Braised Cabbage Without Meat

Name: Braised Young Cabbage with Vegetables in 30 Minutes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Young cabbage 0.5 head; Onion 1–2; Carrot 1; Tomatoes 2; Vegetable oil 2 tbsp; Tomato paste 1 tbsp (17 g); Water a little, to dilute the tomato paste; Ground coriander 1–2 pinches; Salt, ground black pepper to taste; Parsley 4–5 sprigs; Dill for serving

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30 mins

And now summer has reminded us that it exists. This year spring flared up and went out. And here it is, summer: not by the calendar, but unmistakable. Nature woke up long ago, turned green and started treating us to new-season vegetables and fruit. As usual, the first tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and cabbage.

There’s a stubborn belief that you shouldn’t eat the first vegetables because they’re full of nitrates. I’m sure 99 out of 100 people don’t know what nitrates are. As if vegetables with nitrates were grown separately just for us, so we wouldn’t eat them. Here’s a bed with nitrates, and there’s one without.

But now the first wave of fresh young vegetables has passed. Everyone has had their fill. Next, as a rule, you’re tired of your favorite vegetable salad and want something more substantial.

At times like that we make a sauté of young vegetables, a stew or a warm zucchini and tomato salad. That’s almost the signature of our home cooking: lots of vitamins, garlic to keep colds away, and it’s just very tasty.

For breakfast we often make a quick dish: braised young cabbage without meat, with vegetables and herbs. It takes half an hour to make and is just right for a good breakfast before work.

Braised cabbage without meat: tasty cabbage with vegetables, braised in its own juices. A quick recipe for healthy braised cabbage.

Ingredients

2 servings

Young cabbage 0.5 head
Onion 1–2
Carrot 1
Tomatoes 2
Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
Tomato paste 1 tbsp (17 g)
Water a little, to dilute the tomato paste
Ground coriander 1–2 pinches
Salt, ground black pepper to taste
Parsley 4–5 sprigs
Dill for serving

Step-by-step recipe

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Vegetables

Wild cabbage is said to come from southern England and Ireland and northwestern France, and it grows on Heligoland, in Denmark and along the northern shores of the Mediterranean near Nice, Genoa and Lucca; in short, in Europe. Today cabbage grows everywhere except perhaps Antarctica and the deserts. Cabbage is considered one of the most important food plants, packed with vitamins, fiber and other beneficial nutrients.

Get the young cabbage and vegetables ready.
Braised cabbage without meat takes about 30 minutes, which makes it quite suitable for breakfast. It’s also excellent as an appetizer. If you can buy young vegetables along with the young head of cabbage, that’s wonderful.

Peel the onion and cut it into thick strips.
Peel the carrot and grate it coarsely or cut it into strips.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges; you can leave the seeds and skin.

Braising the vegetables

Fry the onion in vegetable oil until golden.
Add the tomato and carrot. Braise the vegetables covered for 3–5 minutes.
Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. I recommend adding 1–2 pinches of ground coriander.

Dilute 1 tbsp of tomato paste (17 g) with water and add it to the vegetables.

Braising the cabbage

Finely shred the head of young cabbage with a knife or a special shredder.
Pile the cabbage on top of the braised vegetables and cover the skillet tightly with a lid.
Braise without stirring for 10–12 minutes.
During this time the cabbage will soften and lose volume; as they say, it will settle.
Stir the vegetables and let them braise for another 10 minutes.
The finished young cabbage can be a dish on its own, very tasty with fresh bread. Or it can be an appetizer or even a vegetable side dish. Very good with boiled new potatoes sprinkled with dill.
Before serving, sprinkle with finely chopped young parsley and dill.

Calories and macros

295 kcal

Serving ≈ 540 g

Protein8 g12% of kcal
Fat15 g50% of kcal
Carbs26 g38% of kcal

100 g54 kcalProtein 1.4 gFat 2.7 gCarbs 4.7 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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To Get It Right

A tight lid instead of water

The cabbage braises in its own juices and the juices of the vegetables, so you don’t add water separately, just a little to dilute the tomato paste. The main thing is a lid that fits the skillet tightly. One reader made it this way in a kazan, and it turned out great.

For extra flavor

In braised cabbage, I recommend not skipping the ground coriander, 1–2 pinches. Readers also add a garlic clove, and a little sriracha for heat.

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Questions and answers

How do you braise cabbage without meat so it tastes good?

Fry the onion until golden, braise the tomatoes and carrot with it, season with coriander and tomato paste, and pile the cabbage on top. Don’t stir for the first 10–12 minutes: the cabbage will settle and soak up the vegetable juices.

How long do you braise cabbage?

Young cabbage takes about 20 minutes: 10–12 minutes covered without stirring and another 10 minutes after that. Regular, older cabbage takes longer: braise it until tender, tasting as you go.

Can you braise red cabbage this way?

Yes, but red cabbage is tougher than young white cabbage, so it will need 30–40 minutes instead of 20 and most likely a splash of water. The flavor will be a little different, but still good.

Can you add potatoes to braised cabbage?

Yes. Cut the potatoes into small cubes and add them together with the carrot and tomatoes; they’ll have time to soften while the cabbage braises. If there seems to be too little liquid, add a couple of spoonfuls of water. Readers also add bell pepper.

How many calories are in braised cabbage without meat?

About 45 kcal per 100 g. It’s a light vegetable dish: cabbage, onion, carrot and tomatoes with 2 tbsp of oil for 2 servings.

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