Sautéed Cabbage and Sausage is a quick and easy one-pan meal. Cabbage is cooked hot-and-fast–in a sauté pan with smoky sausage, onion, garlic, grainy mustard, and a splash of vinegar. The result is an insanely addictive dish that is brimming with savory, smoky flavors.
Cabbage is such an underrated vegetable which is truly a shame. Aside from being inexpensive, it’s full of vitamins, it’s slightly bitter but also delightfully sweet, and it’s as wonderful raw as it is cooked.
If you’ve never been a huge fan of cooked cabbage, this recipe will be your journey to discovering how delicious it can be. The cabbage cooks up juicy and sweet with a slight bite. Simple ingredients such as onion, garlic, butter, grainy mustard, vinegar and smoky sausage give it loads of flavor.
Best of all, this is a one-pan meal that comes together, start to finish, in less than 35 minutes. It’s satisfying and filling enough on its own, but a side of mashed potatoes, or crusty bread, would make it even heartier.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- EASY AND QUICK. Once you chop your cabbage and veggies, this dish comes together in a flash!
- BUDGET-FRIENDLY. Cabbage is typically a very inexpensive vegetable that can feed a crowd. If possible, buy the smoked sausage from somewhere that sells it in bulk so it is even more economical.
- ONE-POT MEAL. This sautéed cabbage and sausage is completely fuss-free and cooks in one pan. And we all love the ease of cleanup from a one-pot meal, am I right?
- TENDER CABBAGE WITH A BITE. No ultra-soggy cabbage here! Cooking the cabbage hot-and-fast–in a sauté pan gets the texture just right—tender and crunchy at the same time.
- LOW-CARB AND NUTRITOUS. Cabbage is low in carbohydrates which means even someone on a keto diet can enjoy this dish. Bonus that cabbage is so full of nutritional benefits, too.
Ingredients And Notes
You will need just a few simple ingredients for this ultra-flavorful dish. Note: This is just an overview of the ingredients. Find the exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Green Cabbage: You will need a green head of cabbage that weighs about 2 to 3 pounds. It may seem like a lot when you chop it but keep in mind it will cook down a lot.
- Kielbasa Sausage: Kielbasa is a mildly-seasoned Polish smoked sausage that is excellent with sautéed cabbage. I like to use turkey kielbasa but a pork kielbasa, or pork and beef kielbasa, will be fantastic as well. If you can’t find kielbasa, any other smoked sausage, such as Andouille sausage, will work. Just make sure it’s a sausage you have tried before because some can be pretty overpowering.
- Butter and Olive oil: I like to brown the sausage in olive oil and the cabbage in butter. The butter will add wonderful flavor but feel free to use all olive oil, if you wish.
- Onion and garlic: Here we use plenty of onion and garlic to make the dish deliciously savory and flavorful.
- Whole-grain Mustard: It’s no secret that mustard and sausages make great partners so I like to add some grainy mustard which adds great flavor and texture. You can omit it if you wish, or use regular Dijon mustard.
- Seasoning: Aside from salt and pepper, I like to add a just a bit of caraway seeds to the sautéed cabbage. Caraway is commonly used when making sauerkraut, and I find their mild anise flavor works so well with cabbage. Feel free to omit the seeds if you don’t have them on hand or if you aren’t a fan of the flavor.
- Apple-cider Vinegar: The vinegar adds a little tang that balances and brightens the whole dish. You can also use red wine vinegar, or any other light-colored vinegar.
Variations And Substitutions
Cabbage – You can use any green colored cabbage. However, keep in mind Savoy or Napa cabbage will cook wilt much quicker in a hot pan than regular cabbage so make sure you adjust the cooking time.
Add more veggies – I like to keep this dish very simple but you can treat this as a stir-fry and add other quick-cooking veggies to the pan. Try bell peppers, green beans, asparagus, or even thinly sliced carrots.
Make it vegan – This dish can easily be made vegan! Replace the kielbasa with your favorite plant-based sausage or brown some highly-seasoned cubed tofu – delish!
Add some heat – A pinch of red pepper flakes will add a little kick to the dish.
How To Make Sautéed Cabbage And Sausage
You will love the flavors of this easy cabbage recipe. Note: This is just an overview on how to make the recipe. You can find the detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.
Step 1: Heat a large pan over medium heat with a little oil and cook the sausage until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 2: In the same pan, melt the butter then add the onion. Sauté until soft and translucent, then add the garlic, caraway seeds and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute more.
