Sautéed Cabbage and Onions

Sautéed cabbage and onions is one of my husband’s favorite dishes.  Born and raised in Ohio, his family has been making this comfort food for years.  But being from Miami, I never heard of it until I met him.  We ate mangos and plantains, fried chicken and grits.  (That’s what happens when you transplant a Georgia family to South Florida–CRA-zy!)  All good food and comforting to a degree, but this dish has fast become a favorite of mine, too.  It’s easy, “sweet” and utilizes the fresh produce from my garden.

Sautéed Cabbage and Onions

1 head of cabbage, cored and sliced into (2 in. square) pieces

1 sweet onion, sliced into bite size pieces

4 TBSP butter

salt & pepper, to taste

Slice your cabbage into sections.  I suggested 2 in. square pieces, but you can make them larger or smaller, the key is to keep them “manageable” in the pan.  By “manageable,” I mean a size you can turn, flip and rotate (you’ll be doing so often).  Same thing goes for the onions.

Heat large sauté pan to medium heat and add butter.  When butter melts, toss in your cabbage and onions.  You can do this all at once — it will overflow a bit — or you can add 2/3 of it in the beginning (as I did) and then add the remaining cabbage and onions as leaves soften.

Basically the idea with this dish is to saute the contents until they turn a nice golden brown.  This “caramelizes” the cabbage and onions which lends them a sweetness.  The photo below shows how far I take this saute process:  until my leaves and onions have “just” softened thoroughly.  However, some prefer to sauté for longer, further reducing the size until they’ve completely “shriveled.”  (As delightful as they may sound, I’m not one of them.)  The choice is yours. 🙂

Now, when it comes to salt and pepper, keep in mind a lot of folks like this dish with a healthy (I use that word lightly) dose of salt along with a bit of pepper to boot.  I’m more a pepper fan myself, but this is where you personalize the dish.   Make it your own–but make it delicious!

Sautéed cabbage and onions really is a great comfort food side dish.  We served it with corned beef (wouldn’t everyone this time of year?) but it goes well with Polish sausage, too.  This was easily enough to serve a family of four but if you need more, double accordingly!

Bon appetit!