Heart Healthy Southern-Style Cabbage

This simple, healthy Southern style cabbage dish is so unassuming, but so delicious! It’s great on top of burgers, sausage, or all by itself! Topping this smoky, tangy veggie off with some grainy mustard just takes it over the top.

Traditional Southern fried cabbage, while delicious, isn’t the best for a healthy heart. It’s typically laden with butter and bacon, and usually even fried in the bacon grease. Yum, right? Well, I agree, but that’s not a dish that should make a regular appearance on our menus. Enter: my heart healthy Southern-style cabbage. We use a splash of liquid smoke to give it that smoky, bacony flavor, and add some tangy vinegar to complement it.

Is cabbage healthy?

Cabbage might not be as high in nutrition as some other vegetables, so it often get overlooked. But cabbage is high in vitamin C and fiber – excellent for these winter months to help support the immune system. It’s also incredibly low in calories, making it useful in weight maintenance. Additionally, cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, meaning it contains anti-cancer sulfur compounds. Cabbage definitely deserves a spot on your table!

FAQs and Substitutions for this recipe

Consider these tips and substitutions for this cabbage dish:

• Use any kind of cabbage you like – purple cabbage would be great!
• Try using a leek instead of an onion if you have it. Fancy!
• Rice vinegar or another type of vinegar that doesn’t have a dark color can be used instead of apple cider vinegar. Balsamic vinegar would not be a great choice because of its dark color (unless you don’t mind your dish reflecting that color).
• Consider serving your cabbage with Garlic Miso Smashed Potatoes and Easy Skillet Tempeh.
• Reduce prep time by buying pre-shredded cabbage. Even a coleslaw mix (without dressing) with carrots would be fine.

Try these other recipes that include cruciferous veggies: Easy Vinegar Coleslaw, Grilled Broccoli and Onions, Cauliflower Salad with Apricots and Toasted Hazelnuts, and Brussels Sprout, Sweet Potato, and Black Bean Tostadas.

If you make this Healthy Southern Cabbage, let me know in the comments!

5 from 1 vote

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Heart Healthy Southern-Style Cabbage

This simple side dish of smoky, tangy cabbage is so unassuming, but so delicious! It's great on top of burgers, sausage, or all by itself! Don't forget to top it with grainy mustard. Excellent!

Course Side Dish, vegetable

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 69 kcal

Author Laura Yautz

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, halved and sliced thin
• 1 small Head of Cabbage (or ½ large head), shredded (will yield 6-7 cups)
• 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
• To serve: Grainy mustard

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cabbage, and saute until soft, and the volume is reduced by roughly half.
3. Add the apple cider vinegar and liquid smoke, and continue to saute about 10 minutes, until the cabbage is very soft, and mixture appears caramelized (most of the green from the cabbage should disappear).
4. Serve immediately, over burgers, sausage, or alone, with a grainy mustard.