Cabbage is one of my favorite seasonal vegetables, so it has been a part of our weekly vegetable rotation for the last couple of months. It’s a little smelly, but I think the taste more than makes up for it. That is why I’m sharing this easy vegan cabbage recipe.
Cabbage can be one of those love-it-or-hate-it vegetables. Unfortunately, my husband Reggie didn’t particularly care for it until this week. The boys even caught him throwing away some of his cabbage a few weeks ago! (Sean, in particular, took great delight in sharing that “Daddy didn’t eat his vegetables”.)
I was ready to give up on cabbage entirely until last week. I told Reggie that since he didn’t like cabbage I would take it off the veggie list even though Michael and Sean eat it. “Oh, I like cabbage,” Reggie casually said. “I just don’t like it cooked in butter.” Wait…what?
When I asked why he had failed to mention that fact to me, he said something to the effect that I had never asked him. Really? Okaaaay. All I needed was a simple swap all of that time!
I sautéed the cabbage in olive oil this week instead of butter. Everyone enjoyed it and cleared their plates, so cabbage stayed in the rotation. It turns out that this simple change also makes this a delicious vegan cabbage recipe.
I’m sharing Reggie’s preferred way to cook cabbage (with olive oil) below. If you aren’t vegan and prefer butter, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of butter for the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (Just don’t let my husband catch you!)
Easy Vegan Cabbage Recipe
Easy Vegan Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ head of cabbage, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the cabbage. Remove any wilted leaves. Cut it in half and take out the core. (See Picture 1 in the full post.)
- Cut the cabbage into slices and then chop it into square chunks. (See Picture 2 in the full post.)
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan with a lid. Add the cabbage. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and gently coat the cabbage in the oil.
- Cover and cook on low heat until tender (about 20-25 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Pictures
Picture 1
Picture 2
Recipe Notes
- If you substitute butter instead of the oil, the cabbage takes 15-20 minutes to simmer.
- Cabbage is very versatile. For a vegan meal, consider adding some chickpeas for an extra boost. You can even use the cabbage in a tasty stir-fry dish – mixing in chopped carrots and/or onions for extra color and flavor.
- If you’re serving this dish to non-vegans, cabbage recipe ideas include preparing it with pork (i.e. sausage, bacon or ham), chicken or ground beef.
I hope your family likes this cabbage recipe as much as mine!
If you found this recipe helpful, please share it. Thanks.