probiotic-rich sauerkraut. The beets turn the whole jar a stunning deep magenta and add a gentle earthiness alongside the coriander seeds. Only 20 minutes of hands-on prep, and it keeps in the fridge for up to three months. One reader compared it to a shop-bought version and said "WOW, I'm so glad I made this"; another's mom requested it as a Christmas present.

This recipe uses red cabbage sliced into steaks, brushed with a miso and sesame paste, and roasted until the edges are charred and crispy. Sarah finishes it with a creamy peanut and lime satay dressing that she says works just as well drizzled over other roasted vegetables or mixed through a slaw. The one reader who has made it called it the best red cabbage they'd ever tasted and said it's now a regular in their house.