Perfect Boiled Cabbage

It might sound humble, but boiled cabbage is absolutely delicious! Swirl it with butter and salt for an easy and healthy side dish.

Boiled cabbage might sound humble, but here’s the thing: it can be absolutely delicious. A friend of mine mentioned this in passing once: “I added butter and salt to boiled cabbage, and I couldn’t stop eating it!”

Of course, I had to test that for myself — and I agree! Boiling the cabbage makes it perfectly tender. Add a little salt and butter to make this cruciferous vegetable taste irresistible. Here’s how to boil cabbage so it tastes delightful.

5 Star Reader Review

“This recipe gave a new approach to a cabbage. It’s an excellent addition to the list of dishes I prepare for my family — very simple and easy to make. Even the kids can do it by themselves!” -Claire

The Type of Cabbage to Use

The best type of cabbage to make boiled cabbage? A large head of green cabbage. While this method works with red cabbage too, we prefer it with the sweeter flavor of the green variety. Save other types of cabbage like Savoy and Napa cabbage for eating raw in salads (like this cabbage salad).

Best Way to Shred Cabbage

Ever had trouble cutting even pieces of this vegetable? If you don’t know the right method, you can end up with lots of mess and uneven pieces. Here’s the trick we use for cutting a head of cabbage:

Slice off the root: Remove any outer layers of the cabbage that seem tough or are not fresh, and discard them. With a large chef’s knife, slice off the root of the cabbage.
Quarter it: Slice the cabbage in half through the stem. Then cut it into quarters.
Slice out the root: Remove the root of the cabbage by cutting it out with two diagonal slices.
Slice crosswise: Thinly slice the cabbage in the short direction, using a circular motion with the knife.

Tips For Boiling

How long does it take to boil cabbage? It depends on if the cabbage is in wedges or shredded. Either way, you’ll want to make sure you don’t overcook cabbage: it becomes limp with an unpleasant aroma.

Shredded cabbage takes 12 to 15 minutes to boil, when dropped into a large pot of salted boiling water.
Test whether the cabbage is cooked by tasting a bite of one of the leaves (after blowing on it, of course!). Be careful not to overcook. If it tastes very tender, it’s done!
Drain and season. Drain the cabbage in a strainer, then add butter or olive oil, salt and pepper.

Seasoning Matters

Boiled cabbage tastes great with the simplest of seasonings — just butter and salt! But if you like, you can get a little fancier. Personally, I recommend going simple with it. It doesn’t need fancy herbs or add-ins! Here’s what I recommend:

Salted butter or olive oil
Chopped chives
Finely chopped parsley
Red pepper flakes
Lemon juice

One final note: make sure to salt to taste. Every cabbage has a slightly different size, so you’ll need varying salt levels. Make sure to salt it until the flavor pops, but not so much that it tastes salty.

Ways To Serve It

Boiled cabbage can complete nearly any meal! It’s a healthy vegetable that is low in calories and high in vitamins and fiber. Here are a few ideas for adding it to meals:

Fish: Try it with pistachio-crusted salmon, lemon dill salmon, seared salmon, pan-fried cod, or seared tuna.
Shellfish: Add it as a side for Cajun shrimp, baked shrimp, or sauteed shrimp.
Pasta: Try with lemon ricotta pasta, mushroom pasta, shrimp pasta, or baked rigatoni.
Tofu: Serve it alongside pan-fried tofu, BBQ tofu, or tofu crumbles.

Dietary Notes

This boiled cabbage recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. Use olive oil to make it vegan, plant-based, or dairy-free.