Steamed Cabbage
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It’s so easy to make Steamed Cabbage for a delicious side dish! Follow this blog post to learn how to steam cabbage, in wedges or shredded, in less than 15 minutes. Serve the cabbage with your favorite main dishes, like corned beef or smoked pork chops!
Table of contents
Cabbage is one of my husband’s favorite vegetables. Back in 2018, I made German-style cabbage rolls for him and shared them on the blog. They’ve been a huge hit, with several rave reviews from people looking for a cabbage roll recipe that’s simmered in broth, instead of a tomato-based sauce.
In addition to cabbage rolls, I like to make coleslaw with cabbage in the summer months. I also like to steam wedges, or shredded cabbage, and serve it as a side with some of our favorite main dishes, like pork chops, grilled steaks, pot roast and corned beef.
It’s such a simple dish, but adds a delicious crunch on the side of any entree! If you prefer more crunch, I recommend cutting the cabbage into wedges and steaming them. This will give you layers of texture, from soft to crunchy. If you prefer a softer steamed cabbage, I recommend shredding the cabbage before steaming it. This will ensure that all of the cabbage softens as it steams.
The seasonings for steamed cabbage are basically endless, but I simply like to toss it with butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder, for a buttery taste that can’t be beat! Simple ingredients come together for a delicious combination of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
- Cabbage – for this recipe, I used a head of green cabbage, but you could also make this recipe with another type of cabbage, like red cabbage, savoy or napa cabbage. Most heads of cabbage will range between 2-4 pounds in size. I recommend trying to find one on the smaller side, if you want to steam it all at once. For savoy or napa cabbage, you’ll want to cut the cook time down to 5 minutes, as the leaves are softer and will become tender much quicker than a head of green or red cabbage.
- Butter – optional topping for the cabbage after it steams. The butter will melt over the steamed cabbage and give it a wonderful flavor. If using unsalted butter, I also recommend adding salt to season the cabbage. If using salted butter, you can taste the cabbage first, then add salt to your liking.
- Salt + black pepper + garlic powder – to season the cabbage.
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage. Cut a head of cabbage into 4 quarters, then cut out the core and discard it. Next, either slice the quarters of cabbage into ½ inch strips, or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges.
- Steam the cabbage. Add 1 inch of water to the bottom of a large pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, place the cabbage in a steamer basket and place it in the pot of boiling water. Cover and steam the cabbage for 7-10 minutes. For the strips of cabbage, I recommend 7-8 minutes, for the wedges of cabbage, I recommend 9-10 minutes. Turn the heat off on the stove, remove the lid and use tongs to remove the steamed cabbage from the steamer basket. Either place it in a large bowl or serving dish.
Optional: after removing the cabbage from the steamer basket, place small cubes of butter on top of the cabbage, then season the cabbage with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss to coat the cabbage in the butter and seasoning.
The steamed cabbage can also be served, simply seasoned with flaky sea salt, or with any of the seasoning ideas provided below.
Ways to season it
- Parmesan cheese and lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Crunchy chili onion – I love this stuff from Trader Joe’s! It makes a great topping for steamed cabbage, when paired with Asian dishes.
- Lemon pepper
- Everything bagel seasoning
- A drizzle of flavored olive oil – we love this lemon olive oil on steamed cabbage!
- Drizzled with Thai peanut sauce.
- Stir in some crumbled, cooked bacon.
- Drizzled with spicy cashew dressing.
Tips and tricks
- You can adjust the time up or down, depending on how tender you want the cabbage to be. The longer the cabbage steams, the softer it will get. If you want a more crisp texture, I recommend never steaming the cabbage for more than 8-10 minutes.
- You’ll be able to tell when the cabbage is done steaming, when it’s bright green in color, and the outer leaves are tender, but not mushy, in texture.
- When using a steamer basket, always make sure that the cabbage is not touching the water. This will allow the cabbage to steam, instead of boil in the water.
