The Easy Cabbage Recipe I've Made Hundreds of Times

It may not be the most exciting item in my vegetable drawer, but I love cabbage. I always have a head (or part of one) in my fridge, and I prepare it all sorts of ways—raw in salads and coleslaws, stir-fried, grilled, roasted, tossed into soups—the list goes on. It helps that the vegetable lasts forever in the fridge, taking the pressure off. I can’t remember when I’ve thrown out fresh cabbage because it went bad.

One of my favorite ways to prepare cabbage goes back to my roots in Tennessee. It also happens to be one of the quickest and easiest.

The Southern Method

What sets Southern cabbage apart? Per usual, it’s a pork product. The recipe begins with frying chopped bacon in a skillet until crisp, then using that fat to cook the onions and cabbage, infusing the dish with delicious flavor. A touch of sugar helps balance the salty savoriness.

The result is a flavorful side dish that’s ready in under 20 minutes. The cabbage is perfectly crisp-tender with sweet onions and crispy, salty bacon, ideal for pairing with sausage, pork chops, chicken, potato sides of all kinds, and more.

Easy Cabbage Recipes

• Classic Coleslaw
• Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup
• Napa Cabbage Picnic Salad
• Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
  

Cook the bacon:

Add the bacon to a large, high-sided skillet or wok. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate leaving the grease in the skillet.

Cook the vegetables:

Add the onion and sauté until translucent and starting to brown a little bit, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is tender and done to your liking and the onions are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the bacon:

Remove from the heat and add the cooked bacon to the mixture and stir. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed, and serve.