Cabbage with bacon and apple in a cider and mustard cream sauce. A beautiful vegetable side dish and a great accompaniment to roast pork or chicken! Full of flavour and the ideal way to elevate the Sunday roast.
Savoy cabbage with bacon is a classic combination and one I happen to love. To this vegetable side dish of cabbage and bacon I’ve added apple, cider and mustard, finishing the dish off with a little cream. This is a rich side dish, but one that is packed full of flavour. Furthermore, it’s a really quick dish to prepare and cook.
I do believe cabbage is a much maligned vegetable, due in no small part I suspect to over-cooked, limp white cabbage, often associated with bad school dinners. Nevertheless, when cooked properly, I have to say it’s easily one of my favourite vegetables to eat. I’ve never had a problem with my greens, even as a child. I suspect that is down to me growing up with parents who were pretty much self-sufficient when it came to growing their own veg. Our garden was full pretty much all year round, and there were always brassicas growing: spring cabbage; savoy cabbage; kales and brussel sprouts. You name it my parents probably grew it!
What goes with cabbage and bacon?
I’ve made this side dish for years, and I think it goes really well with roast pork and chicken. However, if you don’t have time quickly grilled pork chop or chicken supreme will work just as well. In fact that’s how I’d serve it mid week when time is more limited, but you still want a tasty plate of food. If you want perfection though, I’d pair it with the Slow Roast Pork Belly we featured on the blog last week. The combination of roast pork belly with this cabbage and bacon side dish was a very well received by diners at our Supperclub.
It is worth mentioning however, that this is a rich side. For that reason we would recommend sticking with a simple potato side, something like a hasselback or baked potato.
Are there any substitutions I can make?
We have used savoy cabbage, however you can substitute with another green cabbage, spring greens would also work well. We have used Granny Smith apples in the dish, however use whatever apples you can get your hands on. However do try and use a firm crisp apple variety. Finally if you don’t have wholegrain mustard, a good Dijon mustard will also taste delicious in the dish.
How do I make this vegetable side suitable for vegetarians?
If you want to serve this vegetable side to vegetarian diners simply leave out the bacon.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time?
This cabbage and bacon recipe is really easy to prepare ahead of time. Simply cook the dish then cover the pan with a lid and set it aside to cool. Simply heat the vegetables up gently when you are ready to serve.
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Alternative recipe suggestions:
If you like this recipe then try some of our other vegetable side dishes: our Braised Red Cabbage, our Creamed Brussel Sprouts, our Potato & Cheese Croquettes or our Creamy Mustard Mash.
Savoy Cabbage with Bacon, Apple & Cider
Ingredients
- 50 g butter
- 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon - cut into thin strips
- 1 large onion - finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 savoy cabbage - shredded
- 2 green Granny Smith apples - peeled, core removed and diced
- 250 ml dry cider
- 250 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the strips of streaky bacon and saute until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan.
- Add the onion to the frying pan and saute gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Next add the crushed garlic, savoy cabbage and apple to the pan and saute for a further 3 minutes.
- Pour the cider into the mixture, turn up the heat to medium high and reduce the cider by half.
- Add the bacon back into the pan, along with the wholegrain mustard and give it a good stir through to combine. Finally add the cream, mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
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