White cabbage is highly regarded for its ability to accompany a multitude of dishes. It can be eaten raw, shredded in salads, cooked, braised or boiled to make a soup or to accompany roasted meats. White cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins C, B1 and B2, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur and folate. It contains antioxidants that exhibit anti-inflammatory and tumor inhibitory properties. White cabbage promotes cardiovascular health, improves digestive health and can help reduce your risk of different cancers. When buying white cabbage, choose those that have a firm, compact head, a crisp texture and unblemished leaves. Discard any tough exterior leaves.
Cooking White Cabbage
Step 1
Wash the head of a white cabbage in cold water. Remove and discard blemished or damaged outer leaves.
Step 2
Split the cabbage in two halves. Chop the two halves into eight pieces and continue to cut the cabbage into smaller pieces or your desired size.
Step 3
Place your chopped cabbage into a medium cooking pan with 3 cups of boiling water.
Step 4
Add ½ tsp. of salt to the cooking pan and cook cabbage over high heat for five to 15 minutes.
Step 5
When the cabbage is tender, drain excess water and add 2 tbsp. of butter and ½ tbsp. pepper.
Step 6
Add ham or corned beef to your cooked cabbage, if desired, and boil once more for two minutes.
Spiced White Cabbage
Step 1
Wash thoroughly and cut one head of white cabbage into ½-inch ribbons.
Step 2
Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan and add ribbon-cut cabbage to your saucepan.
Step 3
Add 1 tbsp. of salt to the saucepan and cook over medium to high heat for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Drain excess water from the saucepan and allow cooked cabbage to cool.
Step 5
Heat 4 tbsp. of olive oil in a saute pan and add 1 tsp. of cumin seeds.
Step 6
Add 2 tbsp. of grated horseradish, 1 tbsp. of ground black pepper and 1 oz. of speck to your saute pan. Speck is a type of very thinly sliced smoked ham.
Step 7
Add cooked cabbage to your saute pan and toss to mix.
Step 8
Cook over medium to high heat for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is well-seasoned.
Step 9
Remove from heat and sprinkle the juice of one lemon over your cabbage.
Wait two to three minutes and serve.
Cabbage in White Wine
Step 1
Wash thoroughly and cut one head of white cabbage into ½-inch ribbons.
Step 2
Heat 6 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 3
Add your ribbon-cut cabbage to the large skillet. Cook on medium heat, turning over occasionally, until the cabbage lightly browns.
Step 4
Reduce heat and add 1 tbsp. of salt and pepper to season your cabbage.
Step 5
Add one small sliced onion and 1 cup of dry white wine to your large skillet.
Step 6
Cover and simmer for three to five minutes or until your cabbage is soft and well-seasoned, constantly stirring the cabbage.
Step 7
Remove from heat, cool for two to three minutes and serve.
Baking White Cabbage
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
Step 2
Wash cabbage thoroughly and discard all damaged or blemished outer leaves.
Slice the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Continue to cut the cabbage until it is finely shredded.
Step 3
Add 1 cup dry white wine and two bay leaves to a large saucepan and bring to boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 ½ tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. of white pepper.
Step 4
Add your finely shredded white cabbage to the simmering saucepan. Bring the larger saucepan to a boil once more, and then turn off. Cover with lid and transfer to your preheated oven.
Step 5
Bake the cabbage for 30 minutes or until the cabbage is limp.
Step 6
Add 8 tbsp. of unsalted butter to the mixture while it still warm. Remove from oven, cool for five minutes and serve.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose white cabbage heads that are firm and heavy, with leaves crisp in texture. Avoid cabbage heads that have cracks or blemishes and those that have large amounts of loose outer leaves. Cabbage should have no more than three to four loose outer leaves. Do not buy pre-cut, quartered or halved cabbage because this results in the loss of vitamin C. Cover white cabbage tightly in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Cabbage is best used within days of purchase. Wash cabbage thoroughly before using. Remove outer leaves and slice the leaves free from the core. Initially halve the cabbage, then quarter it and cut to desired size. Place under running cold water and rinse thoroughly. To retain the cancer inhibitory properties in white cabbage, it best to not microwave it. Cabbage retains it vitamins, nutrients and cancer preventive benefits when ingest raw or cooked for a short period of time.
- Do not eat cabbage that not been washed or has significant external damage.
Things You'll Need
- Head of white cabbage
- 2 tbsp. butter
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 2 tbsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. pepper
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp. horseradish
- 1 oz. speck
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 6 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 c. dry white wine
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Member Comments