I never planned to put cabbage in a juicer. It sounds like the sort of thing you drink while holding your nose, the price you pay for being sensible. Then I spotted a head of red cabbage reduced to nothing at the market, brought it home mostly out of guilt, and now it is a regular in the rotation. Juiced with a sweet apple, a couple of carrots and half a lemon, it turns a deep magenta and tastes like a very gentle fruit juice with a savoury edge. Red cabbage is milder and sweeter than the white stuff, so even people who swear they hate cabbage tend to finish the glass. I pour it on heavy days, after a big meal or a takeaway, when my stomach feels slow and I want something cold that is not just water. It makes two good glasses in about ten minutes.
Why these ingredients work
Cabbage has a long folk history as a gut soother, which is why you still see cabbage juice in health shops and old home remedy books. Red cabbage belongs to the brassica family, the same crew as broccoli, kale and sprouts, and it brings real substance to the glass. One glass carries around 700mg of potassium, more than a banana, close to 100mg of vitamin C, and a useful amount of vitamin K. The apple brings the sweetness that makes cabbage drinkable, and a sweet variety like Gala or Pink Lady does it without needing any added sugar. The carrots add body and a gentle earthiness, along with the beta carotene that deepens the colour to that rich pink-red. The half lemon is doing two jobs: it stops the juice browning and it keeps the natural cabbage pigments bright pink instead of letting them drift blue.
One honest note: juicing keeps less of the fibre than eating the vegetables whole, so think of this as a pleasant top-up rather than a swap. The blender method keeps more of it, which is why I reach for that version when I have an extra few minutes. It is a lovely, useful drink for days when your stomach feels slow, not a cure for anything.
FAQ
Does cabbage juice taste like cabbage?
Less than you would think, and nowhere near as strong as the smell of boiling cabbage that puts most people off. Red cabbage is mild and slightly sweet raw, the apple brings real sugar, and the lemon stops it tasting flat. Drink it cold and it is closer to a soft berry juice with a savoury finish. If you are still unsure, use a bigger apple or add the ginger, which gives it a gentle warmth that masks any remaining cabbage edge.
Is cabbage juice good for digestion?
Cabbage has been used for generations as a gentle stomach soother, and a glass of this is a pleasant way to get some of that tradition in without choking down raw leaves. Each glass has around 19g of sugar, all of it from the fruit and vegetables, and roughly 700mg of potassium, which helps your body balance fluids. It is a helpful drink after a heavy meal, not a medicine, so if you have regular stomach trouble, talk to your GP rather than relying on juice.
Can I make cabbage juice without a juicer?
Yes. The blender method on the card does the whole job in one go: blend the chopped cabbage, apple, carrots, lemon and ginger with 150ml of cold water, then strain through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh sieve. You lose a little yield to the pulp, but the taste is the same and you actually keep more of the fibre this way. A smoothie maker with a straining attachment works too.
More digestion recipes: see the full Digestion collection.
Red Cabbage Carrot and Apple Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles for storing
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative
Ingredients
Juice base
- 300 g red cabbage, core removed and roughly chopped
- 1 large sweet apple such as Gala or Pink Lady, cored
- 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
- 1/2 lemon, peeled
- 2 cm fresh ginger, peeled, optional
For the blender method
- 150 ml cold water
Instructions
Juicer method
- Wash the cabbage, apple, carrots and ginger. Cut the core out of the cabbage, quarter the apple and top and tail the carrots.
- Push the carrot and apple through the juicer first, then feed the cabbage through, and finish with the lemon and ginger if using. The firmer pieces help drag the cabbage through.
- Stir well, pour into two glasses and drink straight away, while the colour is at its brightest.
Blender method
- Roughly chop the cabbage, apple, carrots and ginger and put them in a high-speed blender with the lemon and 150ml of cold water.
- Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds until completely smooth.
- Strain through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh sieve, squeezing the pulp well to get every last drop. Serve over ice if you like.