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?
No more bland, leafy green vegetables! The combination of sweet cabbage, butter, soul food seasonings, and a touch of tangy vinegar makes it a simple yet profoundly gratifying way to extend the pleasure of a home-cooked meal.
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 spices or flavors do you put in cabbage?
Whether you’re using an old-fashioned, classic cast iron skillet on the stovetop or a new-age Instant Pot appliance. My popular Black folks Southern cabbage recipe uses the following:
*See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients with measurements.
- Yellow onion – Adds a savory balance to the sweet cabbage leaves.
- Chicken broth – Creates a savory broth for the cabbage.
- Apple cider vinegar – Balances the sweet cabbage flavor in the savory broth with a pinch of tang.
- Butter – Adds a silky and warm component to help soften the cabbage leaves for flavor absorption.
- Old Bay seasoning (or Cajun seasoning) – Adds the soulful, flavorful kick.
- Garlic powder – Intensifies the soul food flavors in the dish.
- Red pepper flakes – Add a small amount of heat and spice to compliment the soulful flavors.
- Salt – Balances the buttery, sweet cabbage flavors.
- Black pepper – Provides warm, flavorful heat.
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.
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.
How to make the best Southern fried cabbage
Watch the video guide for step-by-step instructions.
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 also suggest sticking with an onion root instead of green scallion onions for this recipe.
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.
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.
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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
Notes
