This Caribbean Steamed Cabbage gets regular play in our house. Its simple preparation, bold island-inspired flavors, and economic appeal make it a side dish that I keep on heavy rotation. It is an essential recipe for your jerk proteins, grilled mains, or as a vegetarian dish with a side of coconut rice.
If you love Jamaican cabbage, this one is about to be on your playlist soon.
What Is Caribbean Steamed Cabbage?
Caribbean steamed cabbage is most often associated with Jamaican or West Indian cooking. Many Caribbean cultures make a form of steamed cabbage, though. It appears on many menus simply labeled “cabbage,” because it really needs no introduction. Most newbies are shocked to see a yellow vegetable presented to them, but the color quickly becomes irrelevant once you taste it.
This quick vegetable side dish is made by lightly cooking cabbage with carrots, peppers, onions, herbs, and a small amount of moisture. Even though I call it “steamed cabbage,” that’s not entirely accurate. The cabbage gets a quick sauté before I add flavorful broth and a hit of acid to finish cooking. It’s closer to braised than anything, but I can’t stop calling it steamed cabbage. Give me some grace, please.
I developed this recipe when I lived a vegan lifestyle as a Rastafarian. When I tell you this, with some white rice, was my dinner many a night, I’m not exaggerating. I know it’s an amazing recipe because it’s what kept me from starving during my broke college days, so I made sure it was on point.
Ingredients For This Caribbean Steamed Cabbage
This Caribbean steamed cabbage is made with green cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, sofrito, vegetable stock, Jamaican curry powder, ground allspice, adobo, lime juice, olive oil, a bay leaf, and thyme. If you want spicy cabbage, add a scotch bonnet or habanero to the grocery list.
The sofrito is what makes this “Caribbean” steamed cabbage, instead of Jamaican. You can replace it with green seasoning or epis (a Haitian green seasoning). You can also omit the ginger, but I think you’ll love the brightness it gives to the recipe.
I add lime juice because it cuts through the deep, savory notes in this recipe. I’ve also done this with malt vinegar (a nod to the English, even though we don’t f#@k with colonizers like that).
This is a one-pot dish, so grab a heavy-bottom Dutch oven or caldero to cook in.
The Best Way To Cut Cabbage For Even Cooking
What’s great about this recipe is that you can use pre-shredded carrots, bell peppers, and jarred garlic or ginger (I honestly shivered typing that last part, but I understand, I don’t judge). The only ingredient I want you to cut yourself is the cabbage.
Cutting the cabbage into consistent strips ensures it cooks quickly and absorbs seasoning without overcooking. That bagged cabbage in the produce section is too thin and doesn’t feel right when you eat it. I know that reads weird, but just trust me.
Cut the cabbage head into 6ths through the core. Then cut out the core by cutting into the wedges at a 15° angle. You can compost the cabbage cores or steep them in hot water to make a tea that aids digestion or sleep.
Turn the wedges and cut them into 1/2 to 1″-thick strips. Put these strips into a colander and rinse them under cold water, “scrubbing” the pieces between your hands to remove any dirt. If you have a salad spinner, use it to get the cabbage as dry as possible; otherwise, pat the strips down with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
How To Season Caribbean Cabbage Properly
Cabbage is a pretty bland vegetable, so it needs more seasoning than most people expect. Cabbage also shrinks, so it’s best to go light on the adobo at first. Then, you’ll adjust to taste at the end.
Heat your pot for 30 seconds over medium. After 30 seconds, add the olive oil and heat it for another 30 seconds. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and sofrito to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Once the aromatics look glossy, add the red bell pepper, Jamaican curry powder, ground allspice, and adobo to the pot. Heat these for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring to keep the curry from scorching.
How To Avoid Mushy Cabbage
Stir in the vegetable stock, lime juice, bay leaf, thyme, and scotch bonnet (if you’re using one) to the pot, and bring to a boil.
Once the liquid in the pot reaches a boil, stir in the cabbage and carrots, then bring it back to a boil. Once you see steam rising from the pot, stir the cabbage, then cover the pot and decrease the heat to medium-low. Steam the cabbage for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Mushy cabbage is the result of cooking the bejeezus out of it. There should still be a bit of bite left in the cabbage, so taste it after 20 minutes to decide if you should continue cooking. This is also a great time to adjust the salt.
Variations On This Steamed Cabbage
You can quickly turn this into a one-pot meal or customize it to your preferences:
- Saltfish (Bacalao) and Cabbage: Add in 1 pound of desalinated, sautéed salt cod before adding cabbage.
- Shrimp and Cabbage: Increase the curry to 1 1/2 tablespoons and the adobo to 1 tablespoon. Add 1 pound of peeled shrimp during the last 3–4 minutes, adding more stock or water as needed to keep simmering.
- Deep flavor: replace the vegetable stock with Red Stripe or similar beer.
- Spicier: Mince the Scotch bonnet instead of leaving it whole, or use hot Jamaican curry powder.
- Milder: Omit the scotch bonnet.
FAQs
Can I use regular or Madras curry if that’s all I have?
Yes, but you need to decrease the amount of Madras to 1-2 teaspoons. Madras curry powder is spicier than Jamaican powder, so, unless you want an even spicier Caribbean cabbage recipe, you need to decrease the amount.
Is Caribbean Steamed Cabbage Healthy?
This is a plant-based side dish made with minimal oil and simple ingredients. It’s naturally vegan and is prepared with healthier cooking techniques. So, yes. This Caribbean steamed cabbage recipe is one of the healthiest dishes around. Make it even more so by reducing the salt.
Why is it called steamed cabbage if it’s sautéed?
