How to Cook Cabbage

Guide Note

From the garden-variety green cabbage to the more exotic types available in supermarkets and farmstands today, you'll find plenty of ways to enjoy cabbage here, in everything from soup to side dishes, both raw and cooked. You'll also learn the basics of cleaning, cutting and storing fresh cabbage varieties.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Common Cabbage Varieties
• Purchasing and Storing Cabbage
• Cutting and Coring Cabbage
• Methods of Cooking Cabbage
• Conclusion
• References for How to Cook Cabbage

Tips for Selecting and Preparing Cabbage

1. When purchasing red or green cabbage, look for a fresh, tightly packed head of leaves with a core that shows no evidence of cracks or mold.
2. When buying napa cabbage, avoid limp or yellowed leaves.
3. Do not cut cabbage until ready to use it.
4. Wrap any leftover fresh cabbage tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Use it as soon as possible.
5. To avoid unpleasant texture and strong odor, don't overcook your cabbage.
6. Experiment with stir-frying, sauteing, stuffing, and braising fresh cabbage.
7. Add shredded cabbage to salads and soups.

• by Sandy Smith

Introduction

• Unfortunately, many people have a negative impression of cabbage as a limp, soggy, smelly vegetable that appears once a year around St. Patrick's Day and then spends the rest of its time in a briny dip, waiting to become sauerkraut. Cabbage has gotten a bad rap and if you find your thoughts of cabbage lean in this direction, it's time to turn them around. It turns out that the humble cabbage is the Clark Kent of vegetables. Inexpensive and available year-round in the grocery store, cabbage is an antioxidant superfood.¹ Like broccoli, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts, cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable. It's an excellent source of vitamins C and K, and a cup of cooked cabbage has only 30 calories.² So let's get cooking!

Common Cabbage Varieties

• Four of the most common cabbage varieties are green, red, savoy.³

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Jay & Melissa Malouin)
   Green and red cabbages have smooth, tightly wrapped leaves and a compact, heavy head.
2. Savoy, another ball-shaped cabbage, has wrinkly leaves that are wrapped less tightly.⁴

• Napa cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, is also a relatively common variety.^{5 3}

1. Napa cabbage grows in a bunches, rather than rounded heads.
2. The leaf tips are green and somewhat wrinkly, and the ribs are creamy white.⁵

Popular Uses

1. Green cabbage is a favorite for boiling, braising and stuffing
2. Red cabbage is a popular addition to slaws and salads and is excellent for braising.
3. Savoy and napa cabbages are perfect for salads, slaws and soups.

Purchasing and Storing Cabbage

Selecting Cabbage

1. For green or red cabbage, choose a head that feels heavy and firm, with tightly wrapped leaves and no cuts or large blemishes.⁶
2. For savoy cabbage, the crinkled leaves should be bright green and fresh, with no wilting or yellowing. Because the leaves don't overlie each other as tightly as with green or red cabbage, expect these heads to feel lighter.
3. For napa cabbage, look for heads of tightly packed, crisp leaves. You can remove outer leaves that are slightly wilted, but overall, the head should be fresh-looking, and the leaves should be green at the tips, not yellow.
4. With all varieties, avoid buying any that show signs of insect damage. The stem end and core should be free from splits and mold. Don't buy any cabbage that appears to be wilted or tired-looking.⁷

Storage Tips

1. Proper storage will extend the life and nutritional value of your cabbage.⁸
2. Place the entire head of cabbage in a plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
3. The vitamin C content will begin to decrease once the cabbage is cut, so don't cut it until you are ready to use it.⁹
4. If you must store a cut head of cabbage, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in the crisper drawer. Use cut cabbage within a few days.
5. Whole cabbage, if kept cold, will keep for a period of weeks.

Cutting and Coring Cabbage

• Before you begin to cut your cabbage, or any other vegetable for that matter, it's a good idea to make sure your cutting board will stay put. Place a thin silicone mat or a damp paper towel beneath your board.¹⁰ This will prevent it from moving around as you cut. Be sure to use a nonreactive, stainless steel knife to keep your cabbage from darkening at the cut surfaces.

For Red, Green, or Savoy Cabbage

• 1. 

     (Creative Commons photo by Jeremy Noble)
     Remove and discard any wilted or damaged outer leaves.
  2. Place cabbage on cutting board with the stem end facing upward.¹⁰
  3. Use a large chef's knife to cut straight through the cabbage at its core, halving it vertically.
  4. Cut each half in half again, so you end up with quarters.
  5. Laying each quarter on its side on the cutting board, angle the knife just behind the thick core that rises from the stem of the cabbage. Cut straight down, removing the core. Discard the core.¹¹
  6. If you will be using the cabbage raw in a salad, slice it horizontally into thin shreds.¹² If you will be quick-cooking it in a stir-fry or saute, you can make the shreds a bit thicker. As a rule of thumb, the longer you plan to cook the cabbage, the thicker you can slice it.

For Napa, or Chinese, Cabbage

• 1. Remove wilted or damaged leaves and place cabbage on cutting board with the stem end facing your knife hand.
  2. Unlike the ball-shaped cabbages, napa cabbage does not have a vertical core. Simply cut off the stem end along with the first two or three inches and discard.¹³
  3. Then slice horizontally as thinly or as thickly as your recipe recommends.

• To wash your cabbage, once it has been shredded, place it under cold running water in a colander and spin it dry in a salad spinner.

