Cabbage is a seriously underrated vegetable in North America — long-associated with poverty, it has suffered a poor reputation. However, in much of Europe, Asia, and Africa, it gets the love it deserves, and here are 12 ideas for cabbage dinners.
1. Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage isn't just for St. Patrick's Day. This recipe is pretty massive, but it can easily be scaled back, although I'd probably use a little more cabbage.
Ingredients
Method
- Place corned beef fat-side up in a 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange onion, potatoes and carrots around it.
- Add spice packet, water and mustard. Cover; cook on low 6 1/2 hours.
- Add cabbage; cover and cook 1 1/2–2 hours more until vegetables are tender and beef yields to a fork.
- Rest beef 15 minutes; slice across the grain. Serve with vegetables and a little cooking liquid.
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2. Cabbage Noodles
In Japan, noodle dishes are often served with plenty of cabbage, the thin strips seamlessly integrating with the noodles. This recipe leans more European in character, but follows the same basic formula.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook noodles in salted water according to package directions; drain.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 10–12 minutes until golden.
- Add cabbage, salt and pepper. Cook 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until tender and lightly browned.
- Toss in noodles; cook 2 minutes until hot.
3. Braised Cabbage with Ground Beef
This is a simple, wallet-friendly stew with enough flavor that you don't feel like you're missing out. I'd avoid canned tomato sauce, though — just use a second can of diced tomatoes.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef in a deep skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up. Drain excess fat.
- Add onion; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then cabbage; cook 5 minutes to wilt.
- Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer 10–15 minutes until cabbage is tender and beef reaches 160°F.
- Stir in butter; season with salt and pepper.
4. Chicken and Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Eastern European cabbage rolls traditionally use pork or beef, but you can use chicken too. I would, again, avoid using canned tomato sauce, so for a more authentic flavor, use two cans of tomatoes and toss in a little more minced garlic.
Ingredients
Method
- Core cabbage. Lower into a pot of boiling water; peel off 12 leaves as they soften, about 8–10 minutes. Drain; trim thick ribs.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Mix chicken, rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Whisk tomato sauce, water, sugar, lemon juice and remaining salt. Spread 1 cup in a 9-by-13-inch dish.
- Divide filling among leaves. Fold in sides and roll; place seam-side down in dish. Pour remaining sauce over rolls.
- Cover tightly; bake 55–65 minutes until cabbage is tender and filling reaches 165°F. Rest 5 minutes.
5. Ground Beef & Cabbage Skillet (Unstuffed Cabbage Roll)
This ground beef and cabbage skillet dinner is a quick and flavorful one-pot meal that provides all the comfort of a classic family favorite without the extra prep work. My easy unstuffed cabbage roll recipe combines savory meat and tender vegetables in a rich tomato sauce for a satisfying weeknight dinner that is ready in about 45 minutes.
Angela Latimer / Bake It With Love
6. Easy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry
This chicken and cabbage stir fry is simple, affordable, and takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare! The cabbage and onions are delicate and buttery, and there are bits of tender chicken.
Imsen / Ambitious Foodie
7. Comforting Cabbage & Bean Soup
Today, we're preparing an easy-on-the-pantry cabbage and bean soup, using a base of kidney and black beans, carrots and celery, along with a medley of 'basic' spices such as Jamaican curry and red pepper. The end result is a soup that's both hardy and flavorful, and yet surprisingly simple to put together.
Living the Gourmet / Living the Gourmet
8. Pork Chops Stuffed with Cabbage and Bacon
Sauerkraut is for more than just a bratwurst at the stadium, but as is well known, it goes great with any kind of cured meat. These pork chops are stuffed with kraut and bacon, seasoning the chops from the inside out.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp; transfer to a bowl, leaving 1 tablespoon fat.
- Cook onion in fat 5 minutes. Add sauerkraut and caraway; cook 3 minutes. Mix with bacon; cool slightly.
- Cut a deep pocket in each chop without cutting through. Divide filling among pockets; secure with toothpicks. Season outsides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet. Brown chops 2 minutes per side. Transfer to oven; bake 20–30 minutes until the center of the stuffing reaches 165°F.
- Rest 3 minutes; remove toothpicks before serving.
9. Kielbasa, Cabbage and Potato Stew
Cabbage is core to Polish cuisine, and so it makes sense that it goes great with kielbasa.
Ingredients
Method
- Place kielbasa, potatoes and onion in a 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange cabbage on top.
- Whisk broth, mustard, vinegar, caraway, salt and pepper; pour over vegetables.
- Cover; cook on low 6 1/2–7 hours until potatoes and cabbage are tender. Divide among bowls with broth.
10. Cabbage, Beef, Rice and Cheese Casserole
"Yoshoku," or Japanese-style Western food, is endlessly interesting, and one of its star dishes is beef doria: ground beef, tomato sauce, and cheese over rice. This is essentially a doria, and again, I strongly recommend replacing the canned sauce with another can of tomatoes.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Brown beef and onion in a deep skillet over medium-high heat; drain excess fat. Add garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add cabbage and water. Cover; cook 8–10 minutes until cabbage softens.
- Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes, rice, paprika, salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Cover with foil; bake 20 minutes. Add cheese; bake uncovered 5–10 minutes until bubbling and center reaches 165°F.
11. Coconut Curry Soup with Cabbage and Pumpkin
This isn't a Thai curry, but its source of inspiration is very much Thai. For the pumpkin, if you use a kabocha, as they would in Thailand, you don't even need to peel it, as the peel is edible.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook onion and celery 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste; stir 1 minute.
- Add pumpkin, cabbage, pepper, broth and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer; cook 20–25 minutes until pumpkin is tender.
- Stir in soy sauce and lime juice. Top bowls with shredded red cabbage.
12. Pork, Egg and Bok Choy Ramen
All over Asia, instant noodles are a popular hack for weeknight cooking. This is a much-simplified miso ramen, and it's infinitely better than whatever's going on inside the seasoning packet.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat neutral oil in an ovenproof skillet; brown pork on all sides, 5–6 minutes.
- Roast 12–18 minutes until pork reaches 145°F. Rest at least 3 minutes; slice thinly.
- Simmer eggs in a separate pot 9 minutes; chill in ice water, peel and halve.
- Heat sesame oil in a soup pot. Cook garlic and ginger 30 seconds. Add broth and soy sauce; simmer. Add bok choy; cook 3–4 minutes until tender.
- Cook noodles separately according to package directions; drain. Whisk miso with 1/2 cup hot broth, then stir into soup off heat.
- Divide noodles and broth among bowls. Add pork, eggs and scallions.