This Sautéed Cabbage with Mushrooms and Bacon recipe is great as a side dish or on its own. Crispy bacon, tender cabbage, and golden mushrooms come together in a skillet for a dish that's both comforting and delicious.
Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it provides a ton of health benefits too.
As little as half a cup of cooked cabbage is packed with Vitamin C and is rich in fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients. If you enjoy the taste and benefits of cooked cabbage, you should also try this Simple Cabbage Soup Recipe.
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Ingredients
- Bacon: adds a rich and savory flavor to the dish. The bacon fat is also used to sauté the vegetables, which infuses them with a delicious smokiness. Overall, bacon is a key ingredient that adds depth, umami, and a nice crunch!
- Mushrooms - I use the button mushroom, but you can use any mushroom or a combination of mushroom types. Shiitake or cremini mushrooms can add depth and richness to the dish. They're one of my favorites to use in this Parmesan Pasta with Roasted Vegetables recipe or this Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Recipe.
- Green Cabbage - Choose shiny and bright-looking green cabbage with no discoloration or dark spots. To make sure it is not rotten inside, choose cabbage that feels firm to the touch and has crispy leaves. If you prefer a more "cabbage flavored" cabbage, choose the smaller cabbage heads. Otherwise, as a general rule of thumb, larger cabbage heads have a milder cabbage flavor.
- Soy Sauce - I really like to add Sweet Soy Sauce to the recipe and mix it with regular soy sauce; it makes the cabbage a little sweeter.
see the recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and variations
- Bacon: If you don't eat pork, turkey bacon is a good alternative. It actually has fewer calories and fat than pork bacon.
- Rotisserie chicken - if you have some chicken leftovers, you can absolutely shred the chicken and stir it in at the end, before adding the soy sauce.
- Sausage: add sliced, fully cooked, sausage before stirring in the soy sauce. Add spicy sausage for extra spice If you like recipes using sausage, you must try our Sausage and Rice Salad.
- Add more spice: add some red pepper flakes or a little bit of cayenne pepper.
- Make it vegetarian: Omit the bacon or replace it with vegetarian bacon alternatives, and use vegetable oil instead of bacon fat for sautéing.
Preparation
STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients
Line a large plate or bowl with a paper towel - you'll be transferring sautéed bacon here.
STEP 2: Sauté the bacon
Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until it becomes crispy on both sides Using a slotted spoon (to leave some of the grease in the pan) transfer the bacon onto the paper towel.
STEP 4: Saute vegetables
In the same pan with the grease from the bacon, saute the chopped onion, grated carrot, and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
STEP 3: Add the mushrooms
Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook until they release their moisture and become golden brown. Once it's evaporated, add one teaspoon of oil (if the pan is too dry) and salt to taste.
STEP 5: Add cabbage and cook
Add the sliced cabbage to the pan and stir well to combine the ingredients. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender but still has a bit of crunch.
STEP 6: Add bacon and soy sauce
Stir in the bacon and pour in the soy sauce. Mix well to combine and let cook for another 5 minutes. Add more salt and/or soy sauce to taste. Serve warm.
Top tips
- Make sure to thinly slice the cabbage to allow for even cooking and a nice texture. This also allows the flavors to meld more effectively.
- Achieve crispy bacon by cooking it separately before adding it back to the dish.
- If you're adding extra spice, do so gradually. You can always add more, but it's difficult to reduce the heat once it's too spicy.
- Cabbage can turn mushy if overcooked, so aim for a quick sauté to retain some crunch. Mushrooms should be golden brown and not overly soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
To clean mushrooms simply use a damp paper towel and gently rub the dirt off each mushroom.
You can use other vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, or spinach as a mushroom alternative.
Freezing may affect the texture of the cabbage, making it less crisp. It's best to enjoy this dish fresh for the best taste and texture.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in a pan over medium heat.
Serving suggestions
Serve the sauteed cabbage as a side dish alongside grilled or stir-fried chicken such as these Stir-Fried Chicken Thighs or these Super Easy Sautéed Chicken Thighs. It's great served with our Pan Seared Salmon with Vegetables dish too. For a satisfying brunch or light dinner, top a serving of sautéed vegetables with a fried or poached egg. The runny yolk adds a nice touch!
Use the sautéed cabbage and mushrooms as a flavorful filling for tacos or wraps. You can use it in these Beef and Popcorn Shrimp Tacos. Top it over these Chicken in Spaghetti Nests, or mashed potatoes, or add it to our Ground Beef Stuffed Mini Peppers. You can even use it as a pizza topping!
Try these cabbage recipes too
If you tried this Sauteed Cabbage and Mushrooms recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Sautéed Cabbage and Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon pork or turkey bacon
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 pound mushrooms
- salt to taste
- 1 green cabbage thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce optional - adds sweetness to the cabbage
Instructions
- Line a large plate or bowl with a paper towel - you'll be transferring sautéed bacon here. Thinly slice the cabbage, grate the carrot, chop the bacon, slice the mushrooms, and finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until it becomes crispy on both sides (see note 1 in the notes section below). Using a slotted spoon (to leave some of the grease in the pan) transfer the bacon onto the paper towel.
- In the same pan with the grease from the bacon, over medium heat, saute the chopped onion, grated carrot, and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook until they release their moisture and become golden brown. Increase heat to medium-high if necessary. Once it's evaporated, add one teaspoon of oil (if the pan is too dry) and salt to taste.
- Add the sliced cabbage to the pan and stir well to combine the ingredients. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender but still has a bit of crunch.
- Stir in the bacon and pour in the soy sauce. Mix well to combine and let cook for another 5 minutes. Add more salt and/or soy sauce to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you are using pork bacon, there is no need to add any oil to the pan because the bacon releases plenty of oil when it starts frying. So just add the sliced bacon pieces straight into the pan. If you are using turkey bacon, add one tablespoon of cooking oil.
- Make sure to thinly slice the cabbage to allow for even cooking and a nice texture. This also allows the flavors to meld more effectively.
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- If you're adding extra spice, do so gradually. You can always add more, but it's difficult to reduce the heat once it's too spicy.
- Cabbage can turn mushy if overcooked, so aim for a quick sauté to retain some crunch. Mushrooms should be golden brown and not overly soft.
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