The final cooking method in the recipe uses a small amount of trapped moisture to soften the cabbage, which is what steaming is. If anything, this is really a braised cabbage, but no one in my family ever called it that.
Can I make this without Scotch bonnet?
Yes. You’ll lose some of the addictive heat, but the dish will still work.
How do I keep cabbage from getting soggy?
Don’t overcook the cabbage, no matter how badly you may want to. We cut it that way to ensure it softens in time without going to mush.
Why is my cabbage bitter or bland?
Bitterness usually comes from overcooking or using older cabbage. Cook just until al dente, and start with a bright green, tightly-packed head of cabbage.
Bland cabbage is almost always under-seasoned. Just add more adobo to taste.
Can I make Caribbean Steamed Cabbage ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this a day or two ahead. Just decrease the cooking time to just 18-20 minutes. If you plan to reheat it later, undercooking it will prevent it from being too soft when you warm it again.
What To Serve With Caribbean Steamed Cabbage
The cabbage is ready to serve once it’s done steaming. This is a great side to serve with a variety of entrees:
- Jerk chicken or jerk tofu
- Brown stew chicken
- Curry or escovitch fish
- Rice and peas
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops (Chuletas Fritas)
I have even eaten it with just coconut rice and plantains.
How To Store And Reheat Steamed Cabbage
Store leftover Caribbean steamed cabbage in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat the cabbage, microwave it or cook it in a skillet until it’s steaming and warmed through. The more you reheat it, the softer it will be, so make sure you’re undercooking it slightly if you plan to have leftovers.
Can I Freeze Leftovers?
You can freeze leftover Caribbean cabbage, but it’s not ideal since cabbage retains a lot of water. After freezing and thawing, the texture softens more than you want.
If you plan to freeze it, let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in a skillet to cook off excess moisture. Again, make sure to undercook it slightly if you plan to freeze it.
This Caribbean Steamed Cabbage is a simple way to add variety to your boring cabbage recipe. The greatest thing about this dish, besides the amazing flavor, is how economical it is. It takes a few coins and minimal effort to produce a side dish that’s versatile enough to pair with rice or stand alongside bolder-spiced proteins.
I know you’ll fall in love with it after your first bite, so be sure to save this recipe for easy finding later. Let me know what you think of it in the comments or tag me in your social media posts– I love to see your pictures.
Caribbean Steamed Cabbage
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- 3.5 quart dutch oven or slightly larger
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 inch ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon sofrito optional
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 1 tablespoon Jamaican curry powder
- 1/2 tablespoon adobo con pimienta or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- 1 medium lime juiced
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 small Scotch bonnet pepper poked with a paring knife to create slits, optional
- 2 pound green cabbage (a medium head) cut into wedges and sliced 1/2-1-inch thick *see post*
- 2 medium carrots peeled and julienned
Instructions
Sauté the Aromatics
- Heat a Dutch oven or caldero for 30 seconds over medium. After 30 seconds, add the olive oil and heat it for another 30 seconds.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and sofrito to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Build the Spices
- Once the aromatics look glossy, add the red bell pepper, Jamaican curry powder, adobo, and ground allspice to the pot. Heat these for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring to keep the curry from scorching.
Create the Steaming Liquid
- Stir in the vegetable stock, lime juice, bay leaf, thyme, and scotch bonnet (if you're using one) to the pot, and bring to a boil.
Add the Cabbage and Steam
- Once the liquid in the pot reaches a boil, stir in the cabbage and carrots, then bring it back to a boil. Once you see steam rising from the pot, stir the cabbage, then cover the pot and decrease the heat to medium-low.
- Steam the cabbage for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Taste and Adjust the Seasoning
- There should still be a bit of bite left in the cabbage, so taste it after 20 minutes to decide if you should continue cooking. This is also a great time to adjust the salt.Remove the bay leaf and serve with your favorite protein and starch.
Notes
- Use epis or green seasoning instead of sofrito.
- Swap the red bell pepper out for an orange bell pepper.
- Replace the vegetable stock with water, chicken stock (if you’re okay with non-vegan), Red Stripe, or a similar beer.
- Use malt vinegar or white distilled vinegar instead of lime juice.
- For spicier cabbage: mince the Scotch bonnet instead of leaving it whole, or use hot Jamaican curry powder.
- Milder cabbage: omit the scotch bonnet.
- Replace the Jamaican curry powder with Madras by decreasing the amount of Madras to 1-2 teaspoons.
- Save time by using pre-shredded carrots, bell peppers, and jarred garlic or ginger. BUT! Cut the cabbage yourself for proper texture after cooking.
- You can compost the cabbage cores or steep them in hot water to make a tea that aids digestion or sleep.
- Cutting then washing the cabbage removes dirt and bugs caught between the tightly-packed leaves.
- Make-Ahead tip: You can make this a day or two ahead. Just decrease the cooking time to just 18-20 minutes.
- Store leftover Caribbean steamed cabbage in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing leftover cabbage, is doable, but not ideal since cabbage retains a lot of water, which softens the texture after thawing. Make sure to undercook it slightly if you plan to freeze it.
- If you plan to freeze it, let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in a skillet to cook off excess moisture.
- To reheat the cabbage, microwave it or cook it in a skillet until it’s steaming and warmed through. The more you reheat it, the softer it will be, so make sure you’re undercooking it slightly if you plan to have leftovers.
Thank you, Marta. My mother died recently, and this was one of my favorite dishes of hers. She never had a recipe for it, but made it off the top of her head. With your recipe, I now at least have a blueprint to try and recreate it.
Aw, I’m sorry to hear that but so glad that you now have a plan to connect with her in that way. I hope you love the cabbage recipe as much as we do. I know it won’t be the same as your mom’s, but hopefully it’ll be good enough.