What To Add To Cabbage For Flavor?
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There are many flavorful ways to slice cabbage, a delicious cruciferous veggie from the same leafy family as Southern collard greens.
What can you add to cabbage for flavor?
If you’re looking for ways to add flavor to your cabbage, look no further!
This Southern cabbage recipe promises no more bland leafy vegetables because of soul food flavor additions like chicken stock or broth, butter, crushed red pepper, garlic powder or minced garlic, and Cajun or Creole seasoning.
(Some folks also include Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce for an extra kick!)
How do you choose the best seasoning for cabbage?
Everyone loves a Southern cabbage recipe for its delicious, flavorful coating broth and tender, easy-to-eat leaves.
But it can be hard to choose the right blend of soul food seasonings and spices and know all the how-to-fry cabbage to-dos on your own.
So what is a good seasoning for cooked cabbage?
No worries. I gotchu!
Use my easy step-by-step how-to-cook instructions for the most delicious Southern fried cabbage from scratch with homemade Southern cabbage seasoning!
What is a good seasoning for cooked cabbage?
This Black folks Southern cabbage recipe uses the following:
- yellow onion
- chicken broth
- apple cider vinegar
- butter
- Old Bay seasoning (or Cajun seasoning)
- garlic powder
- red pepper flakes
- salt
- black pepper
How do you make cabbage taste sweet?
Add seasoning or a dressing to the chopped cabbage wedges or butter if cooking it. For some recipes like Southern coleslaw, you may add granulated or brown sugar for the coleslaw glaze.
What meat is used to season Black folks’ Southern cabbage?
Wondering if you need ham flavoring for this recipe? Or what meat goes into the fried cabbage?
It’s not required at all, but if you’re cooking with a soul food cabbage recipe, you may season with the addition of meat. The most commonly used is a ham hock, smoked turkey leg, smoked sausage, cooked bacon, and turkey bacon.
What spices or flavors do you put in cabbage?
What flavors go well with cabbage?
This post will detail authentic Southern ingredients and deliver a detailed list of instructions for how to cook cabbage.
So check out this list of Southern soul food seasoning and spices for whether you’re using an old-fashioned, classic cast iron skillet on the stovetop or a new-age Instant Pot appliance.
How to make the best Southern fried cabbage
Kitchen equipment for Southern cabbage
Ingredients for Southern cabbage
- (1) 3-4 pound cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup of chopped onion
- 1 cup of chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian)
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- ½ a cup of butter, or vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning (or Cajun seasoning)
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ¼ a teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions for Southern cabbage 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!
🎙 Join The Soul Food Pod conversation about the best Southern cabbage recipes!
Instructions for Southern 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, removing the lid to stir occasionally.
- Remove the lid from the skillet and cook the cabbage uncovered for about 15 minutes. Be careful not to let all the broth evaporate so the cabbage does not turn out dry.
- When cooking is finished, serve this Southern dish right away and enjoy!
What meat goes well with fried or steamed cabbage?
What meat you eat with cabbage?
The following are just a few suggestions, but there are many more for you to explore with this fine Southern meal.
Ham hock, corned beef, smoked turkey, smoked sausage, beef sausage, or crispy bacon.
Do you have a corned beef recipe that would pair well with this recipe?
Yes, check out my easy corned beef and cabbage recipe below!
What to add to cabbage for flavor FAQs
Why does your cabbage have no taste?
Perhaps it wasn’t prepared by seasoning it properly.
Check out the instructions below for how to make cabbage with soul food flavor.
How do you make Black folks Southern cabbage?
Asked another way, “How do you make simple sautéed cabbage – with flavor?”
People have also asked, “Do you still cook for 4 hours in a crock pot before adding cabbage?”
The answer is easy – you can retire the Crockpot for this recipe!
An invention in the kitchen, the Instant Pot, has transformed how we cook cabbage!
With this incredible cooking appliance, you can cook a Southern fried cabbage recipe with flavorful seasonings and spices quickly and easily without having to stand and stew over a hot stove.
What are the different types of cabbage?
There are hundreds of cabbage varieties! However, only about 4 varieties make their way into traditional American grocery stores.
- Green cabbage
- Red or purple cabbage
- Savoy cabbage
- Napa cabbage
What’s the best type of cabbage to make boiled cabbage?
Green cabbage is the most common, with outer leaves that are dark to pale green and inner leaves that are pale green or white (why people might say “white cabbage”).
What makes cabbage taste sweet?
Cooking and seasoning soften the cabbage and allow it to taste sweeter.
What do you think about substituting red for green cabbage?
Should you use green cabbage or red cabbage?
Wonder how this would taste using purple cabbage?
Despite having different colors, red cabbages, and green cabbages, for the most part, 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 with it for an extended time.
Can the Vidalia onion be substituted with a red or yellow onion?
Yes, you can choose your favorite onion variety for this recipe.
However, red onion may intensify the onion flavor in the overall dish.
I’d also suggest sticking with an onion root instead of green scallion onions for this recipe.
How many servings will one head of cabbage make?
A medium-sized head of cabbage can serve 6.
Do you need to soak cabbage before steaming it? And should you wash cabbage before steaming it?
Simply remove the cabbage leaves’ outer layer first, rinse, and use or discard before chopping and steaming.
Do you boil cabbage covered or uncovered?
Cover the pan with a lid and simmer when cooking cabbage on the stovetop.
After 10 minutes, remove lid from the skillet and cook the cabbage uncovered for about 15 minutes.
How do you make this recipe in an Instant Pot?
Don’t tell grandma – but to make a Southern fried cabbage recipe, you won’t even need the heavy pork ingredients or the ham hocks long cook times.
No more draining the bacon fat, bacon drippings, or bacon grease!
And you won’t even need a frying pan – it’s optional!
How long does it take to cook Instant Pot cabbage?
Because of modern kitchen appliance inventions, Southern-style cabbage can be prepared in 4 minutes (Wowza!) in the Instant Pot – fully cooked and infused with lots of flavor!
You may also like the below Jamaican steamed cabbage recipe:
How to eliminate the cooked cabbage smell?
The simple answer?
The quick and easy way – use an Instant Pot because the lid is locked when cooking, so the steam and smell cannot be released until the pot unlocks and is removed.
How do you cook cabbage without making it soggy?
To avoid soggy cooked cabbage, on the stovetop, cook for about 10 minutes covered and then 15 minutes uncovered.
You only need 4 minutes of pressure cooking in the Instant Pot for perfect and delicious cabbage!
Will the garlic burn by adding it at the beginning of the recipe instead of later?
Because the garlic (or garlic powder) is cooking in melted butter and broth, it will not burn when cooking.
How long is cabbage good for in the fridge?
Then store fresh cabbage wrapped tightly in plastic for about two weeks in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Cut or cooked cabbage can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Did you enjoy this recipe guide about what to add to cabbage for flavor?
Have you had it?
Would you make it?
Comment below and lemme know.
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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 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
Instructions for Southern cabbage 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 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
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