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Kapusta provansal
Капуста провансаль: crunchy cabbage, carrot, apple and cranberries marinated overnight in sweet vinegar and sunflower oil
Kapusta provansal has nothing to do with Provence: the grand name is a Soviet-era flourish for a bright marinated cabbage salad that turns up on festive tables from Moscow to Novosibirsk, especially at New Year and through the autumn when the cabbage is crisp and sweet. Coarsely cut cabbage, grated carrot, apple wedges and red cranberries are packed into a jar under a hot marinade of water, sugar, vinegar, sunflower oil, bay and allspice. By the next day it is crunchy, juicy, sweet and sour, with tart pops of berry and a gentle spiced warmth, and it sits happily beside boiled potatoes, kotlety, salted herring or roast chicken. The commonest mistake is slicing the cabbage very finely, which goes limp under the hot marinade; cut it into rough 3 cm squares and crush it only lightly with the salt. It is ready when the cabbage has turned slightly translucent but still snaps and the carrot has coloured the brine pale orange. Chef's tip: add a few strips of red pepper and a crushed garlic clove to the jar for colour and depth.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 2 ¼ lb white cabbagefirm autumn cabbage
- 7 oz carrots
- 2 firm, sour applesabout 300 g
- 3 ½ oz cranberriesfresh or frozen; or lingonberries
- 4 tsp salt
- ½ red bell pepper (optional)in strips
- 1 garlic clove (optional)crushed
For the marinade
- 2 cups water
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- ¾ cup cider or white wine vinegarat least 5% acidity
- ½ cup sunflower oilunrefined if you like its nutty taste
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Wash a 2 litre jar or lidded glass box in hot soapy water, rinse with boiling water and leave to drain dry.
Step 2: Remove the outer leaves and core from the 2 ¼ lb white cabbage and cut it into rough 3 cm squares or thick shreds. Grate the 7 oz carrots on the large holes.
10 minStep 3: Toss the cabbage and carrot with 2 tsp salt in a big bowl and squeeze lightly with your hands for a minute, just until the cabbage starts to glisten; do not pound it to juice.
2 minStep 4: Core the 2 firm, sour apples and cut them into 8 wedges each. Pack the jar with alternate layers of cabbage, apple, 3 ½ oz cranberries and ½ red bell pepper and 1 garlic clove if using, pressing each layer down gently.
8 minStep 5: Make the marinade: bring the 2 cups water, 3 ½ oz sugar, the rest of the 2 tsp salt, 2 bay leaves, 5 allspice berries and 6 black peppercorns to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, until clear. Take off the heat and stir in the ¾ cup cider or white wine vinegar and ½ cup sunflower oil.
4 minStep 6: Pour the hot marinade over the vegetables, pressing them down with a spoon until everything is covered. Put a small plate or a zip bag of water on top to keep the cabbage under the liquid.
Step 7: Leave at room temperature for 3–4 hours until cool, then cover and refrigerate. It is ready to eat after 24 hours, crunchy and evenly sour-sweet.
Step 8: Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, pressed under the marinade and served with a clean spoon. Throw it away if it starts to fizz, smells off or yeasty, the cabbage turns slimy, or mould appears.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does kapusta provansal take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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