Cabbage used to be one of those vegetables that always seemed to taste bland to me when cooking it, no matter how much I seasoned it. I only really had it if I was whipping up a coleslaw or adding a few leaves to a minestrone soup.
Turns out I just needed to change the way I was cooking it, and not skip one particular ingredient. Browsing cabbage recipes online, I came across Erin Carter’s sauteed cabbage recipe on her Well Plated blog, which drew me in. She described the dish as “love at first bite”, and with it taking less than 20 minutes to cook, I was eager to give it a try. Not only did the cabbage taste better after sauteeing it in butter and oil, but the flavour really came out after adding apple cider vinegar once the cabbage was cooked, as she recommended.
Sautéing cabbage adds a special flavour and texture you can’t achieve with boiling or steaming.
Erin pointed out that apple cider vinegar will “completely transform this sauteed cabbage and bring it to life” – and I couldn’t agree more.
I tasted the cabbage right after cooked and it was delicious, but it tasted even better after adding the vinegar.
Beautifully tender and caramelised, it tasted similar to roasted cabbage, but it’s so much quicker to cook. This is one simple side dish recipe you’ll make again and again – I’ve made it three times in the past five days.
I halved the ingredients in Erin’s recipe as I just wanted to make three portions, but the ingredients listed below make for six portions.
Ingredients
- One small head of green cabbage
- One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- One tablespoon of butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, plus extra to taste
Method
I started by cutting the cabbage in half from the top down through its core. After storing one half in the fridge, I placed the other half cut-side down on the chopping board. Then, I sliced it as thinly as possible around the core so that I had fine ribbons. I discarded the core.
I then heated a deep frying pan over medium-high heat before adding the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melted, I added the cabbage, salt, and pepper.
Sauté the cabbage for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown—10 minutes worked perfectly.
Don’t feel like you need to constantly stir it. Leaving cabbage undisturbed for a minute or two as you go will allow it to develop brown caramelised bits, which add more flavour.
Once the cabbage had softened and caramelised, I removed the pan from the heat and stirred in the apple cider vinegar. I loved the vinegar flavour, but wanted to add a splash more for a more zingy taste.