Young cabbage is rich in vitamins A, B, C, K and U and contains the beneficial minerals potassium and magnesium. This early, fresh vegetable fills you up thanks to its fiber, yet it’s low in calories, high in water and nutrients, aids digestion, and supports weight loss. Young cabbage can lower cholesterol, strengthen the cardiovascular system, and help prevent stroke and heart attack. Research supports these benefits — a good reason to include young cabbage in your weekly meals. To learn more — from borscht to patties — read our full feature on this vegetable.
Young cabbage dishes make healthy everyday meals. Ideas for what to make with young cabbage include not just soups or salads. Our favorite is spring baking with cabbage — specifically a cabbage pie made with sour cream and eggs baked in the oven.
Ingredients for the sour-cream cabbage pie:
- young cabbage – 1 head (400 g);
- flour – 250 g;
- baking powder – 1 tsp;
- eggs – 3 pcs.;
- butter – 25 g;
- sour cream – 2 tbsp;
- green onion, parsley or dill – to taste;
- salt and pepper – to taste.
How to make cabbage pie, step by step
- Chop the young cabbage (dice it or shred it).
- Put the cabbage into a preheated skillet and sauté it for a few minutes, stirring. Season it with salt and pepper and add chopped herbs.
- To make the yeast-free batter, mix the flour, baking powder, eggs and sour cream and beat the mixture.
- Butter a baking dish, spread the cabbage in the dish, pour the batter over the cabbage, and bake it at 180°C until the top turns golden. The cabbage pie will be ready in about half an hour.
Pro tips for the best cabbage pie
- Skip pre-simmering: massage the cabbage with salt to soften it, then mix in butter.
- For a richer flavor, add an equal amount of mayonnaise to the batter along with the sour cream.
- For a more delicate texture, reduce the flour in the recipe from 250 g to 180 g and increase the liquid components instead (use about 150 g mayonnaise and 150 g sour cream). For an even lazier version, use the poured-batter method — it uses minimal ingredients and delivers reliable results.
FAQ: Cabbage pie basics
What is the simplest cabbage pie recipe using sour cream?
For spring baking with young cabbage, either a poured batter or puff pastry works well, but the simplest method is a poured pie made from flour, eggs, sour cream and mayonnaise. If you want something different, try an open pie — it’s just as easy to make.
How long should I bake a cabbage pie in the oven?
Depending on the ingredients and your oven’s power, bake the cabbage pie for 20–40 minutes (on average about 30 minutes).
Why does the cabbage pie turn out juicy?
The cabbage pie becomes juicy because young cabbage contains a high amount of moisture, which is released after softening and during baking. Adding onion, carrot, herbs, butter and sour cream also moistens the filling, so include those ingredients in a homemade cabbage pie to increase juiciness. The type of dough (poured batter or puff pastry) and the correct baking temperature (a moderate oven temperature prevents the dough and filling from drying out) also help keep the pie moist.
