A Dozen Delicious Cabbage Recipes

Often overlooked, the humble head of cabbage holds incredible potential for a myriad of delicious and healthy meals. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at this leafy green vegetable, wondering how to best transform it into a culinary delight, you’re in the right place!

Cabbage is a true kitchen chameleon, adapting beautifully to various cooking methods and flavor profiles. From adding a delightful crunch to fresh salads and coleslaws to simmering into warm, comforting soups and stir-fries, this versatile ingredient is a champion in its own right. Join us as we explore over 13 of our absolute favorite cabbage recipes, guaranteed to inspire your next meal.

A vibrant display of various cabbage-based dishes, showcasing the vegetable's versatility.

Unlock the Potential of Cabbage: 13+ Delicious & Healthy Recipes for Every Palate

Cabbage is much more than just a side dish; it’s a nutritional powerhouse packed with vitamins C and K, fiber, and antioxidants, all while being incredibly affordable and readily available. Its mild flavor makes it an excellent base that absorbs spices and sauces beautifully, making it perfect for a wide range of global cuisines.

Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner, a healthy meal prep option, or a comforting family favorite, cabbage can rise to the occasion. We love to showcase cabbage in a variety of ways, transforming it into exciting dishes that are both easy to prepare and incredibly flavorful. You’ll be amazed at how this simple vegetable can elevate your cooking.

Why Cabbage is a Kitchen Superstar

Beyond its culinary adaptability, cabbage offers significant health benefits, making it an excellent addition to any diet. It’s low in calories, high in dietary fiber, and a fantastic source of essential nutrients. Incorporating cabbage into your meals can support digestion, boost immunity, and provide anti-inflammatory properties. Its crisp texture and ability to soften beautifully under heat mean it can be enjoyed raw or cooked, offering diverse gastronomic experiences. Plus, its long shelf life makes it a practical choice for meal planning.

Tips for Cooking with Cabbage

Working with cabbage is straightforward. When selecting a head of cabbage, look for one that feels heavy for its size, with crisp, tightly packed leaves. Avoid any with discolored or wilted outer leaves. Before cooking, remove any damaged outer leaves and rinse the head thoroughly. For most recipes, you’ll need to core the cabbage before shredding or chopping. A sharp knife makes quick work of it. Remember that cabbage cooks down significantly, so don’t be afraid to start with a generous amount!

Our Favorite Cabbage Creations

Dive into these easy-to-follow recipes to make the most of this delicious and healthy vegetable. You’ll love cabbage prepared in every imaginable way:

  • Crisply shredded in a vibrant, zesty coleslaw.
  • Heartily baked in a bubbling casserole for a comforting meal.
  • Quickly sautéed in an aromatic stir-fry for a fast dinner.
  • Slowly simmered in a rich, warm, and cozy soup.
  • As a fresh, crunchy topping for tacos, burgers, or pulled meats.

Truly, cabbage is perfect in so many delightful ways, proving its worth far beyond traditional uses.Let’s explore some specific categories of cabbage recipes that are sure to become new household favorites.

Comforting Cabbage Soup Recipes

Cabbage truly shines as the star ingredient in a wide array of delicious and comforting soups. Its robust nature means it can hold its own alongside various proteins, while its ability to soften beautifully when simmered adds a wonderful texture and depth of flavor to any broth. These recipes are perfect for a cozy evening or a nutritious lunch.

1. 25 Minute Kimchi Soup (Keto Friendly)

Average Rating: 4.43 from 57 ratings

This incredibly quick and easy kimchi soup recipe comes together in just 25 minutes using only 7 simple ingredients. It’s packed full of satisfying, umami-rich flavors and is completely keto-friendly, making it an excellent choice for a healthy and fast meal.

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Healthy Ramen Noodles in a Jar with cabbage and other vegetables.

2. Healthy Ramen Noodles In A Jar (Paleo + Whole30)

Meal prep has never tasted so good! This Paleo and Whole30 compliant ramen noodles in a jar recipe is the perfect way to prepare healthy, flavorful lunches for your busy work or school week. It features crisp cabbage alongside other fresh vegetables for a nourishing and satisfying meal.

