Jamaican Steamed Cabbage
Interested in Jamaican cuisine? Try this steamed cabbage! This classic recipe uses simple ingredients and cooking methods to infuse simple veggies with sweet, savoury, slightly spicy island flavour.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil 7ml
- 1 head of white cabbage remove outer skins and discard or add to compost (1lb), thinly sliced, 450g
- 1 bunch of thyme tie these together for convenience, 15g
- ½ green bell pepper sliced, 100g
- ½ red bell pepper sliced, 100g
- 1 teaspoon pimento seeds 2g
- 1½ large stalks scallions sliced, 35g
- ½ white or red onion sliced, 130g
- 4 cloves garlic minced, 12g
- 1 carrot julienned or shredded, 60g
- 1 teaspoon sea salt 6g
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 0.5g
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 0.2g, or 1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper to make it spicy (use gloves if using Scotch bonnet), 10g
- ½ tablespoon vegan butter or more coconut oil 7g
Instructions
Prep the cabbage (Jamaican-style):
- Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Then, cut off the base of the stem (so the cabbage can stand up on the cutting board). Wash the cabbage with cold water.
- Cut the cabbage in half. Turn one half to stand on its side and cut from the middle down at an angle to make thin slices, rotating the cabbage on its side between each cut.
Load the Dutch oven:
- In a Dutch oven, stock pot, or otherwise high-sided pot over medium heat, melt your coconut oil.
- On top of your oil, add your cabbage, and then all of your seasonings and vegetables. Add your pat of vegan butter or extra coconut oil on top.
Steam the veggies:
- Cover your pot and let your cabbage and veggies steam for 7-8 minutes. Remove cover, and begin to stir everything together. Your cabbage should have released water, and your vegetables should be tender and seasoned.
- Mix everything together and taste test to see if you'd like more seasonings or not.
- If you'd like your cabbage to be a bit more tender, let it steam for an extra minute or two, but be sure to fully stir everything together first since that helps to reveal just how tender the cabbage is (I always do 7-8 minutes).
Notes
- Even slices. When slicing the veggies, aim for even pieces for even steaming.
- Don't add water. The cabbage will release plenty of its own water. You don't need more.
- Stir test. Give your cabbage a good stir before deciding to steam for longer. This will help reveal just how tender the cabbage is.
- Scotch bonnet caution. If you use Scotch bonnet pepper, wear gloves and don't touch your face/eyes. The oils will burn.
- Storage. Store fully cooled leftover cabbage in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge (if applicable) and reheat over medium heat on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25recipe | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3424IU | Vitamin C: 120mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 2mg