I hate to admit that my usual method for cooking cabbage for many years was to just boil it. You can almost picture the limp, white, unflavorful heap of wet cabbage. Not to mention the unpleasant smell throughout the house. I’d try to bring out a modicome of flavor with lots of butter and I’d sometimes add a dash of red wine vinegar. And at my house… “Let’s have cabbage tonight!”, said no one…
Now, keep in mind that I make a mean Corned Beef Brisket dinner, but the cabbage as a side got included because it was tradition, not because we all looked forward to eating it. Until now. Sautéed cabbage brings this previously under-appreciated cruciferous veggie from boring to crispy-tender and from bland to super-tasty. Start by dicing some onion and garlic and then slice a beautiful head of fresh cabbage. Get ready for tons of flavor in under 20 minutes…
MY LATEST VIDEOSSaute’ and caramelize the ingredients in a medium skillet…
… and in no time, everything is browned and beautiful. This method has made cabbage popular and even requested with my family. Add it to your St. Patty’s Day menu or serve it on its own any time of year. Sautéed cabbage is delicious paired with fish or served with rice or noodles for a healthy Asian vegetarian dinner. Leave out the butter for vegan fare.
This dish just looks like it’s going to be tasty. Serve with a little salt and pepper or add some red pepper flakes, if you like. But like it you will.
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 medium head green cabbage sliced into 3/4" thick slices
- 2 Tablespoons butter cut into 2 pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes optional
- Heat a 12" skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until onion is softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking an additional 30 seconds.
- Turn heat up to medium-high heat and add about 1/3 of the cabbage. Stir to mix onions and garlic with the cabbage. Now leave it alone and let the cabbage start to brown, but be careful not to let it burn. Using a spatula, turn the cabbage over and let other side brown slightly. Season lightly with a dash of salt.
- Add another 1/3 of the cabbage and 1 tablespoon butter. Flip cabbage again after a couple minutes.
- Finish with remaining cabbage and last tablespoon of butter. Once cabbage is browned to your liking, add more salt to taste and pepper, if desired. Remove from heat, season with red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve.
The onions burned but the cabbage browned nicely. I gave up and dumped as much cabbage as I could for the second round and called it quits. Tastes pretty good though
Sorry this didn’t work out for you Kevin, I’ve never received this kind of feedback before. If you try them again, maybe turn your burner down a little and make sure you are using enough butter and oil. Thanks for your input.
Just followed your recipe and used a 1@4” s/s pan – turned out nice, but didn’t like the way my pan looked. So capturing all that good flavor and started the clean up by adding about 1/2 cup of water and scraping with a wooden spoon.
Excellent Gabriele, good way to get that flavor off the bottom of the pan.
Could i substitute purple cabbage?
I’ve never done this but know that purple cabbage will look a little grey upon cooking. I think it will taste fine, however.
I actually made this tonight with purple cabbage and it was just fine. It didn’t come out gray at all. I think because you are cooking it so fast and hot. It was delicious.
Awesome recipe. My super picky husband said I should make cabbage exactly like this every time. I am thrilled to add this to my family favorites.
Lisa, I’m so glad it was a hit. I’ve recently started using this same recipe with sliced Brussels sprouts, fyi. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you Sally for the sauteed cabbage recipe. The cabbage with onions and garlic is very flavorful and I could not help but taste more than a few samplings before it was finished cooking. I wrote this recipe down and will make it again. I’ve been happily preparing homemade meals on the weekend for my family, baking whole grain breads with a bread machine, making a variety of vegetable dishes (which now includes your sauteed cabbage), and creating snacks and desserts to avoid buying prepared snacks that contain too much sugar. I like sweets, but want to enjoy healthier and lighter versions of it. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and recipes.
Sharon, welcome! I’m glad you liked the sauteed cabbage, and everything you said about how and what you’re making for your family resonates with me. I love doing all those same things for my family. I hope you’ll find more vegetable dishes here that you might like for your family (BBQ Cauliflower Tacos with Chickpeas and Quinoa is excellent). Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment, I really appreciate it!
Yummy on everything cabbage. Boiled, baked, broiled, fried, grilled, roasted. Yummy.
Tressa, I agree! 🙂
This is a great recipe, the only thing I did different, I used a bag of coleslaw mix instead of a head of cabbage, it was colorful and definitely flavorful
Sharyl, what a great, time-saving idea! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I’ve been doing this for years and it’s great! I use organic virgin coconut oil. I’ve added some fresh or dried herbs sea salt, pepper and sometimes I pair it with fish, chicken or simply add more veggies to it. Yummmy and tasty EVERY time! Thanks for your recipe
You’re welcome Sherine and thanks for the tip on the organic virgin coconut oil. I love that!
Been doing this for years also and I don’t mind boiled cabbage from time to time. When I saute cabbage I do it with onions and bacon and butter of course and what ever seasoning I want from dill to seasoning salt to just salt and pepper – just found your site and the great recipes I can browse and check out
Germaine, I love the idea of adding the bacon and look forward to doing that soon. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find more recipes on Good Dinner Mom that you’ll like… and try! 🙂
I’ve roasted cabbage for a similar yum, but this is much quicker!
I have been sautéing my cabbage for a couple of years now and I love it! I just take a small ladle of the corned beef cooking liquid for a little extra flavor.
Kathy, Great idea! Thanks for commenting. I will definitely do that.