The Soul Food Pod Episode 3: Best Southern Cabbage Recipes
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What is a good seasoning for cooked cabbage?
On this episode of The Soul Food Pod, host Shaunda Necole dives into the world of the best Southern cabbage recipes, sharing beloved recipes and cooking tips.
Shaunda, a cookbook author and food blogger with a culinary heritage that dates back to her great-grandmother Florence, aims to make classic Southern soul food recipes more accessible and approachable – easy enough for anyone to make and everyone to love!
Apple Podcasts: Best Southern Cabbage Recipes
Spotify: Best Southern Cabbage Recipes
What to add to cabbage for flavor?
In episode 3 of The Soul Food Pod, Shaunda provides step-by-step recipe guides for classic Southern cabbage dishes like fried cabbage and coleslaw.
She even provides a step-by-step digital printable guide to make flavorful vegetables and meats, which includes a collection of African American seasonings and spices passed down through generations.
The episode also features some delicious ways to prepare cabbage and seasoning tips to elevate this darling leafy vegetable of the South into a classic and magnificent Southern dish.
Finally, the episode includes links to recommended kitchen tools for easy cabbage preparation.
There are many delicious and flavorful ways to prepare this delightful cruciferous veggie. It may seem intimidating because recipes like Southern fried cabbage and Southern coleslaw are iconic.
What you’ll learn in this episode?
- Flavorful and easy ways to prepare Southern cabbage and coleslaw, highlighting the importance of proper seasoning to avoid blandness
- Southern cabbage seasoning suggestions including onion, broth, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and Old Bay seasoning
- Different ways to make cabbage, including adding bacon, potatoes, and a Southern coleslaw cabbage
- Tips and tricks for making Southern-style cabbage recipes, including using an Instant Pot and substituting red cabbage for green
- Serving suggestions for Southern soul food cabbage recipes
- The tradition of adding a dime to cabbage on New Year’s Day
- How to cut cabbage
- Recommended kitchen tools for cutting and cooking cabbage
Where to listen to the podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music
Simple cabbage recipes
Southern cabbage recipes with no meat
Southern cabbage recipes with bacon
Best Southern cabbage recipes FAQs
1. What is Southern cabbage, and why is it a beloved dish in the South?
Southern cabbage is a leafy green recipe made using cabbage, a popular vegetable in Southern cuisine. It is a beloved dish in the South because of its heartiness, versatility, and cultural significance as an easy food to prepare. Delicious when seasoned properly.
2. How important is it to properly season cabbage in Southern cooking, and what kinds of herbs and spices are commonly used?
Properly seasoning cabbage is essential in Southern cooking, as a bland cabbage dish is undesirable.
To add flavor to cabbage, season with herbs and spices like onion, chicken or vegetable broth, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and even Old Bay seasoning.
3. What is included in The Soul Food Pot’s digital printable soul food seasoning guide?
A curated list of the best African American seasonings and spices passed down through generations of soul food recipes.
4. What are some popular ways to prepare cabbage in Southern cooking?
There are many delicious ways to prepare cabbage in Southern cooking, including Southern fried cabbage, boiled cabbage, coleslaw, and Instant Pot pressure-cooked cabbage.
5. What is the symbolism behind putting a dime in cabbage on New Year’s Day?
Putting a dime in cabbage on New Year’s Day is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the New Year to the person who receives the serving with the dime.
6. Is putting a dime in cabbage on New Year’s Day an African American tradition?
While this is a creative and fun idea, it is not an African American tradition.
7. How long does it take to fry Southern cabbage?
It takes about 25 minutes to fry Southern cabbage in a traditional cast iron skillet. Or four minutes in an Instant Pot.
8. Is it possible to substitute red cabbage for green cabbage?
Despite having different colors, red cabbages (purple cabbage) and green cabbages mostly have the same flavor. So they can be a substitute for one another in recipes.
Though more nutritious, red has disadvantages like discoloring other foods in salads or cooked dishes when combined for an extended time. Not something to worry about when making Southern coleslaw or Southern-cooked cabbage.
9. What other dishes can Southern cabbage be served with?
What do you serve this cabbage with? Southern soul food cabbage recipes can be served with various dishes like chicken, candied yams, and soul food baked macaroni and cheese.
Learn more about what to serve with fried cabbage HERE.
10. How long is cabbage good for in the fridge?
Store fresh cabbage wrapped tightly in plastic for about two weeks in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Cut or cooked cabbage can be kept for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Links & resources mentioned in the episode:
Best Southern cabbage recipes episode transcript:
The Soul Food Pod – Episode 3 Transcript
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Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
- Or, Cast iron skillet with lid
Ingredients
- 4 pound cabbage 3-4 pound cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup 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
Instructions for a Southern cabbage recipe in the Instant Pot
- 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.)
- Add the shredded cabbage and all the ingredients (onion, chicken apple cider vinegar, butter, Old Bay or Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper) into the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
- Sink the chopped cabbage as much as you can into the liquid broth.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (ensure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
- When cooking is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 4 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Serve this Southern cabbage recipe warm right out of the Pot, or transfer to your favorite skillet for tabletop serving, and enjoy!
Instructions for Southern fried cabbage on the stovetop
- 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!
- Pro tip: How can you tell when the cabbage is cooked?Carefully taste a bite of the cabbage leaves. (Caution: They will be hot!) If the leaves are very tender, the cabbage is done!
Video
Notes
