I love cabbage. I make so secret of it. That’s why at least half a dozen cabbage recipes pop up in this space every year… But I continue to hear folks tell me they hate the stuff. Well… Vogue (no less!) has declared 2026 is the ‘Year of the Cabbage’!
Classic Polish Galumbki: A cabbage dish everybody loves!
Earlier this year, fashion and lifestyle icon Vogue magazine ran a feature story headlined: ‘2026 Is the Year of the Cabbage: Meet the Most Underrated Leafy Green’.
I needed no more inspiration than that to bring you classic, new and newstalgized dishes which I felt could make cabbage lovers out of cabbage haters. But the hint didn’t take.
So I now commend you to two posts, by separate authorities with unparalleled respect, and a shared mission to convert cabbage-resistant cooks and diners…
Vogue waxes poetic on benefits…
There’s no question that cabbage – one of the cruciferous super-veggies – deserves (as Vogue quips) a seat at your table. And there’s no question that Western palates have lagged behind the rest of the world in embracing cabbage as they should.
Cabbage, in its myriad forms, has been enjoyed since time immemorial in all of the world’s great cuisines, in more ways than I can count.
“Much of this stems from its versatility,” Chef Woldy Reyes, author of the cookbook In the Kusina: My Seasonal Filipino Cooking, told Vogue. “We are seeing a growing trend of chefs utilizing it as a centerpiece, such as cabbage steaks, rather than as a side dish. The culinary appeal has never been stronger.”
The article goes on to list the many benefits of the humble cabbage… Including gut-, heart health- and immune-system support, anti-inflammatory powers, and blood sugar control.
But dwells on ‘downsides’…
But it also dwells, too much I think, on the ”downsides’.
Registered Dietician Amy Shapiro, founder of Real Nutrition, is also a noted health and wellness author. She warns, “Those with a sensitive digestive system or who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may want to be careful about how much they eat, as certain fibres in cabbage can trigger bloating, gas, or IBS symptoms.”
She also cautions that folks with thyroid concerns and anyone taking blood thinners as a hedge against blood clots should consume only moderate amounts of cabbage. Larger ‘doses’ may interfere with those conditions and the medications commonly used to treat them.
CBC brings reimagined recipes…
A similar CBC-Radio Canada article covers the same ground as the Vogue piece, but adds a couple of refreshing, contemporary takes on Cabbage preparation.
The first, from chef and foodie Dan Seidman, is simple yet wide-reaching; Just try using cabbage in place of lettuce in salads! Especially entrée salads where other ingredients balance and complement the native earthy, umami flavour of cabbage.
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His Thai-Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad features Nappa Cabbage, which is naturally lighter and milder-flavoured than your basic, hard-headed classic cabbages. And it’s a natural invitation to explore the wonders of Asian cuisine!
The second is a dish from thevariedtable, with authentic Central Asian roots: Pakistani Cabbage Sabizi. It’s a sautéed preparation of thin-sliced classic white cabbage, flavoured with mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, cilantro, and chili flakes (which the author invites you to add to your own taste).
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I tried it. I loved it. I’ve filed it in my permanent recipe repertoire right beside Grandma’s Cabbage and Sausage, and My Famous Confetti Coleslaw…
My take
Of course, I can also point you to my legacy ‘Make Cabbage Great Again’ series which you can access simply by using that catchy phrase as your search term on the Fab Food Blog’s site-search engine.
What more encouragement do you need to get on the cabbage bandwagon?
~ Maggie J.