This stir-fried cabbage is so delicious and super easy to prepare at home! It’s a perfect side dish that goes well with anything. Flavored with fresh chopped celery, onion, garlic, soy sauce, and avocado oil to taste. 

If you are looking for a quick and easy side dish to have during your dinner time, this is the perfect recipe for you! This stir-fried cabbage is crunchy yet tender and is full of fine textures and flavors. Tender cabbage mixed with crisp celery, mellow onions, and fragrant garlic with warm freshly made vegetable broth.  

While some raw cabbage taste can be slightly bitter when sautéed in this stir fry process, it becomes caramelized, tender, and lightly sweet. Low carbs lovers can prepare this recipe which will be a substitution for noodles.  

See also Eggplant Stir fry and Stir fry Lotus Root.

Cabbage Health Benefits-

Cabbage is one of the earliest known vegetables, having been consumed in China as early as 4,000 B.C. It belongs to the Brassica family, which also includes broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. 

This vegetable has been farmed all over the world for countless years and is used in many different recipes, such as coleslaw, sauerkraut, and kimchi. During the Middle Ages, cabbage was known as the “medicine of the poor” due to its low cost and advantageous health properties. 

Including this cruciferous vegetable in your meal plan is a wonderful place to start if you are genuinely attempting to enhance your nutrition. Here are some cabbage health benefits:

Decreases Cholesterol

Cabbage is not absorbed into the blood, instead, its fiber and nutrients bind with bile acids in the colon and decrease cholesterol. It has a greater ability to reduce cholesterol when eaten cooked.

Improved Digestion

Cabbage’s fiber and water content can aid in maintaining a healthy digestive system and preventing constipation. You may increase your intake of probiotics, one of the finest things for a healthy gut and digestive system, by eating fermented cabbage in the form of sauerkraut.  

Weight Loss

Cabbage is abundant in fiber and has no fat, yet it contains 33 calories per cup. Thanks to its high fiber content, people will have an increased feeling of fullness.

Boosts Immunity

Cabbage is a fantastic source of vitamin C which is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system.

Fights Cancer

The unique substance that gives cabbages their ability to combat cancer is sulforaphane, a molecule that contains sulfur. Sulforaphane slows the growth of cancer cells. 

Red cabbage’s vivid color is a result of antioxidants called anthocyanins, which inhibit the growth of cancer cells and eradicate those that have already taken hold.

Reduces Inflammation

Inflammation results in unwanted pain and suffering, and it can be the beginning of a wide range of other illnesses and conditions. An amino acid called glutamine, which is in cabbage, has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can assist with arthritis, allergies, and joint discomfort.

Improves Brain Health

Purple cabbage is a very good source of nutrients for the brain. It has the antioxidant anthocyanin and vitamin K, which improve focus and brain function. The sometimes overlooked vitamin K can strengthen your resistance to diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Decreases the Chance of Heart Disease and Stroke

Cabbage contains fifteen different phenols and nearly twenty different flavonoids, all of which have antioxidant properties. The advantageous minerals calcium and potassium, which help control blood pressure, are also present in cabbage.

How to Select Cabbage? 

• Color: The color of the cabbage should be bright and slightly shining.
• Firm: Instead of being soft and spongy, the outside of the cabbage should feel hard and substantial.
• Compact Head: The head of the cabbage should be tight and compact.
• Leaves: Instead of being squishy, the leaves should appear crisp and green. A few loosely dangling leaves are acceptable, but the entire cabbage should not appear unorganized. The stem should be sturdy when choosing a leafy cabbage variety.
• Weight: For its size, it should feel substantial.

How to Store Cabbage?

Store: You can store leftover stir-fried cabbage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. To extend the shelf life of this dish, you can freeze it. 

Freeze: To freeze them, prepare the dish as directed. Do not cook them tender to avoid texture changes after defrosting. Allow the dish to cool down completely and put them into an individual portion freezer-safe bag. Seal the bag after getting out all the air. Label the bag to identify and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Reheat: Thaw the frozen cabbage in the refrigerator overnight. Add the cabbage to the wok or skillet over medium-high temperature and cook until warm thoroughly but avoid overcooking.   

What Type of Cabbage Should I Use in Stir-Fry? 

The cabbage adds an amazing texture to stir-frying as it stays in shape perfectly when cooked in this way. Each type of cabbage adds different flavors, textures, and colors to the stir-fry recipe.  

• Napa Cabbage: Also known as Chinese cabbage, which is a common vegetable in Asian cooking. It has mild flavors, a crispy texture, and a slightly sweet flavor with a peppery kick. 
• Savory Cabbage: Also referred to as curly cabbage which has lacy ruffled leaves. While it looks similar to green cabbage, they have more loosely layered leaves and are less dense. 
• Green Cabbage: It is the most popular variety of all, and you can cook it in a variety of ways. It has a vegetal, mildly peppery flavor with a crisp texture. 
• Red cabbage: It is quite similar to green cabbage, but has a beautiful purple texture. But remember, when you add it to stir fry it will tend to bleed and stain other ingredients.     

How to Cut Cabbage?

Cabbage is a crunchy hearty veggie that is incredibly easy to cut for stir-fries. All you need to get a large cutting board and a sharp knife to cut them into beautiful thin slices. If you are a beginner, the large head might seem intimidating to cut but guess what it’s super easy! Use the following technique to cut the cabbage, 

• Get a large cutting board, a damp paper towel or kitchen towel to hold the board from slipping, and a sharp knife. It’s a great way to improve your cutting skills. 
• Discard the outer leaves. Before cutting, rinse and dry the cabbage before chopping. 
• Please find out the bottom stem of the cabbage, hold it securely, and cut down the stem to get two halves. 
• Cut each of the halves into quarters and cut down the stem. 
• Flip the cabbage over and carefully take out the thick core, which is not for eating. 
• Then cut the cabbage lengthwise. For that, you can use a mandolin and place it on your desired thickness.   

How To Prepare Stir-Fried Cabbage?

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add celery, onion, and garlic, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
2. Add cabbage, and water, and stir.
3. Cook until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Enjoy your Stir-Fried Cabbage!

What to Serve with Stir-Fried Cabbage?

While you can enjoy this recipe as its own, you can also try out some amazing techniques to serve it, 

• Rice: A perfect brown, white, cauliflower rice or cilantro lime rice will be amazing addition with stir fry cabbage. 
• Noodles: Try out some fresh rice noodles or brown rice noodles for a tasty filling meal. 
• Veggies: You can try out some roasted vegetables like roasted asparagus and potatoes, air fryer roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, and roasted beets. 

Additional Tips and Tricks

• Make sure you prepare all the listed ingredients together before your start cooking. Stir-frying is a quick-cooking process where things move rapidly, so it’s essential to keep everything close to the table. 
• A wok or cast-iron pan is a perfect surface to stir-fry as it has a large area and retains heat well. 
• When it comes to stir-frying cooking, low and slow don’t work. You need to cook the cabbage in high flame heat but not smoking hot and move quickly. 
• Make sure you cook the cabbage until it’s soft and tender-crisp. Be careful not to overcook them, as they will turn mushy. 
• To enhance the flavors and textures, make sure you garnish the stir fry cabbage with fresh herbs, lime juice, sesame seeds, and some chopped peanuts. 
• Do not add salt to the dish as it may pull out the water from the cabbage, so wait until you are ready to serve. You can add it at the very end, right before serving. 

Other Cabbage recipes to enjoy:

• Roasted Cabbage Steaks
• Instant Pot Cabbage Soup
• Cabbage Dumplings in Gravy (Vegan, Gluten-free}
• Vegan Cabbage and Sausage

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