According to the USDA’s most recent Economic Research Service reports, green cabbage costs about 70 cents per pound on average, making it the second-cheapest vegetable after potatoes. It’s also nearly entirely edible with little waste, so the cost per cup is equally low. And have you ever sliced up a head of cabbage? The yield! Stunning! According to the University of Vermont, one medium head of cabbage weighs about two and half pounds and yields about nine cups of shredded raw cabbage and seven cups cooked.
Cabbage Is Easy to Find
Even though the peak season for cabbage is winter, it’s available year-round in most grocery stores. It’s also grown throughout the United States (and that helps keep the cost down, too).
Cabbage Is Nutritionally Dense
True, all vegetables have their health benefits. But cabbage—a member of the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and cauliflower—is a low-cal, low-carb queen with tons of nutritious selling points. According to the Cleveland Clinic, one cup of raw green cabbage contains 22 calories, more than two grams of fiber, 54 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin C and 85 percent for vitamin K. It’s also high in potassium (good for regulating blood pressure) and antioxidants (good for reducing inflammation).
Cabbage Is Hardy
We’ve all been victims to a box of baby spinach that was meant for a salad but ended up wilting in the fridge. And avocados will turn on you at the drop of a dime. But cabbage is a loyal friend. According to Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center, properly stored cabbage can last up to two months in the refrigerator. But what’s “properly stored?” Easy: For a whole head, keep the outer leaves on, don’t wash the produce until you want to use it and store it wrapped or unwrapped in your crisper. If you use a partial head, you can tightly wrap the remaining portion in plastic wrap and store it in the crisper.
Cabbage Is Versatile
Although it’s essential for coleslaw, that’s not the only cabbage recipe you should keep in your collection. Raw cabbage is crisp and neutral in flavor, so it makes an excellent base for long-lasting, make-ahead salads, and it can even serve as a low-carb wrap for proteins. Cooked cabbage gets a bad rap for being, well, stinky, but that’s only if you overcook it. Treated with care, heat will turn the crunchy vegetable into a tender, slightly sweet and luxurious experience. It can be caramelized like onions, braised until falling apart and roasted in the oven.
Need more proof? Here are seven cabbage recipes that aren’t just slaw:
So what I’m saying is, you can keep your asparagus and your spinach—I’ll be dining on cabbage and pocketing the change.
