Have a hunk of cabbage you need to use up? Put it to work in these delicious cabbage recipes! They include simple sides, slaws, sandwiches, and more.
Choosing to make a cabbage recipe can feel like a commitment. You’re going to buy a whole entire cabbage in order to add a tiny bit of it to some tacos? What on earth are you going to do with the rest?!
My hope is that the cabbage recipes below offer an answer to that question. There are SO MANY ways to cook cabbage—this humble veggie is nothing if not versatile. It can complete a sandwich with a pop of color and crunch. It can transform into a crisp, refreshing slaw or a silky, sweet sauté. You can add it to soup or a bowl of noodles, a sushi roll, or a slider.
So please, don’t be afraid to cook cabbage recipes! I promise, you can always find a way to use up a full head, including the hunk that you will inevitably forget for a week at the back of your fridge (just me?). These cabbage recipes are here to help!
My Top 5 Cabbage Recipes
When it comes to cabbage recipes, these five are a great place to start! They include basic methods for how to cook cabbage as well as cabbage classics like coleslaw and cabbage soup.
Cabbage Soup
Want to polish off a whole head of cabbage in one go? This recipe is the way to do it! The silky cabbage leaves melt into a flavorful tomato broth alongside beans, veggies, and potatoes.
Sautéed Cabbage
This stir fried cabbage recipe is another easy way to use a large amount of cabbage. It’s simply seasoned with apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper, but it’s still amazingly flavorful. The entire pan will be gone before you know it! Find the recipe below.
Creamy Coleslaw
This coleslaw recipe is perfect for any BBQ or picnic! A creamy, tangy dressing coats a refreshing medley of red cabbage, green cabbage, carrot ribbons, and scallions.
Cabbage Steaks
These roasted cabbage steaks are tender in the middle, with a ruffly ring of crisp, golden brown leaves around the edges. Squeeze them with lemon juice and serve them as a side dish, or top them with bulgur, pickled onions, tahini sauce, feta, and herbs for a complete meal!
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki, or savory cabbage pancakes, are a popular Japanese street food. They’re traditionally made with seafood or pork, but I love this simple vegetarian twist. Readers love it too! It has 100+ 5-star reviews. Try it for an easy weeknight dinner!
Cabbage Salad Recipes
With its refreshing crunch, raw cabbage is a delicious addition to a variety of salads and slaws. Classic coleslaw is just the start!
Cabbage Salad
This colorful salad is one of my all-time favorite cabbage recipes! It’s super easy and SO flavorful, tossed in a nutty sesame dressing.
Vinegar Coleslaw
Don’t love creamy coleslaw? This recipe is for you! It features a sweet and tangy apple cider vinegar dressing instead of a mayo-based one. This slaw gets better as it sits in the fridge. Make it ahead for your next picnic or cookout!
Broccoli Slaw
Dried cranberries add sweet pops of flavor to this creamy slaw.
Healthy Taco Salad
All the flavors of a taco, but in salad form! Shredded red cabbage and chopped romaine create a crisp, fresh base, while vegan taco “meat,” black beans, and tortilla strips perfect the taco vibe. A zingy cilantro lime dressing ties it all together.
Easy Vegan Coleslaw
Like classic coleslaw, but 100% plant-based. Great alongside any vegan hot dog or veggie burger!
Taco Recipes with Cabbage
If you ask me, no taco bar is complete without shredded cabbage. Colorful and crisp, it takes any taco over the top!
Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
Turn your favorite game day snack into dinner! These epic veggie tacos are packed with crispy buffalo cauliflower, avocado, cilantro, and cabbage. Top them off with drizzles of creamy vegan ranch.
Spicy Mango, Black Bean & Avocado Tacos
These no-cook tacos are a breeze to put together on a busy weeknight. I love how the crunchy cabbage plays off the tender black beans, juicy mango, and spicy mayo in the filling. Serve with a big squeeze of lime juice!
Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
These tacos feature roasted cabbage instead of raw, giving them caramelized depth of flavor. Afraid you’ll miss the crunch? Don’t worry about it. Fresh fixings like radishes and sliced serrano peppers take care of that!
Noodles and Rice Bowls
No matter what type of cabbage you have on hand—napa cabbage, savoy cabbage, red, or green—you can find a home for it in a bowl with noodles or rice.
Mango Ginger Rice Bowl
I love this recipe because it’s a) delicious and b) flexible. Use any kind of cabbage you like, and feel free to change up the other ingredients too. Sub in baked tofu for the black beans, or toss in whatever veggies you have on hand. Just don’t skip the pickled ginger. It adds such a fresh kick to this recipe!
Adzuki Bean Bowls
These energizing bowls are filled with a simple sesame slaw, brown rice, and nutty adzuki beans. Can’t find adzukis? Black beans work too!
Sesame Noodle Bowl
These vibrant bowls are a delicious, easy dinner or make-ahead lunch. The sturdy cabbage, meaty mushrooms, and crisp snap peas hold up nicely under the tangy miso dressing.
Sandwiches
Is that sandwich missing something? Just like in a taco, a little cabbage will add color and crunch.
BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich
Think of these sliders as a vegan riff on pulled chicken or pork. The jackfruit filling has the same moist, tender texture. It’s delicious with a crisp cabbage slaw on top!
Butternut Apple Cranberry Sandwich
Filled with roasted squash, apples, dried cranberries, and cheddar cheese, this hearty sandwich is basically fall between bread! Lightly pickled cabbage gives it a pop of tangy flavor.
Tofu Sandwich
My cabbage salad adds a vegetable kick to this BBQ tofu sando. Don’t serve it without napkins nearby—this recipe is seriously saucy!
More Favorite Cabbage Recipes
You’ll find two more easy recipes with cabbage below—homemade veggie sushi and loaded sweet potato fries. I told you cabbage was versatile, didn’t I?
Homemade Maki Sushi
This veggie sushi is anything but traditional, but it’s a blast to make (and eat!) at home. Roasted shiitake mushrooms add rich flavor to the filling, while red cabbage and cucumber supply refreshing crunch. Serve the rolls with my carrot ginger sauce for dipping.
Sweet Potato Chili Fries
This comforting recipe is just as good for game day as it is for busy weeknights! I top the hearty sweet potato wedges with a zesty cabbage slaw for bright, fresh flavor.
Best Cabbage Recipes: Sautéed Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1½ pounds)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, or until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the cabbage, salt, and several grinds of pepper, toss, and cook for 2 minutes, or until the cabbage starts to soften.
- Add the vinegar, toss, and cook, tossing, until most of the liquid cooks off and the cabbage is tender and browned, about 6 minutes. Season to taste and serve.
I just tried this and it’s SO GOOD!!! The only change I made was using purple cabbage since that’s what I had. I did everything else the same. I was unsure about the cider vinegar because I usually prefer lemon instead of any vinegar but it blended so well. Thanks!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
We liked it both before and after adding the vinegar.
We added Thai red curry paste and served topped with chopped peanuts and cilantro. That took it to the next level!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I added about a teaspoon of Thai chili paste at the end and just ate 1 small head of cabbage with no help! Lol!
Love that! So glad you enjoyed it.
thank you, a great resource, I don’t like boiled cabbage so all of these will help even sauteed cabbage beats boiled!
Ha, agreed!