Simply flavored with butter and garlic, this buttered Savoy cabbage is an easy side dish that pairs perfectly with any meal.
Jump to:
- My Simple Buttered Savoy Cabbage Recipe
- Why This Recipe is So Good
- What is Savoy Cabbage?
- Ingredients for Buttered Savoy Cabbage
- How to Wash Savoy Cabbage
- How to Cut and Prep Savoy Cabbage
- How to Make Easy Buttered Savoy Cabbage?:Step by Step
- Tips for Making Perfect Buttered Cabbage
- Storage and Leftovers
- How to Serve Buttered Savoy Cabbage
- Popular Substitutions and Additions
- Recipe FAQs
- More Vegetarian Christmas side dish recipes you will love
- Quick and Easy Buttered Savoy Cabbage recipe below
- Buttered Savoy Cabbage Recipe
My Simple Buttered Savoy Cabbage Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy vegetable side dish that’s always a hit, this buttered Savoy cabbage recipe, Christmas corn and no mayo vegan coleslaw are perfect. Using just Savoy cabbage, butter, and garlic, it comes together in 20 minutes or less. During spring, make buttered spring greens recipe.
It’s ideal if you have half a head of British cabbage in the fridge or need a quick vegetable dish for your holiday table. The real trick to this recipe is cutting the cabbage properly and cooking it until it's perfectly crisp-tender. I've got you covered in detail step by step below - How to cut the savoy cabbage? How to boil the savoy cabbage and How to make buttered savoy cabbage?
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Simple, tasty side dish everyone will love
- Only 5 ingredients, including water and salt
- Enjoy as a side dish or use it in your asian stir fries, pasta or soups. I use leftovers to make baked bubble and squeak cakes to enjoy on Boxing day.
- Dietary needs: Vegetarian (and easily made vegan by using plant-based butter)
What is Savoy Cabbage?
Savoy cabbage is a type of winter cabbage grown in Britian with dark green, wrinkled leaves. It has a strong flavor and firm texture, making it great for cooking in soups, stir-fries, or stews. Unlike regular white cabbage, its leaves are softer, and when cooked, it tastes slightly sweet. It’s often used in warm, hearty dishes, especially in colder months. During the spring, you can use spring greens instead.
Ingredients for Buttered Savoy Cabbage
- Savoy cabbage: I use British cabbage, that is easily available in farmers market, super stores near you. You can also use green cabbage or red cabbage as an alternative.
- Unsalted butter: I add salt for cooking to cabbage, so prefer to use unsalted butter.
- Sea salt, table salt or kosher salt: use what you have at hand.
- Garlic It adds immense flavor to this English classic side dish. Not a fan of it, leave it out
- Boiling Water: From the kettle. Add just enough to cook the cabbage, after which we drain.
How to Wash Savoy Cabbage
First, remove any damaged outer leaves. Since Savoy cabbage grows tightly, I wash the outside thoroughly under cold water. You can rinse the cut pieces separately later, but it’s usually not necessary.
How to Cut and Prep Savoy Cabbage
Step 1-2: Remove any tough outer leaves.Use a large knife to slice off the stalk and discard the dark green leaves.
Step 3-4:Make a V-shaped cut to remove the thick stalk, then pile the leaves and slice into 1-1.5 inch pieces.You can cut the leaves to whatever shape and size you like.
Step 5-6:Cut the cabbage into quarters.
Step 7-8:Remove the core and then slice each quarter lengthwise into thick pieces.
How to Make Easy Buttered Savoy Cabbage?:Step by Step
Step 1-2: Bring a kettle of water to boil. Add the cabbage, salt, and boiling water to a large saucepan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, covered with a lid until crisp tender, then drain.
Step 3:In a separate pan, melt butter and sauté minced garlic for 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
Step 4: Now pour the garlic butter to the cooked cabbage and toss to combine Just before serving season with salt and ground pepper if you like and a serving of butter.
Tips for Making Perfect Buttered Cabbage
- Don’t overcook the cabbage: This can result in soggy cabbage! Just boil them until they are crisp-tender. They will continue to cook a bit after draining the water too in its own steam.
