Vegetables for vitality: cabbage

Now that more is known about the health benefits of this once-humble vegetable, cabbage has become a nutritional superstar. There are hundreds of different types. Read on to learn more about the many health benefits of cabbage.

Packed into 250 millilitres (one cup) of raw cabbage:

• less than 25 calories
• 3.5 grams (3/4 teaspoon) of fibre
• sulforaphane, isothiocyanates and dithiolethiones, all phytochemicals that have known disease-fighting capabilities
• one-third or more of the daily requirement for vitamin C
• phytochemicals called indoles, which help protect against breast, prostate and colon cancers
• anthocyanins in red cabbage that fight inflammation

Season

Available all year, with peak season in mid-winter. Savoy cabbage is available throughout fall, winter and early spring.

What to look for

When choosing red or green cabbage, select firm heads that are quite heavy for their size. Looser-leafed, elongated varieties such as Chinese or napa cabbage will also be heavy for their size. Choose heads with fresh-looking cores and no wilted leaves or yellowing. A one kilogram (two pound) head serves four to six people for a side dish and makes about 2.5 kilograms (10 cups) of shredded cabbage.

Storing

All varieties of cabbage should be stored, unwashed, in a paper bag, in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Green or red cabbages with tight heads will keep for up to two weeks; loose-leaf napa cabbage will keep for up to one week.

Preparation

Remove and discard any damaged or wilted outer leaves and trim away any brown spots. Remove and discard tough outer leaves from the larger heads of cabbage. Rinse cabbage in cold water just before cooking. Use a knife, grater or food processor to shred heads of green or red cabbage. First, cut the head into quarters with a large, heavy knife. Then remove the core. You can then shred the cabbage by slicing it vertically, or using a hand-held grater or a food procesor with the grating disk attached.

Basic cooking

Whatever the type of cabbage, always cook it very briefly and drain it well. Cabbage has a bad name simply because it has a history of being overcooked.

• The simplest technique for cooking all types of cabbage is to first slice or chop it and then steam it over boiling water until it is barely tender, about five minutes.
• Drain well.
• Just before serving, sauté in a little butter or olive oil to heat through, and season with salt and pepper.

Best uses in recipes

Grated raw cabbage is used to make salads and slaws. Crisp cabbage leaves can be cut up and substituted in any recipe that calls for lettuce, including sandwiches. Whole raw cabbage leaves, especially savoy cabbage leaves, can be used in place of tortillas for a tasty, low-calorie wrap for sandwich fillings.

Cooked cabbage is served as a side dish with meat, poultry and sausages. It is also used as a filling for small pastry cases, such as the Russian piroshki, and for dumplings. Cabbage is a useful ingredient in a wide variety of soups, stews, salads and stir-fries.

One of the most popular and easy-to-make recipes for cabbage is coleslaw, a mixture of shredded cabbage, carrots and an almost sweet creamy dressing, traditionally made from mayonnaise, but increasingly made from sour cream and/or yogurt.