Step 3: Add the cabbage, and cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes or until cabbage is tender but retaining a little bite. While the cabbage cooks, mix the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl.
Step 4: Once cabbage is cooked, drizzle in the vinegar mustard mixture. Add the cooked sausage back into the pan and give everything a good stir. Continue to cook until sausage is heated through, about a minute or two. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Helpful Recipe Tips
Don’t overcook the cabbage! The cabbage should be cooked until tender with a bit of a bite remaining. Keep in mind it will continue to soften even once it has been removed from the heat.
Chop, rather than slice the cabbage. For this dish, I really like the cabbage chopped into bite-sized pieces as opposed to thinly sliced or shredded. This way, the cabbage will not wilt or burn too quickly in the pan. I also find the chunkier pieces will retain more crunch if reheated.
Use sliced garlic instead of minced. This cabbage and sausage dish is cooked in a pretty hot pan. Sliced garlic will have less chance of burning than minced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though the flavor and texture of green cabbage seems to work better for this recipe than red cabbage. Savoy or Napa cabbage can be used but they will cook much faster so make sure you adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Mashed potatoes, rice, or even crusty bread complements this dish perfectly. If serving this for a St Patrick’s Day meal, an Irish soda bread would be fantastic.
Pierogies, if you aren’t avoiding carbs, would also be a delicious accompaniment to this sautéed cabbage and sausage dish.
Yes, cabbage is low in carbohydrates. Many sausages are also low-carb but make sure to check the ingredients of the specific sausage you are using since some may contain fillers that are not low in carbohydrates.
Most well-stocked grocery stores will have at least one variety of kielbasa. Look for it in the deli department near the other packaged sausages. If you have a Polish grocery store near you, that will be a great place to find more options, such as turkey kielbasa.
Technically you can. But the flavors of a smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, are what really make this dish unique and extra delicious.
Storage and Reheating
To store: Store leftover cabbage and sausage an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I sometimes place the leftovers in a few individual serving-size containers for quick work-week lunches.
To reheat: For best results, heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil and a splash of water. Add the cabbage and sausage and cook, stirring often, until heated through. This should only take about 3-4 minutes.
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I hope you love this Sautéed Cabbage and Sausage! If you make it, please leave a comment and star rating at the bottom of the page so I know how you liked it. Thank you!
Sautéed Cabbage and Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 small (2 to 3 pound) head green cabbage
- 12 ounces kielbasa (smoked Polish sausage – see notes)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or use olive oil)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard (or use Dijon)
Instructions
- Start by prepping your cabbage; cut the cabbage in half, remove the core from each piece, then slice and chop each half into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Cut Kielbasa in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides. This will take about 5 minutes total. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, caraway seeds and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute more.
- Add the chopped cabbage and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes or until cabbage is tender but retaining a little bite.
- While the cabbage cooks, mix the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl.
- Once cabbage is cooked, drizzle in the vinegar-mustard mixture. Add the cooked sausage back into the pan and toss to combine. Continue to cook until sausage is heated through, about a minute or two. Season with a pinch more salt and little more pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Sausage: I like to use turkey kielbasa but any smoked sausage will work here. If using a pork kielbasa, you may not need to use as much oil.
- Kosher Salt: Smoked sausages can be quite salty so if your sausage tastes very salty to you, use less salt than the recipe calls for. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes unless noted otherwise. If using any other salt, use half the amount the recipe calls for, then add more if needed.
- Don’t overcook the cabbage! The cabbage should be cooked until tender but still have a bit of a bite remaining. Keep in mind it will continue to soften even once it has been removed from the heat.
Donna
We really enjoyed your recipe. Very different than what I usually cook, but will certainly be preparing ti again. Would be especially good for a winter evening.
My only suggestion is to increase the prep time. Chopping onions, garlic, sausage, and a whole head of cabbage certainly took me longer than 10 min.
Sandra Valvassori
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Donna! Thank you for taking the time to review and rate the recipe and for the feedback on the prep time – I will update the recipe to reflect this.
Donna
We devoured the remainder of the dish last night……SO GOOD!!
Just wanted to thank you for the reheating instructions – very helpful so that the
cabbage wasn’t compromised.
I will certainly be trying more of your recipes.
Thanks again.
Sandra Valvassori
So glad the reheating instructions worked out well for you, Donna! I love leftovers of this dish. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review 😊