- Cut the savoy cabbage evenly. I like to pile my outer leaves over each other and slice them to thick slices. And the same with the inner cabbage.
- 900g of savoy cabbage will serve 6 as a side dish.
- Watch the garlic. Garlic can burn quickly! Once you add it to the pan, watch it closely and cook on low to medium flame.
- If you have got garlic herb butter, add it to the drained cabbage and allow it to melt. There is no need to make it fresh fresh garlic butter on the pan - this will save you some time and washing up too.
- Cook and serve savoy cabbage immediately. This is not the kind of recipe that gets better with time. I don't recommend making them in advance to enjoy of the next day. Fresh tastes best! If you are making for holiday table, prep the cabbage in advance, but cook 15 minutes before serving.
Storage and Leftovers
In the fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat before serving.
Reheating: Place cabbage in a large skillet and reheat until warmed thorough. Alternatively, I like to place the buttered cabbage in the microwave and heat for 1-2 minutes.
I don’t recommend freezing since cabbage has a high water content and can lose its texture.
How to Serve Buttered Savoy Cabbage
In my home, cabbage is a bit of a staple when it comes to side dishes. Whether it’s Cabbage Poriyal, which is a South Indian-style braised cabbage, a simple boiled cabbage dal or cabbage steaks, we enjoy it in many ways. For festive occasions, I love making a festive no-mayo coleslaw, which always adds a refreshing crunch to the table.
Buttered cabbage pairs so well with Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak—it balances the flavors perfectly. More over, I also use leftover this buttered cabbage to make the bubble and squeak.
It’s also great with potato dishes like crispy potato rosti cakes, garlic mashed potatoes, or roast potatoes. Simple, but so good!
Popular Substitutions and Additions
- Add caraway seeds, or cumin for extra flavor.
- Saute onion and herbs along with garlic in the recipe.
- Swap Savoy cabbage for green or red cabbage.
- Add a seasoning of salt and pepper just before serving - its so good!
- Make Braised savoy cabbage for a change. Heat butter, add garlic and onion and saute in low- medium flame until translucent. Then add the shredded / sliced cabbage along with water or vegetable stock and cook until all the water has dried out and the cabbage is still tender. This method is very similar to making South Indian cabbage poriyal too.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Heat butter, sauté garlic, add sliced cabbage, ¼ cup water, and salt. Stir and cook until tender, adding tablespoons of water as needed. Finish with an extra dollop of butter if desired.
I don’t recommend freezing since cabbage has a high water content and can lose its texture.
Boil Savoy cabbage for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on how tender you like it. For a slightly crisp texture, aim for 4 minutes; for softer cabbage, go up to 5 minutes. Drain well and serve immediately with garlic and butter.
More Vegetarian Christmas side dish recipes you will love
Quick and Easy Buttered Savoy Cabbage recipe below
Ingredients
- 900 g Savoy cabbage 2 lb
- 40 g butter 3 tbsp
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Start by removing any withered or tough outer leaves from the Savoy cabbage and washing the outside thoroughly.900 g Savoy cabbage
- Using a large knife, slice off the stalk and discard any dark green leaves.
- Make a V-shaped cut to remove the thick stalk from the cabbage. Pile the leaves together and slice into 1 -1.5 pieces. You can chop them to whatever size you like.
- Cut the cabbage into quarters, Remove the core and then slice each quarter lengthwise into thick pieces.
- Place the sliced cabbage in a large pot, add salt, and pour boiling water from the kettle over it. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Drain the water and return the cabbage to the pot.Water as needed, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a small pan, heat the butter over medium-low heat and add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, but be careful not to burn the garlic.40 g butter, 2 cloves garlic
- Pour the garlic butter over the drained cabbage, toss well, and serve immediately. If desired, add an extra dollop of butter for extra richness.
Dennis says
The recipe was timely. I had a quarter of savoy cabbage sitting in my fridge. Made this as a side for my casserole tonight. Will be making it again.