Caribbean Steamed Cabbage

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: African American, Afro-Caribbean, Caribbean, Jamaican, Puerto Rican/Hispanic, Soul Food

Keyword: cabbage

Servings: servings

Calories: 69kcal

This Caribbean steamed cabbage recipe is a quick, Jamaican-inspired side dish made with fresh vegetables, herbs, and balanced seasoning.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Swaps and Substitutions

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.

Tips and Techniques

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.

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

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.