Black Folks Soul Food Cabbage Recipe
This post may contain affiliate partner links. View our privacy statement HERE.
Let’s talk about a Black folks’ soul food cabbage recipe. It’s not just what it tastes like, but what it feels like when it hits your soul! Because this isn’t just cabbage—this is soul food cabbage! The kind that shows up steaming hot at Sunday dinner, seasoned by generations and stirred with love.
The soul food cabbage difference
The soul food cabbage difference is all in the legacy, the layers, and the love. Regular fried cabbage is just… cabbage. But Black folks’ cabbage? That’s comfort, culture, and collard greens’ close cousin all wrapped into one well-seasoned, soulful side dish!
It’s rooted in tradition, passed down through generations of Black Southern cooks. A dish with history and heart. In contrast, regular cabbage is more neutral, with fewer ties to cultural rituals or family gatherings.
My soul food cabbage recipe is cooked low and slow, allowing the seasonings and spices to really shine. Think onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and even a shake of Old Bay! Regular cabbage is usually sautéed quickly in oil, with a simple sprinkle of salt, pepper, and maybe a pinch of sugar. But soul food cabbage? It’s steeped in its own juices, butter, and a flavorful broth, almost like a savory cabbage stew. Regular cabbage tends to stay drier, closer to a stir-fry.
Ingredients
This cabbage recipe features all the traditional seasonings you’d expect from a classic soul food dish, including onion, broth, butter, salt, and black pepper.
To give it an extra flavor boost, my soul food cabbage recipe includes a splash of vinegar and a pinch of red pepper flakes for added tang a touch of heat (but not enough to make it spicy), and even a shake of Old Bay just like my mom and grandma prepared it the North Carolina way!
How many servings will one head of cabbage make?
This recipe calls for one chopped head of cabbage and generously serves six people.
How to make soul food cabbage
The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and versatility, making it easy for anyone to master the art of cooking cabbage. Just chop your cabbage, add all the ingredients to a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet, and let it simmer low and slow. The result? A flavorful Southern cabbage dish that’s both comfort food and a side dish staple in many Black homes and Southern kitchens.
- Chop the cabbage, removing the core and coarsely chopping the leaves.
- Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the chopped cabbage and all other ingredients.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer.
- Afterward, cook uncovered, serve, and enjoy!
Southern-style cabbage can be cooked much faster using a pressure cooker. Get my Instant Pot quick-to-cook cabbage recipe HERE!
🎙Listen to the recipe on the Soul Food Pod episode: Best Southern Cabbage Recipes
How to know when cabbage is done
The cabbage is ready when the simmering has softened both the leaves and the onions to tender perfection. To check for doneness, carefully taste a bite. (Be careful, it’ll be hot!) If the cabbage is melt-in-your-mouth tender, it’s done and ready for you to savor the flavor!
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet or frying pan with a lid
Ingredients
- 4 pound cabbage 3-4 pound cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth or use vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup butter unsalted or vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut out the cabbage's core and coarsely chop the leaves using a food processor or knife. (I remove the outer layer of cabbage leaves first and discard them before chopping.)
- Turn the stovetop on medium and add the butter to the cast iron frying pan skillet.
- Once the butter has melted, add the chopped cabbage, onion, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, Old Bay or Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the skillet.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid from the skillet and cook the cabbage uncovered for about 15 minutes, careful not to let all the broth evaporate so the cabbage is not dry.
- When cooking is finished, serve this Southern dish right away and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Like this post? Pin the below image to your Pinterest Soul Food Recipes board!
Thanks for the recipe! Using the instant pot will be a lifesaver after working all day!
Sounds good
This is now my go to cabbage recipe.
Thank You for this recipe!
Thank for recipe awesome
Just like Mama always made. Guess what? We’re not black.
I love cabbage and this recipe sounds so easy with lots of good yummy ingredients to use.
I love this recipe!
Thank you for this recipe!
I love cabbage anyway it is fixed. This recipe looks delicious.
Great recipe the ingredients used to make it taste yummy.
What I like to do in addition is add some smoked or andouie sausage to it with some hot water cornbread
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This is so tasty! Only one question – if cooking in the instant pot is there a way to obtain a firmer texture to the cabbage the firmer side. I just let the instant pot do the natural release – maybe I waited too long.
So glad you enjoyed the flavor of this Southern cabbage recipe! While I haven’t tried it this way yet, you could cook for 1 minute less in the Instant Pot to achieve a firmer texture.
Because I have a Duo Nova I had add more chicken stock because these little Instant Pots love to say there’s a burn or food stick, but it still worked great from the recipe despite that. YUM!
I made this tonight. This is pure comfort food to me. My mouth and stomach are so happy you posted this Cooked Cabbage recipe!! So Instant Pot easy!! Thank you, Shaunda!!