Cabbage 11 ways
I'm kind of into cabbage these days. I don’t know when this obsession started, but I always seem to find it in my refrigerator lately. Here’s 11 easy ways you can incorporate more cabbage into your life and join me on the cruciferous veggie train!
A couple of reasons why I always grab a head of cabbage at the grocery store:
- It's cheap-you can get a massive cabbage that can supply 4+ meals for less than a dollar/pound.
- It keeps well in the fridge-I go through cabbage quickly, but once I half a head and wrap it back up in some bee's wrap it will last about 1-2 weeks
- It's pretty darn healthy. I list some of the benefits of this cruciferous vegetable below.
- It's so versatile. There's a reason this post is titled "Cabbage: 11 ways" It can be transformed into anything from a decadent comfort food to a simple slaw or add some crunch and a boost of nutrients to any salad.
Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that is one of the highest in antioxidants. Cruciferous vegetables in general are very beneficial and include Sulforaphane a sulfur compound that combats and prevents cancer. Just make sure when you prepare cabbage you never microwave it because it has been found that microwaving destroys all of the beneficial enzymes in the vegetable. Some of the MANY health benefits of cabbage, specifically include:
- High in Calcium
- High in Fiber
- High in Vitamin K
- High in Vitamin C
- High in Antioxidants
- High in Sulforaphane
- A known cure for stomach ulcers
To learn more about the benefits of cabbage you can read Dr. Mercola's article here.
10 Ways to Enjoy Cabbage
1) Roasted cabbage steaks or wedges-Slice cabbage into thick slices or wedges, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper or any other "steak" spices. Roast in the oven and enjoy! I sometimes make a honey mustard sauce and dip it...I'm weird.
2) Cabbage Stir Fry-Whether you're having cauliflower fried rice or just a vegetable stir fry don't forget to throw in some shredded cabbage into the mix for a nutrient boost and a crunch.
3) Cabbage Salad-You can top a regular romaine salad with some cabbage or I like to dice up cabbage and add some yuba noodles and sesame seeds with a little miso dressing for a fabulous cabbage salad. Below is what I throw together and it is pretty tasty.
- 1/4 cabbage chopped
- A spoonful of Yuba noodles
- 1/4 Cooked Sweet Potato (optional-I had one so threw it in)
- 1 teaspoon Dulse seaweed flakes
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
- 1 teaspoon hempseeds
- Dressing: Splash of coconut aminos, drizzle of flax seed oil, splash of ginger juice and a touch of maple syrup-can also add a spoonful of miso and mix
4) Cabbage Pasta-Ok I know it sounds like a stretch, but hear me out...When you sauté up a bunch of cabbage it kind of has the consistency and texture of pasta and it holds sauces. It's great for a spring primavera pasta substitute or add some red sauce. In the Spring I went off of this Oh She Glows Recipe and instead of shredded carrots I used cooked cabbage and it was divine.
5) Cabbage wraps-You can stuff large cabbage leaves with rice, lentils, or asian style with chopped up mushrooms and spices then steam them and dip or add tomato sauce. A couple of recipes for inspo here:
6) Cabbage Pad Thai -Again this is along the same lines as cabbage pasta, but with Asian influence you can enjoy this dish with raw or cooked cabbage
7) Cabbage coleslaw-The most obvious and kind of basic, but sure is tasty and can make a great accompaniment to any bbq dishes plus it keeps the cabbage raw and if you don't load it with sugar can be a healthy side dish.
8) Cabbage soup-Cabbage is a great addition to any vegetable based soup you are making. You can toss it in the pot or let the cabbage really be the star with these cabbage soup recipes:
9) Roasted Cabbage Veggie bowls (Buddha Bowl) Who doesn't love a rainbow of roasted veggies?
10) Ethiopian cabbage-If you haven't been to an authentic Ethiopian restaurant you need to get on it! My favorite is Muzita in San Diego that makes authentic, organic and vegan Ethiopian. One of my favorite parts of the dish is the cabbage!!
11) Last, but not least we can't forget FERMENTED CABBAGE-saurkraut and kimchi are excellent additions to salads, sandwiches and sides. This is the most healthy way to consume cabbage because you get all of the benefits of raw cabbage, minus the compounds that can be hard on digestion and get a bonus of probiotics and healthy bacteria from the fermentation process. It's a win-win-win!
So are you going to pick up a head of organic cabbage the next time you are at the grocery store or farmer's market? What are your weird veggie cravings?
