Simple and healthy Caribbean side dish. Shredded white cabbage, carrots and bell peppers are lightly steamed and seasoned with allspice and tangy vinegar.
This quick and simple cabbage recipe makes a good alternative to white rice. You can add some sprigs of thyme or finely diced red chilli to the mix, if you like. But as I always eat this with spicy jerk chicken, I prefer to create a mellow side dish. Braised cabbage keeps well in the fridge or freezer, so can be made ahead of time in large batches.
Tips & Tricks
- Keep the pan covered with a lid – this allows steam to build up, which cooks the vegetables
6
Caribbean Steamed Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil (I used olive oil)
- 1 onion (130g), peeled, chopped in half lengthways, and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 400g white cabbage (about 1/2 a medium head)
- 2 carrots (230g), peeled
- 1 red bell pepper (200g)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Remove and discard the tough outer leaves from the cabbage. Chop into quarters, then cut out the hard core from the stem end. Shred the cabbage and chop the carrots into matchsticks (I used a food processor). Quarter the bell pepper lengthways, remove the seeds and membrane, then finely slice.
- Cook the vegetables. Heat the cooking oil in a heavy-based casserole / deep-sided saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook until the onion is translucent but not brown – about 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine vinegar, stir, and cook until all the vinegar evaporates – about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients (white cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, black pepper, and allspice), and give everything a good stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover with a lid to trap the steam. You shouldn’t need to add water, as the cabbage releases plenty of juice as it cooks down. Cook until the cabbage has softened but retains a bit of crunch – about 7-10 minutes. If you prefer a softer texture, cook for longer.
- Transfer to a large serving dish and serve hot. If saving for later, decant into an airtight container and transfer to the refrigerator once cool. Braised cabbage can be kept for up to 5 days in the fridge. Reheat by sprinkling with cold water and placing in a covered saucepan on a medium-low heat until warmed through.