Crisp Cabbage Coleslaw Recipes

Cabbage is the absolute perfect ingredient for creating any kind of crunchy coleslaw. Its natural crispness holds up beautifully to dressings, providing that satisfying texture we all love. Here, we present two distinct options: a rich and creamy classic coleslaw, and a lighter, zesty version featuring a tangy, mayonnaise-free dressing.

3. Rich and Creamy Keto Coleslaw

Average Rating: 4.88 from 8 ratings

Indulge in this delightful creamy low-carb coleslaw, made with only 7 simple ingredients. A homemade keto coleslaw dressing perfectly complements the crunchy blend of cabbage, broccoli, and jicama, creating a side dish that’s both satisfying and guilt-free.

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4. Easy Coleslaw Recipe (Whole30) No Mayo

Average Rating: 4.33 from 103 ratings

This Paleo and Whole30 compliant coleslaw recipe is entirely mayo-free, offering a refreshing and tangy alternative. It’s an excellent make-ahead salad for lunches throughout the work week and pairs wonderfully with almost any main dish, from grilled meats to picnics.

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Sizzling Cabbage Skillet Recipes

Skillet meals are one of our absolute favorite ways to enjoy cabbage! The beauty of these recipes lies in their simplicity and speed. By combining fresh ingredients, a protein of your choice, and a medley of sauces and seasonings, you can effortlessly create a quick, easy, and incredibly flavorful meal all in one pan. Cabbage softens perfectly in a skillet, absorbing all the delicious flavors.

Sausage and Cabbage Skillet, a hearty one-pan meal.

5. Sausage and Cabbage Skillet (Paleo, Whole30 + Keto)

Average Rating: 4.84 from 6 ratings

This Paleo, Whole30, and Keto-friendly sausage and cabbage skillet is quick, easy, and incredibly satisfying! It makes for a fantastic meal prep option or a speedy weeknight dinner, all cooked in a single pan for minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.

6. One Pan Turmeric Chicken Skillet

Average Rating: 4.16 from 94 ratings

This one-pan turmeric chicken skillet offers a unique blend of vibrant flavors, perfect for spicing up your regular chicken routine. It combines tender chicken with wholesome vegetables, creating a healthy and satisfying meal with easy cleanup.

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7. Spaghetti Squash Chicken Chow Mein (Paleo + GF)

Average Rating: 4.42 from 17 ratings

This spaghetti squash chicken chow mein is the real deal! It boasts all the authentic flavors you’d expect from a classic chow mein, but cleverly uses spaghetti squash instead of traditional pasta noodles. This makes it a delicious grain-free and gluten-free option that doesn’t compromise on taste.

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Fresh Cabbage Salad Recipes

As summer winds down and cabbage hits its peak freshness, it becomes an exceptional ingredient to mix with other seasonal vegetables for bright, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying salads. Cabbage provides a delightful crunch and a robust base that stands up well to various dressings and additions, making these salads both refreshing and filling.

8. Easy Thai Beef Salad

Average Rating: 5 from 6 ratings

A vibrant, veggie-packed meal, this easy-to-make Thai beef salad is destined to become a new favorite! It’s prepared with succulent skirt steak (flank steak works great too!), an abundance of fresh vegetables including crisp cabbage, and a rich cashew butter-based sauce that ties all the flavors together beautifully.

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9. Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad

Average Rating: 5 from 1 rating

This Chinese-inspired chicken salad is a fantastic option for making ahead and enjoying as delicious leftovers for lunch. It’s generously filled with plenty of crisp vegetables, including cabbage, and features easy-to-prepare slow cooker chicken, making it both healthy and convenient.

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Creative Cabbage Bowl Recipes

We absolutely adore bowl recipes, so we couldn’t resist including these unique and satisfying cabbage-centric bowl meals. They offer a fantastic and creative way to incorporate cabbage into your dinner routine, combining various textures and flavors into a single, cohesive dish. We’re confident you’ll enjoy them as much as we do!

10. Paleo Potsticker Noodle Bowls Recipe (GF, Dairy-Free + Soy-Free)

Average Rating: 4.58 from 7 ratings

These Paleo potsticker noodle bowls are a flavor explosion, filled with nutrient-dense cruciferous veggies, grain-free pasta, and deliciously seasoned ground pork. They’re also gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, making them suitable for a variety of dietary needs.

