When you think of your favorite savory foods, cabbage probably isn’t at the top of your list. But believe me, that is about to change. Fried cabbage is a very simple dish, but it’s so flavorful and satisfying that you can pretend that you worked much harder than you actually did to make it. It’s great for both family meals or to serve to company, and leftovers are just as tasty (if not more tasty) the next day.

Cabbage comes in red and green varieties, but they both taste the same in the end. Red gives a wonderful deep purple color to the finished product and contrasts nicely with light colored foods, like chicken or cauliflower. Green comes out a very pale yellow-green, and is a nice contrast to dark foods like steak or beets. I’ve also made it with 1/4 of a head of both red and green. It’s up to you which you want to use.

Ingredients:

1/2 Large head of cabbage 

1/2 Large onion, or 1 medium onion

4-5 Strips of bacon

salt & pepper

Cut your 1/2 of a head of cabbage in half, giving you two quarters, to make it easier to core. Cut the core out of each piece, and then slice them lengthwise in about quarter-inch slices, starting at the taller side. When you get to where it’s hard to manage the remaining piece, flip it over on its side and keep slicing. Set aside.

Cut the onion in half lengthwise, and cut the root out. Slice each half lengthwise in narrow slices. Set aside with the cabbage.

Using scissors, cut each slice of bacon in half lengthwise, and then cut the strips into small pieces. There’s nothing stopping you from cutting the bacon with a knife, but scissors are really the easiest way to go.

Using a large saute or wok pan, cook the bacon on high heat, stirring frequently. As you cook, the fat in the bacon will render out. There will come a point where the appearance of the bacon will change. It will look like there’s more fat than bacon, and the fat will start to boil. The bacon shouldn’t be crispy yet, but it will be well cooked. Strain out all the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon or spatula, leaving all the grease in the pan, and set aside.

Add the onions and cabbage to the pan with the bacon grease. Stir all the cabbage and onions so that everything is evenly coated. It will get easier to stir as the vegetables begin to soften. Keep stirring for a few minutes, then generously add salt and pepper, and continue stirring. Cook until the thickest parts of the cabbage are tender. (this may take a while, depending on how thick some of the slices are)

Add the bacon back in and mix well. Taste a piece cabbage to test if it’s seasoned enough. You’ll probably want to add in some more salt and a little pepper. Season and test until it tastes savory and not bland.

Fried cabbage works great as a side dish with just about anything. If you have some left over, you can cook a few eggs over-easy and then put them on top of some re-heated cabbage for a very nummy breakfast.