Cabbage for two works best when each portion has a different job: crisp slaw for wraps, tender ribbons in a skillet, a handful simmered into soup, and browned wedges served over warm beans. One small cabbage can supply the vegetables for four meals for two, provided you add enough beans, eggs, grains, or bread to make each dinner satisfying. The cabbage stretches the grocery budget; the other ingredients turn it into a meal.
The recipes below use a quarter of the head apiece. They share several supporting ingredients, so you won’t need a new shopping list every night.
Planning four meals from one small cabbage
Choose a firm green cabbage weighing about 2 to 2½ pounds (900 grams to 1.1 kilograms) before trimming. “Small” varies considerably at the grocery store, so use the scale if one is available. A tiny head will still work, but the vegetable portions will be smaller.
Remove damaged outer leaves, rinse the head under running water, and cut it into quarters through the stem. Each trimmed quarter should provide roughly 7 to 9 ounces (200 to 250 grams) of cabbage. There’s no need to make the portions identical.
Set aside the quarters for:
– A cabbage skillet: thinly sliced and cooked with rice and eggs.
– Cabbage slaw wraps: finely shredded and mixed with chickpeas.
– Cabbage soup: chopped and simmered with white beans and pasta.
– Roasted cabbage wedges: left attached to a little core so they hold together.
Trim away the tough core from the quarters intended for shredding or chopping. Leave it attached to the roasting portion.
For all four meals, the main supporting groceries are one onion, two carrots, garlic, a lemon, plain yogurt, eggs, cooked rice, tortillas, small pasta, broth, one can of chickpeas, and two cans of white beans. Oil, salt, pepper, and any optional seasonings can come from the pantry.
This is practical ingredient planning: the onion serves two cooked dishes, yogurt dresses the slaw and finishes the wedges, and white beans give both soup and roasted cabbage enough substance for dinner.
Cabbage skillet with rice and eggs
Browning the cabbage before adding rice gives this skillet a fuller flavor. Use a wide pan so moisture can escape; a crowded saucepan will mostly steam the vegetables.
Yield: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Total time: About 25 minutes, using already-cooked rice
Ingredients
– 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) neutral oil
– ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
– ¼ small cabbage, about 7 to 9 ounces (200 to 250 grams), thinly sliced
– 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
– 1 garlic clove, minced
– 2 cups (about 300 grams) cooked rice
– 4 large eggs, beaten
– 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) soy sauce, plus more to taste
– Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the cabbage and carrot. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened with some browned edges.
3. Stir in the garlic, then add the rice. Break apart any clumps and cook until the rice is hot throughout.
4. Push the mixture to one side. Pour the eggs into the open space and stir gently until fully set.
5. Fold everything together with the soy sauce and black pepper. Taste before adding more seasoning.
Freshly cooked rice works, although it may produce a softer dish. If using refrigerated rice, use rice that was cooled and refrigerated promptly, and heat it to 165°F (74°C).
Crunchy cabbage slaw and chickpea wraps
Raw cabbage gives these wraps enough crunch that they don’t need lettuce. Lightly mashing the chickpeas helps keep the filling inside the tortillas.
Yield: 2 servings, 2 wraps each
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: None
Ingredients
– ¼ cup (60 grams) plain yogurt
– 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
– 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) olive oil
– ¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
– Black pepper, to taste
– ¼ small cabbage, about 7 to 9 ounces (200 to 250 grams), finely shredded
– 1 medium carrot, grated
– 1 can chickpeas, 15 ounces (425 grams), drained and rinsed
– 4 medium flour tortillas, about 8 inches (20 centimeters) across
Instructions
1. Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Add the cabbage and carrot. Toss thoroughly, then let stand for 5 minutes while preparing the chickpeas.
3. Mash about half the chickpeas with a fork. Fold the mashed and whole chickpeas into the slaw.
4. Divide the filling among the tortillas and roll them tightly.
A little mustard or hot sauce fits easily into the dressing if either is already in the refrigerator. For packed lunches, carry the filling separately and assemble the wraps shortly before eating. The tortillas stay firmer that way.
White bean cabbage soup with small pasta
Cabbage becomes sweet and tender in broth, while beans and pasta make this a substantial two-person supper. Mashing a few beans thickens the broth without cream.
Yield: 2 generous servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 25 minutes
Total time: About 35 minutes
Ingredients
– 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
– ½ medium onion, diced
– 1 garlic clove, minced
– ¼ small cabbage, about 7 to 9 ounces (200 to 250 grams), chopped
– 3 cups (720 milliliters) low-sodium vegetable broth
– 1 can white beans, 15 ounces (425 grams), drained and rinsed
– ½ teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
– 2 ounces (55 grams) small dry pasta, such as elbows or small shells
– Salt and black pepper, to taste
– Lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
2. Stir in the garlic and cabbage. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth, beans, and dried herbs. Mash a spoonful of beans against the side of the pan.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
5. Add the pasta and simmer until it is tender and the cabbage is cooked to your liking, following the pasta package’s timing as a guide.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and a small squeeze of lemon.
The pasta continues absorbing broth during storage. Add water or broth when reheating. If making the soup well ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl.
Roasted cabbage wedges over warm white beans
Keep a narrow strip of core attached to each wedge. It holds the leaves together as the cut surfaces brown in the oven.
Yield: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 to 35 minutes
Total time: 35 to 45 minutes
Ingredients
– ¼ small cabbage, about 7 to 9 ounces (200 to 250 grams)
– 1½ tablespoons (22 milliliters) olive oil, divided
– Salt and black pepper, to taste
– 1 garlic clove, minced
– 1 can white beans, 15 ounces (425 grams), drained and rinsed
– ¼ cup (60 milliliters) water
– 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) lemon juice
– ¼ cup (60 grams) plain yogurt
– 2 thick slices whole-grain bread, for serving
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Cut the cabbage quarter lengthwise into two wedges.
2. Rub the wedges with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper, then place a flat side down on a baking sheet.
3. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, turning once, until the edges are browned and a knife slides easily through the thickest part. Thin wedges may finish sooner.
4. During the final 10 minutes, warm the remaining ½ tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the beans and water. Simmer for 5 minutes, mashing some beans to make a loose, creamy base. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste.
6. Spoon the beans onto two plates. Add a cabbage wedge to each, finish with yogurt, and serve with the bread.
Keeping the remaining cabbage fresh
For low waste cooking, shred only what you need for the current meal. Larger pieces lose moisture more slowly than finely cut cabbage.
Wrap the unused quarters tightly or place them in an airtight container, then refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. Plan to use the cut head within about a week. Make the raw slaw first, while the leaves are at their crispest; the cooked dishes are more forgiving of cabbage that has lost a little snap. Discard cabbage with mold, slime, or an unpleasant odor.
Refrigerate prepared food within 2 hours. Use cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days, reheating hot dishes to 165°F (74°C). The dressed slaw is best within 1 to 2 days for texture.
If dinner plans change, the soup freezes well, especially without the pasta. Freeze it in two-serving portions and add freshly cooked pasta when reheating. That gives the last quarter of cabbage somewhere useful to go without requiring four cabbage dinners in a row.