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Cilantro Lime Shrimp Bowls, a fresh and colorful meal.

11. Cilantro Lime Shrimp Bowls (Paleo, Whole30 + Keto)

Average Rating: 4.50 from 2 ratings

Whip up these vibrant Paleo, Whole30, and Keto-friendly cilantro lime shrimp bowls in under 30 minutes. This easy shrimp recipe is perfect for a healthy and flavorful weeknight dinner, featuring fresh cabbage as a crisp and light base.

Recipes with Cabbage as a Crunchy Topping

Beyond being a main ingredient, one of our absolute favorite ways to utilize cabbage is by transforming it into a simple, crunchy slaw to use as a versatile topping. Its crisp texture and mild flavor add a fantastic contrast to rich or savory dishes. It’s absolutely fantastic on any kind of tacos, complements shredded meats beautifully, and even elevates a simple sandwich with an extra layer of freshness and crunch.

12. Paleo Fish Tacos and Coleslaw

Average Rating: 4.57 from 69 ratings

Our Paleo fish tacos and accompanying coleslaw are crafted with a simple yet masterful blend of spices, delivering an incredible flavor punch. The tacos are perfectly complemented by a light and zesty slaw, featuring crisp cabbage that adds a refreshing textural element.

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13. Jibarito Recipe (Paleo + Whole30)

Average Rating: 4 from 6 ratings

Combine crispy plantains with a juicy burger, and you get a delicious jibarito! This Paleo and Whole30 compliant jibarito recipe features a refreshing, mayo-free cabbage slaw, offering a unique and incredibly satisfying meal that’s sure to become a new favorite.

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Collage of various cabbage recipes including soups, salads, and skillets.

Egg Roll in a Bowl, a deconstructed egg roll with ground pork and cabbage.

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10+ Cabbage Recipes: Egg Roll in a Bowl

Prep:
10 mins
Cook:
15 mins
Total:
25 mins
Servings:
4

This bright, cheerful low carb egg roll in a bowl is easy to make and utterly delicious. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy all the flavors of your favorite takeout dish without the carbs or fuss. Plus, it highlights cabbage beautifully!

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Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger

For the bowl:

  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups coleslaw mix + cruciferous salad mix, (shredded cabbage & carrots – can use a 14oz pre-shredded bag or shred your own. We also added some of the cruciferous mix from Trader Joe’s as well.)
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 lb ground pork, (can sub ground chicken, beef, or turkey)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sesame seeds, (optional topping)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the sauce by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

  2. Chop shallot, garlic, and green onions as noted in the ingredients.

  3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add in sesame oil. Once hot, add in shallot and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant.

  4. Add in ground pork to the skillet. Break the pork into small bits using a spoon or spatula and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fully cooked through and has developed some delicious brown, crispy edges.

  5. Once the pork is cooked, add in the coleslaw mix and/or cruciferous veggie mix and chopped green onions. Continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften to your desired texture. Reduce the heat to low.

  6. Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet. Mix everything together thoroughly to ensure the sauce coats all ingredients. Cook for a few more minutes, or until the cabbage is cooked to your liking and the sauce is slightly reduced. Remove from heat and serve hot. Garnish with optional sesame seeds for an added touch of flavor and texture.

Last Step:

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Notes

Nutrition facts are per serving and are an estimate provided for those following a Ketogenic or low-carb diet. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.

Nutrition Information (Estimated Per Serving)

Calories: 395kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Fiber: 4g

Course:
Main Course
Author:
Justin Winn
Cuisine:
Chinese

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Embrace the Cabbage Revolution!

As you can see, cabbage is far from boring! Its incredible versatility, nutritional benefits, and affordability make it a true hero in the kitchen. From light and fresh salads to hearty, comforting soups and quick skillet dinners, there’s a cabbage recipe for every taste and occasion. We hope this comprehensive collection has inspired you to grab a head of cabbage and start experimenting with these fantastic dishes. Don’t be shy – let this amazing vegetable take center stage in your culinary repertoire!

Whether you’re exploring new flavors or seeking healthy, satisfying meals, cabbage offers endless possibilities. Enjoy cooking, and don’t forget to share your favorite cabbage creations with us!