Simple Recipes to Use Up Leftover Cabbage
Vegan Cabbage Skillet (The First Mess)
Cabbage might look unassuming, but it deserves pride of place in English kitchens. Packed with vitamin C, fibre and a subtle sweetness, this humble vegetable is more than just a filler for stews.
Cabbage is packed with nutrients, and lasts quite a long time. It’s cheap and rich in vitamins C and K, good for bone health and immunity. It’s also high in fibre, so good for digestion.
Check medication before eating lots of leafy greens, due to interaction with vitamin K. Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets.
Just bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, leeks, scallions, chives) as like citrus and rhubarb scraps, acids could harm compost creatures.
Cabbage has been a steady feature of English recipes for centuries, valued for its ability to store well and feed families through the winter. If you’ve got half a head of cabbage sitting in the fridge, it’s time to put it to good use.
Speedy Cabbage Stir-fry
For a quick dinner or side, slice your cabbage thinly and toss it in a hot pan with garlic, a little oil and soy sauce. Add carrots, spring onions or any other veg you need to use up. Cook it quickly until it’s tender but still crisp.
This method keeps all the best parts: bright flavour, nutrients and a lovely crunch. Serve with rice, noodles or alongside flavoured tempeh.
Homemade Bubble and Squeak Cakes!
These homemade bubble and squeak cakes (Wallflower Kitchen) are the ultimate zero waste recipe, to use up leftover mashed potato and cabbage. But these are far more nutritious, as they also contain lots more veggies including carrots, parsnips and sprouts.
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (onion and garlic are unsafe near animal friends).
Just bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, shallots, chives, leeks, as acids could harm compost creatures (same for citrus/tomato/rhubarb).
This is a super-simple recipe that doesn’t take long either. After frying up your onion, you basically process them with the leftover potato and veggies, then form into patties. Then bake them for 25 minutes (or fry in a little oil).
Aimee suggests serving them with vegan sausages and homemade gravy, or simply with ketchup.
Classic Vegan Coleslaw
Grate or finely shred your leftover cabbage, add carrots and apples, then mix with a spoonful of vegan mayo or plain yoghurt, a splash of vinegar and pinch of salt.
Vegan Coleslaw (Jessica in the Kitchen) is so easy to make. Shredded cabbage and grated carrots are combined with onions, vegan mayo, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and Jessica’s own vegan sour cream.
Coleslaw is fresh, tangy and endlessly adaptable. Use red or white cabbage, add celery or spring onions, or sprinkle in a handful of seeds. This salad is ideal for summer meals, sandwiches or as a side to baked potato.
This vegan Coronation coleslaw (The Veg Space) is inspired by the popular Indian dish (named after the 1952 Coronation, made with warming spices and sultanas.
Cabbage and Potato Bubble and Squeak
This old English favourite celebrates all sorts of leftovers, especially cabbage. Mix cooked cabbage with mashed potatoes, then press into patties and fry in a little vegan butter or oil, until golden on both sides.
Bubble and squeak brings out the natural sweetness of cabbage and turns it into a hearty meal. Serve with baked beans for extra comfort.
Hearty Cabbage Soup
Roughly chop your leftover cabbage and toss it into a pot with veggie stock, tinned tomatoes, diced potato and carrot. Add herbs like thyme or parsley and simmer until tender.
The cabbage softens and mellows, giving a sweet note to the broth. This soup is warming and filling, perfect for cold days or as a healthy lunch option.
Fried Cabbage with Vegan Bacon
Chop your cabbage into thick pieces and fry in a pan with chopped vegan bacon. This gives the vegetable a smoky richness.
Add a splash of cider vinegar for brightness and season with black pepper. This simple dish makes a great side or a topping for hot jacket potatoes.
Cabbage and Vegan Cheese Gratin
Layer sliced cabbage in a baking dish with grated vegan cheese, a little plant-based cream or milk, and sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden and bubbly.
The cheese melts into the cabbage, making a rich and satisfying bake. This is a lovely way to tempt even the least enthusiastic cabbage eaters.
Stirred into Noodle Dishes
Cabbage works well in stir-fried noodle dishes or even tossed into instant noodles for a fast meal. Shred it finely and add near the end so it stays slightly crisp.
Pair it with soy or oyster sauce, sesame oil and whatever protein you like. It’s a simple way to bulk up a quick meal and add a serving of vegetables with very little work.
This cabbage soup recipe (The Simple Veganista) is not the kind that you’d find on a health farm! It’s a big tasty and nutritious stew, using one of our most nutritious and readily-available affordable veggies.
Check medication before eating cabbage (due to vitamin K interactions). Read more on food safety for people and pets (leeks, onion and garlic are unsafe near animal friends).
Just bin allium scraps (leeks, onion, garlic, chives, shallots), as acids could harm compost creatures (same for citrus/tomato/rhubarb).
Cabbage is one of England’s most affordable crops, that is readily available and packed with nutrition. It’s eaten widely worldwide. It’s the national food of Russia, and in the east, it’s served as spicy kimchi (avoid fermented foods for pregnancy/nursing or weak immunity).
This follows the basic ‘soup’ recipe. Just fry up the veggies then add stock and herbs, then boil and blend. If you make a lot of homemade soup, it’s worth investing in a good stick blender, to save the faff of washing blenders all the time. It’s UK law that whoever sells it to you, has to take your old appliance back for recycling.
You could also use Souper Cubes. Sold in Lakeland, these are like giant silicone ice-cube trays. Just pour in cooled leftovers and freeze. Then when you want soup, just pop a portion out and thaw overnight in the fridge, before cooking up to a safe temperature. That way, you can make bigger batches, even if you are only cooking for one or two, with no food waste.
Chopped Cabbage Skillet Meal
If you’re after something even more hearty, try this chopped cabbage skillet meal (The First Mess). The cabbage is roasted in spices and combined lentils, rice, fine-ground walnuts and a tangy tomato sauce, roasted on the stove, and ready in an hour.
A Creamy Cabbage Curry Recipe
Or go fusion food, with this amazing Cabbage Curry (Rainbow Plant Life). Creamy due to coconut milk and almond butter, it also contains protein-rich chickpeas.
