Sautéed Cabbage with Garlic and Lime

Sautéed cabbage with garlic, lime, and spices is an easy, low-carb, gluten-free, and vegan side dish that pairs equally well with chicken or a meatless main! Best of all — it’s ready in just 15 minutes!

Whenever I’m in the mood for a light side dish, something that isn’t too starchy, I usually make my crispy roasted cabbage wedges. The one drawback to that recipe is that it requires time, both for the oven to heat up and for the wedges to soften. I wanted to create a recipe that took even less time and effort, and this sautéed cabbage recipe was born! 

Sautéing cabbage is one of the easiest ways to cook cabbage. To add big flavor in record time, I shred the cabbage and cook it with onions and garlic in some good extra virgin olive oil. Flavored simply with crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper, ground coriander, garlic, and lime, and cooked until tender and slightly caramelized, this sauteed cabbage recipe transforms the sturdy vegetable into your new favorite side!

This cabbage recipe is great to serve as is, but you can add a drizzling sauce such as my creamy feta dressing or tahini sauce, which will play up its warm, nutty flavor.

Ingredients for Sautéed Cabbage

Cabbage lasts for ages in the fridge, so at least for me this is a recipe that relies entirely on pantry staples. Even if you don’t have everything on hand, the shopping list is a short one: 

• Cabbage: Inexpensive, sturdy, and widely available green cabbage is the hero of this recipe. You need a whole small green cabbage that weighs about 2 pounds or half of a larger one. To save prep time you could also buy bags of shredded cabbage. 
• Extra virgin olive oil makes the cabbage glossy and helps it caramelize in the pan. Use a medium-intensity oil here, like our California Arbequina or Italian Nocellara.
  • READ MORE: How to Taste Olive Oil: A Step-By-Step Guide 
  • TRY IT: Find both at The Mediterranean Dish shop
• Yellow onion adds sweetness to sautéed cabbage. Halve a small onion and slice it thinly.  
• Garlic: A few cloves of minced garlic add a hint of spiciness. 
• Crushed red pepper flakes: I like a bit of heat in my sauteéd cabbage. For a milder option, opt for Aleppo pepper. 
• Ground coriander has a somewhat sweet, lemony flavor that adds warmth to this cabbage recipe.
• Lime juice: Citrus brightens the dish, bringing out all the other flavors. I like the combination of the lime and the chili flakes, but you could swap in lemon if that’s what you have on hand.

How to Prepare Cabbage

Don’t be intimidated by the size of a cabbage! Shredding it up is a lot easier than it might seem. Here’s how to prep a head of cabbage:

• Prep the cabbage. Remove any wilting or browning outer leaves from the cabbage to expose firm green leaves. 
• Quarter the cabbage. Place the cabbage on a cutting board and hold it with your non-dominant hand. With a sharp knife in your dominant hand, carefully cut the stem of the cabbage a little to create a flat surface. Lay the cabbage on the cutting board, trimmed end down, and cut it through the core into equal halves. Cut each half down the middle, so you end up with 4 thick wedges.  
• Rinse the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage wedges under cold water and then shake well to get rid of excess moisture. Pat dry. 
• Remove and discard the core. To remove the core, carefully cut into the cabbage at an angle, aiming for where the stem and leaves meet. Cut the other side of the core so your cuts form a triangle and remove the core.
• Slice the cabbage. Shred the cabbage wedges lengthwise into thin slices. If the cabbage still seems wet, pat it dry again. 

How to Make Sautéed Cabbage

Sautéed cabbage is beyond easy — once you shred the cabbage, it takes just 10 minutes and 3 steps to cook! Here’s how to make it:

• Shred the cabbage. Halve, quarter, and core 1 small green cabbage (about 2 pounds). Slice the cabbage wedges thinly, or shred them in a food processor fitted with a slicing blade or using a mandoline slicer. If the cabbage seems wet, pat it dry. 
• Sauté the cabbage. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is just shimmering, add the cabbage, 1 small sliced onion, and 2 large minced garlic cloves. It will look like you have a lot in the pan, but it will cook down quickly. 
• Season the cabbage. Add a good pinch of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander. Continue to cook the cabbage, tossing occasionally, until it has fully softened and caramelized. 
• Finish and serve. Remove the pan from heat and finish with the juice of 1 lime. If you like, drizzle the cabbage with Feta Dressing or Tahini Sauce and serve. 

What to Serve with Sautéed Cabbage

I love serving this sautéed cabbage recipe with chicken dishes or meatless mains when I’m aiming for a plant-based dinner. It’s an adaptable side dish that goes well with almost anything, a great back-pocket option when you don’t have much in the house and it’s so affordable! Here are some ideas for what to serve alongside this low-carb side dish:

• Chicken: Green goddess chicken thighs, lemon chicken, cilantro lime chicken, and onion chicken. 
• Vegetarian Mains: Vegetarian stuffed peppers, Mujadara (lentils and rice), or vegan meatballs.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Sautéed Cabbage

Leftover sautéed cabbage will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. To reheat, simply toss it into a hot skillet with a little olive oil for a few minutes, until heated through. 

More Delicious Cabbage Recipes

Sides and Small Plates

“Sexy” Crispy Roasted Cabbage Recipe (with Dukkah and Tahini)

Salads

Red Cabbage Salad

Vegetarian

Cabbage Steaks with Green Chermoula and Toasted Walnuts

Soups and Stews

“Detox” Cabbage Soup with Turmeric and Ginger

Browse all Mediterranean recipes. 

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5 from 40 votes

Sauteed Cabbage with Garlic and Lime

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Suzy Karadsheh

Turn a head of green cabbage into a mouth-watering side with this 15-minute recipe. Quick, easy, and inexpensive, sautéed cabbage is so tender and flavorful — no bland cabbage here! Serve it with chicken or your favorite meatless main!

Prep – 5 minutes mins

Cook – 10 minutes mins

Cuisine:

Mediterranean, Mediterranean Diet Friendly

Serves – 4 servings

Course:

Side

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 small green cabbage (about 2 pounds), quartered and cored
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 lime, juiced
• ▢ Creamy Feta Dressing or Tahini Sauce (optional), to serve

Instructions

 

• Shred the cabbage. Using a sharp knife, remove the core by cutting into it at an angle where the stems and leaves meet. Slice the cabbage wedges thinly, or shred them in a food processor fitted with a slicing blade or using a mandoline slicer. If the cabbage seems wet, pat it dry.
• Sauté the cabbage. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is just shimmering, add the cabbage, onions, and garlic. It will look like you have a lot in the pan, but it will cook down quickly.
• Season the cabbage. Add a good pinch of kosher salt, crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper, and ground coriander. Continue to cook the cabbage, tossing occasionally, until it has fully softened and caramelized.
• Finish and serve. Remove the pan from heat and finish with the lime juice. If you like, drizzle the cabbage with Feta Dressing or Tahini Sauce and serve.

Video

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, cumin, and Aleppo pepper used in this recipe.
• How to store and reheat leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. To reheat, toss the cabbage into a hot skillet with some olive oil for a few minutes, until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 164.2kcalCarbohydrates: 16.5gProtein: 3.4gFat: 10.8gSaturated Fat: 1.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7.7gSodium: 50.6mgPotassium: 442.1mgFiber: 6.3gSugar: 8.5gVitamin A: 371.9IUVitamin C: 85.6mgCalcium: 101.7mgIron: 1.3mg

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