Methods of Cooking Cabbage

• Although cabbage is much maligned for having a soggy texture and foul smell when cooked, these negative qualities can be avoided with some attention to cooking detail.¹⁴ Avoiding overcooking will go a long way toward preventing the unpleasantly strong odors and mushy quality often associated with cooked cabbage.¹⁵

Braising

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by John Verive)
  Braising is a cooking method that involves briefly sauteing the food in cooking oil or fat and then adding liquid (broth, water, juice, or wine) to the pan, covering, and cooking at low heat for an extended period of time.
  1. This works well for cabbage, preserving flavor, texture, and nutrients.
  2. Braising works well with all types of cabbage, and particularly red, and may be used for sliced, shredded, or wedge-cut cabbage.
• If you want to try braising your cabbage, here a few recipes that will show you how:

1. Braised Cabbage,¹⁶
2. Braised Napa Cabbage with Bacon, Red Wine Vinegar, and Mint¹⁷
3. Warm Cabbage with Bacon and Gorgonzola¹⁸
4. Red Cabbage and Apples¹⁹

Steaming

• Steaming cabbage is a good choice because nutrients do not leach out into the cooking liquid. You can steam wedges whole in a steamer basket or steam shredded cabbage. Be sure to steam just until fork tender; do not overcook.

• For an easy way to serve steamed cabbage, drizzle wedges with extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper. You can also try this recipe for Simple Steamed Cabbage.²⁰

Frying and Stir-Frying

• Frying cabbage is a fast and easy way to prepare delicious cabbage side dishes. You can also add thinly sliced or shredded cabbage to any stir-fry. Napa and savoy varieties are especially good for stir-frying.

(Creative Commons photo by TheBittenWord.com)

• Here are a few recipes that showcase fried cabbage:

1. Southern Fried Cabbage²¹
2. Fried Cabbage I²²
3. Fried Cabbage Recipe²³
4. Cabbage for Those Who Dislike Cabbage²⁴

• Try these stir-fries that feature shredded cabbage:

1. Fresh Vegetable Stir-Fry with Peppery Orange Beef²⁵
2. Stir-Fried Cabbage with Cashews²⁶
3. Stir-Fried Cabbage and Carrots²⁷

Stuffing

• Whole green cabbage leaves can be wrapped around a filling and baking or braised. Stuffed cabbage is especially popular in Eastern European and Middle Eastern cuisines.

• For stuffed cabbage dishes to try, check out these recipes:

1. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis)²⁸
2. Stuffed Cabbage²⁹
3. Stuffed Napa Cabbage Braised in Tomato Sauce³⁰

Raw Cabbage

• Shredded cabbage makes a great salad, with cole slaw being the obvious example.³¹ But there are scores of delicious salads you can make various types of raw cabbage. Try Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad or Cabbage Salad.^{32 33}

Conclusion

• Cabbage is highly nutritious, relatively inexpensive, and wonderfully versatile. Don't hesitate to experiment by grilling or roasting cabbage wedges brushed with olive oil or adding some shredded or sliced cabbage to soups, stir-fries, and salads. Be sure to store your cabbage in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and nutrients and be careful not to overcook it. Enjoy!

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References for How to Cook Cabbage

1. ↑ Dole Nutrition: Cabbage: A Head Above the Rest
2. ↑ The World's Healthiest Foods: Cabbage
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow: Cabbage
4. ↑ Gluten-Free Girl: Savoy Cabbage
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Melissa's: Napa Cabbage
6. ↑ KraftFoods.com: Seasonal Produce: Cabbage
7. ↑ Vegetarians in Paradise: Cabbage Takes a Roller Coaster Ride Through the Centuries
8. ↑ WHFoods.com: How to Store Cabbage to Preserve Quality
9. ↑ Wisconsin Fresh Produce: Cabbage
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} StartCooking.com: How to Cut Cabbage
11. ↑ HomeCooking.About.com: Cabbage Cooking Tips
12. ↑ WhatsCookingAmerica.net: Cabbage
13. ↑ Expert Village Videos: How to Clean Napa Cabbage 
14. ↑ Asian Online Recipes: How to Avoid the Unpleasant Smell the Cabbage Produces During Cooking
15. ↑ TheGreenGuide.com: Crazy for Cabbage
16. ↑ FoodNetwork.com: Braised Cabbage recipe 
17. ↑ FoodNetwork.com: Braised Napa Cabbage with Bacon, Red Wine Vinegar, and Mint 
18. ↑ FoodNetwork.com: Warm Cabbage with Bacon and Gorgonzola 
19. ↑ Allrecipes.com: Red Cabbage and Apples
20. ↑ Recipezaar.com: Simple Steamed Cabbage
21. ↑ Allrecipes.com: Southern Fried Cabbage
22. ↑ Allrecipes.com: Fried Cabbage I
23. ↑ Taste of Home: Fried Cabbage Recipe
24. ↑ Recipezaar.com: Cabbage for Those Who Dislike Cabbage
25. ↑ Allrecipes.com: Fresh Vegetable Stir-Fry with Peppery Orange Beef
26. ↑ Food&Wine: Stir-Fried Cabbage with Cashews
27. ↑ Saveur.com: Stir-Fried Cabbage and Carrots
28. ↑ FoodNetwork.com: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis)
29. ↑ Saveur.com: Stuffed Cabbage
30. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: Stuffed Napa Cabbage Braised in Tomato Sauce
31. ↑ Seasonal Chef: Eleven Variations on Slaw and Other Cabbage Salads
32. ↑ Allrecipes.com: Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad
33. ↑ JacquesPepin.net: Cabbage Salad