What are apples doing in what is essentially a sausage casserole, you ask? Well, as it turns out – it’s a pretty decent combination. Everything about this dish says ‘Autumn’ to me, but the dull colours and flavours of late February/early March definitely could do with a bit of brightening up. This is really quick to put together too, which makes it a perfect mid-week meal. I made mine veggie, using vegetarian/vegan sausages. If you do that, I recommend using a little more oil as there is usually less fat in a vegetarian sausage.

I used Linda McCartney’s Vegetarian Sausages and they worked well in this dish, which are suitable for vegans as well – they worked well with the dish.

This is a Waitrose & Partners recipe, which I’ve slightly modified to make vegetarian by swapping the sausages. I also used a red onion instead of white as I felt the sweetness will work better with the cabbage.

More with sausages: Rachel Roddy’s Sausages with red onions and grapes 

Quick braised red cabbage, sausages and apples

img_4595

Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 25 mins
Easy | Vegan version if you substitute sausages for vegan/veggie sausages | Dairy-free

You’ll need:

  • 2 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil;
  • 8 Sausages, Vegetarian/Vegan if you prefer;
  • 2 Waitrose & Partners Jazz Apples, cut into about 12 wedges each;
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, plus 1 tsp;
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced;
  • ½ red cabbage (about 450g), cored, quartered and shredded;
  • 1 tbsp dark maple syrup (or 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp water).

Heat 1 tsp oil (or 1 tbsp if using vegetarian sausages) in a wide non-stick frying pan or shallow casserole dish, then brown the sausages for 5 minutes, until golden in places. Transfer to a plate.

Toss the apples in 1 tsp red wine vinegar, then add to the pan along with the onion and remaining 1 tsp oil; cook on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the onions start to soften and the apples take on a little colour.

Tip in the cabbage and sausages, season, then splash in the maple syrup (or sugar and water) and 2 tbsp red wine vinegar. The pan will seem full but don’t worry. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and again as the cabbage wilts. By the end of cooking, the cabbage should be glossy and tender, and the sausages cooked through.

Serve with English or Dijon mustard and mashed potatoes an crusty (or garlic) bread.

Original recipe by Waitrose & Partners magazine, available online here.