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Slow-Cooked Cabbage with Smoked Bacon and Dill

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Description

This rustic, Eastern European slow-cooked cabbage is one of my all-time favorite comfort dishes. It’s deeply nourishing, surprisingly simple to make, and relies on just a handful of humble ingredients that transform into something truly special. Naturally sweet cabbage, gently cooked until soft and silky, takes on a subtle smokiness from the bacon and a bright, fresh finish from generous handfuls of dill.

Ingredients

  • 1 very large white cabbage (or 2 smaller ones)
  • 2 yellow or sweet onions
  • About 100g of thick-cut smoked bacon, pancetta, or guanciale, diced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste or 2–3 tablespoons tomato passata
  • 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
  • A generous bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
  • Optional: sour cream, fermented cottage cheese, spicy chili or spicy sauce for serving

Instructions

  1. Shred the cabbage — I like to roughly chop mine for more texture, but feel free to slice it finer if you prefer. Thinly slice the onions.
  2. Heat a large cast-iron pan or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced bacon or pancetta and cook gently until some of the fat renders. Add the olive oil and cook for a few more minutes, until the bacon starts to turn golden.
  3. Add the onions and sauté until soft, fragrant, and just beginning to caramelize. Start adding the cabbage in batches, as much as fits comfortably in the pan. Gently press it down, season lightly with salt, cover, and let it cook for a few minutes until it wilts and reduces in volume. Repeat until all the cabbage is added.
  4. Stir in the paprika, black pepper, bay leaf, thyme, and tomato paste or passata. Add about 1 tablespoon of water, mix well, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook gently, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sticking — this is where a cast-iron pan really shines.
  5. Cook until the cabbage is soft and deeply flavorful, about 40–45 minutes, depending on how tender you like it. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or paprika if needed. Finish with apple cider vinegar for that essential sweet-and-sour balance, then fold in the fresh dill.
  6. Serve as is for a light, nourishing meal, or top with sour cream, cottage cheese, or your favorite sausages for something heartier. Can be served with millet polenta. 

Notes

In this dish, I use the bacon more as a condiment than a main ingredient — though, let’s be honest, more bacon does mean more flavor (also more protein and fats). Feel free to be generous if that’s your style, and especially if you have a good quality, pasture-raised bacon. 

Find it online: https://creativeinmykitchen.com/slow-cooked-cabbage/