It continues to be a hard, scary time in the world, so it can feel a little strange to talk about cooking tips. But we all need to eat, fiber is something most of us don’t get enough of, and we also need to find little bits of comfort where we can. I find a little comfort in cabbage, personally, which checks many of these boxes.
For one thing, it’s an incredibly versatile ingredient, and packed with nutrients, serving as a valuable source of fiber, protein, vitamin K, folate (B9), and vitamin C. And it stays fresh in the refrigerator for an extended time, which is always helpful in preventing food waste. It can also be really, really delicious.
To demonstrate the versatility of cabbage, and hopefully encourage you to eat more of it, we’ve put together recipes for enjoying cabbage five very different ways.
Of course cabbage is an extremely relevant ingredient for St. Patrick’s Day, but these recipes are examples of how cabbage can lend itself to so many other culinary traditions and flavor profiles.
Watch me prepare them here, or find the full recipes via our website below:
Roasted Purple Cabbage with Lemon Pepper Cream Sauce
Cabbage wedges are seared in olive oil with lemon zest and salt and then baked in a creamy sauce until tender. The cream sauce is blended from potatoes, onions, garlic, cashews, white beans, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, and cayenne pepper. Topped with crunchy bread crumbs, you can’t go wrong.
This fresh side dish incorporates shredded cabbage, apple, and grated carrots. The dressing is made by mixing vegan mayo, lime juice, jalapeños or spicier Serrano chiles, green onions, cilantro, and salt.
The homemade tortillas are crafted using masa, salt, and water, and the taco filling uses grated tofu mixed with taco seasoning and nutritional yeast, which can be baked or sautéed. The tacos are assembled with the tofu base and a cooked topping of cabbage, onions, and garlic.
This dish highlights cabbage in a slightly smokey concoction of onions, tomato paste, garlic, beans, and fennel and is surprisingly so delicious with or without crusty garlic bread to dip into it.
This recipe uses various cabbage types and shredded carrots. It’s flavored with ginger, tamari, and raisins, with added tofu and macadamia nuts (or alternative nuts like cashews or pistachios) for protein and healthy fats.
I hope these recipes bring you as much comfort and enjoyment as they do for me, and of course cabbage in even the simplest forms is worth adding to your diet. Your gut microbiome will thank you and I thank you too. Thinking of you all during these challenging times.