Sautéed Cabbage with Mediterranean Spices (Printer View)

Tender cabbage sautéed with garlic, cumin, paprika, and oregano for a quick Mediterranean-inspired side dish.

# What you'll need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium head green cabbage (about 26.5 oz), thinly sliced
02 - 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Oils & Fats

04 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
07 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
08 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
11 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# Method:

01 - Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
02 - Add the sliced red onion and sauté for 2 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
04 - Add the sliced cabbage and toss well to coat in the oil and aromatics.
05 - Sprinkle in the ground cumin, sweet paprika, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
06 - Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until the cabbage is tender but still slightly crisp with caramelized edges.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's done faster than you can set the table, perfect for when you need a showstopper side without the fuss.
  • The budget stays happy while your dinner guests think you've been planning this all week.
  • Those caramelized edges taste almost like you spent hours on it, when really you were just patient for eight minutes.
02 -
  • Don't skip the thirty-second pause after adding garlic, I learned this the hard way when impatience gave me bitter cabbage that no amount of lemon could fix.
  • Slicing the cabbage thin is non-negotiable, thick pieces stay crunchy in an unpleasant way while thin pieces reach that perfect tender-crisp texture in the timeframe.
  • The caramelization at the edges is where most of the flavor lives, so don't stir constantly like you're scared, let it sit for a minute between stirs so those edges can develop.
03 -
  • Medium heat is your friend here, higher heat risks burning the aromatics before the cabbage softens, lower heat takes forever and the cabbage steams instead of sautés.
  • Use a large skillet so the cabbage has room to spread out and actually make contact with the hot surface, a cramped pan just steams everything and you miss the caramelization entirely.
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