Frugal Veggies: Cabbage
I’m saddened when I hear people say that they would like to eat healthier, but it’s too expensive. One of the major steps to affordable fruits and vegetables is to eat seasonal, lower cost produce. Cabbage is a great example. Full of wonderful vitamins and nutrients, cabbage is an excellent healthful way to eat within a budget. One way to eat more cabbage is to try preparing it in a variety of ways, so your tastebuds don’t get bored.
I like to create variety by preparing the same veggie in different ways: sauteed, in soup, as well as raw, if appropriate. I also try to mix-up the tastes from spicy to slightly sweet, to tangy. I find this variety helps to keep cabbage interesting. For cabbage, I like serving it raw in coleslaws without mayonnaise. I have been serving a lot of fruit and cabbage based coleslaws like my apple ginger coleslaw and orange coleslaw below. I also like to serve cabbage simply shredded and sauteed with a bit of olive oil and garlic. Unlike boiled cabbage, the sugars caramelize in the sauteed cabbage and there’s much less of a sulphery taste. I also like adding cabbage to other foods to add vitamins and nutrients. I often put shredded cabbage into soups or stews at the last minute, so the shredded cabbage is softened, but not boiled to death. Another way to enjoy cabbage is in other tasty dishes, such as in healthy mashed potatoes.
Orange coleslaw
2 cups shredded cabbage (or coleslaw mix)
1 orange
1 teaspoon honey (if needed)
2 T white balsamic vinegar
Place the shredded cabbage in a mixing bowl. Cut the peel away from the orange and cut the orange flesh into small sections. Sqeeze the peels over the bowl to extract the juice. Add honey and vinegar and toss well. Allow to stand about 15 minutes for the cabbage to soften slightly.
Healthy Mashed Potatoes
1 lb. potatoes, I like yukon gold
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 onion, diced fine
1 T butter
2 T low fat milk (or non-dairy substitute)
2 T yogurt
Thoroughly wash and cut away eyes of potatoes. Cut unpeeled potatoes into chunks, about 1 inch. Add to a pot of boiling water and boil until soft. Drain the potatoes into a colander. In the empty pot, melt the butter and saute cabbage and onion over medium heat until softened but not brown. When cabbage is soft, pour cooked potato cubes back into the pot and mash with a potato masher (will be rustic-style with peels). Stir in milk and yogurt and season to taste. Adjust milk to creaminess desired.
Shared at Ultimate Recipe Swap, Food Renegade and Frugal Friday
I never would’ve thought of adding cabbage to mashed potatoes! Thanks for the tips and recipes!
Hi Nessa, Thanks for visiting.
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This is perfect timing. I’ve been thinking I need some cabbage recipes. Cabbage is really inexpensive these days. But, a whole head of cabbage for a family of 2 adults and 2 toddlers? – that’s a lot of cabbage!
Thanks for posting these. I’m definitely going to try them. One question – isn’t cabbage and mashed potatoes usually called “colcannon”?
Hi Sharon, Yes, colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made with potatoes and either kale or cabbage. This version does not use the boiled bacon (like ham) and tons of butter that I’ve seen in a number of colcannon recipes, so perhaps it’s best to call it almost colcannon. Just in time for St. Patrick’s day. Thanks for visiting.
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Very good point about choosing in season cheap veggies! We need to think about carrots, sweet potatoes, in season greens like turnip greens and collards (I live in GA), etc. These things are also super cheap and so good for you! Cabbage can be even healthier if you culture it and make it into sauerkraut–then you’ve got the bonus of the good kind of bacteria–just like yogurt. And homemade sauerkraut rocks!
Hi Brianna, I love collard greens. we probably have them once a week; and most of us have forgotten about the wonders of fermented foods. Kimchee is one of my favorites. Thanks for visiting.
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Your orange coleslaw sounds awesome! Just the recipe I have been looking for. My store was selling cabbage for .01 per pound this week!! I have been looking for something new to make with it! I will definately try this!
I add shredded cabbage to my chicken salad . It adds texture , fiber and stretches the chicken. My husband loves it.
Sara, hope you like the orange coleslaw.
Kellynkaty, that’s a great suggestion.
Thanks for visiting and commeting.
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I just finished eating steamed cabbage – for the 3rd time this week. Yum!
I need to eat more cabbage! Thanks for participating in today’s carnival. I hope you keep contributing.
Beth and FoodRenegade, I think my tastebuds have changed since I was a kid. Now, I find cabbage somewhat sweet.
I’ve been needing some ideas for other ways to cook veggies. I forgot about cabbage. I’m going to try the orange coleslaw. it sounds very good.
[...] Joanna @ Becoming the Biggest Loser17. vehementflame(maple bread and butter)18. my year without19. ElizabethG (delicious cabbage)20. Sustainable Eats (Not Corn Walking)21. Kyle (Hydrogen [...]
One of my go too meals is fried cabbage with potatoes and sausage. It’s a one pot wonder that is very frugal and yummy.
1 cut potatoes into thin rounds sorta like a thick potato chip
2 par boil potatoes in a large skillet just until slightly tender- drain
3 cut sausage into bite sized pieces ( I like smoked but any kind will do) and fry in a bit of bacon drippings or oil, just until brown around the edges- remove to paper toweling
4 drain all but 1 tbsp or two of fat. heat oil and add 1 head of thin sliced cabbage and 1 onion cut into rings. Stir until wilted slightly, add in potatoes and cover until cabbage is tender and potatoes are done.
5 add sausage back to pan and let fry just until everything is hot and edges are starting to brown a bit.
Serve with a pan of cornbread and life is good down here in the south
Vikki, sounds yummy!