Simple Sautéed Cabbage
Chopped cabbage and sliced onion are sautéed in olive oil and butter then simply seasoned to create the most delicious vegetable side dish. Move over cauliflower, there’s a new “it” vegetable in town.
Toward the end of every year, I like to do a little investigative work on food trends for the upcoming year. Having an understanding of the latest flavor combination fads, home cooking trends, and of course hottest ingredients helps me to develop recipes throughout the year that readers will love. To my surprise, the folks at Pinterest Predicts forecasted a renaissance for one of the most “plain-Jane” vegetables. Apparently for 2026, we’re saying goodbye to our obsession with cauliflower and welcoming in the humble cabbage as the new “it” vegetable. This is really great news since cabbage is extremely budget friendly, incredibly versatile (think slaws, soups, oven roasted wedges, or a taco topping), and nutrient packed.
Along with vitamin C, folate, and dietary fiber, cabbage contains substances called phytochemicals. Although phytochemicals offer no nutritional value, research suggests that they work together with other nutrients in food to protect us against disease. The phytochemicals found in cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale, appear to have potential anti-carcinogenic (cancer fighting) properties. Some phytochemicals may increase levels of cancer-fighting enzymes, while others seem to protect against tumor growth.
I think today’s recipe is one of the easiest and yummiest ways to cook cabbage. Simply seasoned with onion, garlic, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, this sautéed cabbage makes a perfect vegetable side dish. Let me show you how effortless this recipe is to make.
Sauté the onions
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sliced onions and sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions begin to soften.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes
To the softened onions, add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and continue to sauté for an additional minute.
Cook the cabbage
Add the chopped cabbage and, stirring occasionally, sauté until the cabbage softens. This should take about 5 minutes.
Season and garnish
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Give everything a good stir to combine all the ingredients. Transfer the sautéed cabbage to a serving bowl and if desired, garnish this simple side dish with fresh minced parsley or chives.
To your health,
Darlene
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SIMPLE SAUTEED CABBAGE
Yield: 5 servings
Serving Size: about 2/3 cup
Prep: 15 minutes
Ready: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 cups chopped green cabbage
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley or chives (optional garnish)
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add onion and sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to sauté for 1 minute. Add cabbage and sauté an additional 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
Remove skillet from heat and add vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine ingredients.
Transfer cabbage to a serving bowl, garnish with fresh minced parsley, if desired, and serve.
Nutrition Information per Serving
102 Calories, 5 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 7 mg Cholesterol, 238 mg Sodium, 14 g Total carbohydrate, 3 g Dietary fiber, 7 g Total sugars, 1 g Added sugars, 2 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 60 mg (4%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 340 mg (8%) Potassium
© 2026 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC
Made this tonight! Delicious
Love this take on elevating cabbage into something people actually get excited about. The sweet-tangy balance with the cider vinegar and sugar is clutch for offseting the natural bitterness. I've been experimenting with similar sautés lately and the trick ofadding the garlic after the onions soften (rather than dumping everything in at once) makes such a difference in flavor layering. Simple techniques like that seperate good home cooking from meh.