You will love this scrumptious cabbage smothered with garlic, spices, bacon, sausage and potatoes. This healthy dish only takes 30 minutes to prepare and is definitely a must-try!
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Smothered cabbage, is a simple yet hearty dish that reflects the spirit of Cajun cooking - making use of local, available ingredients to create deeply flavorful and satisfying meals.
The slow-cooking process, or "smothering," allows the cabbage to become tender and absorb the flavors of the spices and meats, resulting in a dish that's both comforting and delicious.
reasons why this recipe works
- ❤️delicious.
- ❤️affordable - as an ingredient, cabbage is very cost-friendly. It is easy to feed a whole family with one cabbage head, and sometimes even have leftovers.
- ❤️filling and nourishing - keeps you fuller for longer.
- ❤️quick - very simple and fast to make.
- ❤️perfect for those on special diets.
- ❤️versatile - substitute the bacon and smoked sausage for your favorite meat or poultry, or leave them out altogether.
ingredients
- cabbage - I use regular white cabbage but savoy cabbage will do just fine. If you prefer to use savoy cabbage, just know you may not always find it in the market (try to find savoy cabbage any time between September and April).
- red or yellow onion - one large onion adds flavor and sweetness to the dish. This can be substituted with shallots or spring onion.
- thick slices of bacon - alternatively, you can use turkey bacon. Just make sure to slice it into equal-sized strips or cubes.
- olive oil - substitutable with butter, avocado oil, or clarified butter.
- potatoes - cut into one-inch cubes.
- cooked smoked sausage - smoked turkey sausage can also be used.
- cloves of garlic or ground garlic.
- creole or cajun seasoning
- caraway seeds (optional).
- salt - add more or less if you prefer.
- apple cider vinegar.
- chicken stock - preferably low-sodium.
The above is a summary of the ingredients you will require to make this smothered cabbage with sausage and bacon. The full measurements and detailed instructions have been provided at the bottom of this page.
how to make smothered cabbage with sausage
- Heat a large skillet or pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, then toast caraway seeds (optional) until fragrant and set aside.
- Fry bacon until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside on a paper-lined plate.
- In the same pan, cook smoked sausage until browned, then add onions and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add potatoes, garlic, seasoning, optional caraway seeds, cabbage, vinegar, olive oil, chicken stock, and salt to the pan and stir.
- Cover and simmer until potatoes and cabbage are cooked, stirring occasionally. Add half of the bacon, continue cooking for 10 minutes until cabbage browns and juices evaporate.
- Season to taste, garnish with remaining bacon, and serve.
Craving more cabbage recipes? Then how about trying our German savoy cabbage and Jamaican coleslaw, next!
serving suggestions
Serve your smothered cabbage with any kind of baked or grilled meat, oven-baked chicken or fish, mashed potatoes, honey cornbread, black eyed peas or some Instant Pot rice.
recipe variations
- No meat option - make this dish with no meat by leaving out the sausage and bacon. Make it vegan by omitting meat and using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Onion - use spring onion instead of yellow onion.
- Change your protein type - omit the sausage and use smoked turkey or ground beef instead.
- Garnish - use chopped parsley, cilantro or your favorite chopped herb to garnish.
freezing and refrigeration
This recipe is great for meal prep, as the cabbage can be preserved in the fridge or frozen. Store in the fridge or freezer as follows:-
- In the refrigerator - allow it to cool then store in a properly labeled airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing - you can perfectly freeze this dish (bear in mind cabbage changes its taste once it has been frozen and reheated).
tips to nail this recipe
- Adjust water for desired tenderness.
- Use fats to boost the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins in cabbage.
- Sweeten with a small amount of brown or keto-friendly sugar to taste; bear in mind that cabbage naturally sweetens when cooked.
- Optional caraway seeds enhance flavor and aid digestion; omit if disliked.
- Finely chopped cabbage cooks faster (about 10 minutes less) than larger pieces.
- Add extra vinegar or lemon juice for a tangier flavor.
more delicious recipes to try
Updated on February 29, 2023: Certain parts of this recipe have been simplified to enhance clarity and readability.
📖 Recipe
Smothered Cabbage
Tasty cabbage smothered with garlic, spices, bacon, sausage and potatoes. This 30-minute dish is also gluten-free, low carb, and paleo-suitable.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3lb (approx. 1.5kgs) white cabbage (or savoy cabbage)
- 1 large onion (yellow or red)
- 2-3 thick slices bacon (or turkey bacon, cut to equal size cubes or stripes)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups potatoes (cut into one-inch cubes)
- ½ lb cooked smoked sausage (approx. 250g)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning (or cajun seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (more or less according to preference)
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup chicken stock (preferably low-sodium)
Instructions
- Allow a large skillet or pan to heat under medium heat for about 2 minutes. Toast the caraway seeds (optional) until fragrant then set aside.
- To the pan, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove the cooked bacon using a slotted spoon and set it aside on a paper-lined plate.
- In the same pan, add the smoked sausage, and onion. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is softened and the sausage starts to brown.
- Stir in the potatoes, garlic, creole seasoning, garlic, caraway seeds (optional) and salt.
- Add the cabbage, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and chicken stock.
- Cover the skillet or pan and allow to cook on low heat for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and cabbage are cooked, stirring from time to time. Add some more water if the cabbage still feels tough (¼ cup at a time, to prevent your smothered cabbage from getting soggy).
- Increase the heat to high and remove the cover. Add half of the previously fried bacon and allow the cabbage to cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pan juices evaporate and the cabbage starts to brown.
- Check for salt and adjust the seasoning appropriately. Garnish with the remaining bacon and serve.
- Serve your smothered cabbage with any kind of baked or grilled meat, chicken or fish (or, with mashed potatoes, bread or rice dishes as a vegan option).
Notes
USEFUL RECIPE TIPS
- Add more water to your dish, if not tender enough.
- Do not shy away when using fat. Cabbage contains fat-soluble vitamins whose absorption in the body is maximized when taken together with fat.
- Add brown sugar (coconut sugar for paleo or keto brown sugar substitute), if you like your smothered cabbage sweeter. Bear in mind that cabbage gets sweeter during cooking.
- The caraway seeds add flavor as well as help the stomach to better handle the cabbage, during digestion. Feel free to leave this out if you do not like caraway. You can either toast them before frying the bacon or simply stir them in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Finely chopped cabbage will require less time to cook (about 10 minutes less) than larger chunks.
- Add an extra tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, if you like your cabbage to have more of a bite.
Jill
A delicious and complete meal. We all enjoyed this cabbage. Thank you for the recipe!
Beth
Yum! My family and I loved this recipe! Such a great and easy dinner recipe! Going to make this again soon!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it.
Julia
Now this looks so good! Caraway seeds go so well with cabbage and sausage so glad to see them in a recipe.
Kate Hahnel
I agree. They help with tummy problems too! The combination with cabbage and sausage is very flavorful.
Dannii
I love cabbage, but I usually just boil it. I am definitely going to be trying this.
Kate Hahnel
this method is equally easy. Give it a try and let me know what you think.