- If steaming the cabbage ahead of time to eat later, you’ll want to transfer the steamed cabbage to a bowl of ice water immediately after it’s steamed to stop the cooking process. After 1-2 minutes in the ice bath, remove the cabbage from the ice water. Dry it thoroughly, then transfer it to an airtight container, lined with paper towels for storage. The paper towels will soak up any excess water and prevent the cabbage from getting soggy. The steamed cabbage will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This is a great option for meal prepping! You can also store steamed cabbage leftovers the same way, in a paper towel-lined storage container, for up to 5 days.
- The times for steaming the cabbage on the stove, will be the same whether you’re steaming ½ cup of cabbage, or up to 4 cups of cabbage. The only thing that will change is that you’ll need a larger steamer basket on the stove if you’re steaming more than 2 pounds of cabbage at one time.
- If you don’t have a steamer basket, or pot, you can still make this recipe on the stove in a large skillet. Add ½ inch water to a large skillet on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the shredded cabbage, or wedges, in an even layer in the skillet. Cover the skillet and steam the cabbage for 7-10 minutes. Use tongs to remove the cabbage from the skillet after steaming it, and serve immediately.
What to serve it with
Steamed cabbage really is a Jack-of-all-trades! It’s a great side dish to pair with grilled meats, Crock Pot meals, buddha bowls and so much more! Try it with any of these recipes.
Tools to use
I have both a steamer basket and steamer pot that I use to make this steamed cabbage recipe at home. The steamer basket is perfect for 1-2 cups of shredded cabbage. It’s also an affordable option, that you can pick up for around $10 online or at a big-box store.
The steamer pot is perfect for making a big batch of cabbage. I can fit 2-4 pounds of cabbage in there, which is perfect for prepping extra steamed cabbage for the week. Or to make a big batch to go with my corned beef.
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Become a pro in the kitchen! Don’t miss these other quick and easy cooking how-to posts!
Steamed Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green cabbage
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut a head of cabbage into 4 quarters, then cut out the core and discard it.
- Either slice the quarters of cabbage into ½ inch strips, or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges.
- Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a large pot on the stove over high heat.
- Add the cabbage to a steamer basket and place it in the pot of boiling water.
- Cover and steam the cabbage for 7-10 minutes. For strips of cabbage, I recommend 7-8 minutes, for wedges of cabbage, I recommend 9-10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, turn the heat on the stove off and use tongs to transfer the steamed cabbage to a large bowl.
- Optional: add the butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder, and toss to combine.
Notes
- You can make this recipe with another type of cabbage, like red cabbage, savoy or napa cabbage. For savoy or napa cabbage, you’ll want to cut the cook time down to 5 minutes, as the leaves are softer and will become tender much quicker than a head of green or red cabbage.
- You can adjust the time up or down, depending on how tender you want the cabbage to be. The longer the cabbage steams, the softer it will get. If you want a more crisp texture, I recommend never steaming the cabbage for more than 8-10 minutes.
- You’ll be able to tell when the cabbage is done steaming, when it’s bright green in color, and the outer leaves are tender, but not mushy, in texture.
- When using a steamer basket, always make sure that the cabbage is not touching the water. This will allow the cabbage to steam, instead of boil in the water.
- If steaming the cabbage ahead of time to eat later, you’ll want to transfer the steamed cabbage to a bowl of ice water immediately after it’s steamed to stop the cooking process. After 1-2 minutes in the ice bath, remove the cabbage from the ice water. Dry it thoroughly, then transfer it to an airtight container, lined with paper towels for storage. The paper towels will soak up any excess water and prevent the cabbage from getting soggy. The steamed cabbage will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- The times for steaming the cabbage on the stove, will be the same whether you’re steaming ½ cup of cabbage, or up to 4 cups of cabbage. The only thing that will change is that you’ll need a larger steamer basket on the stove if you’re steaming more than 2 pounds of cabbage at one time.
Nutrition Facts
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