Some fresh vegetables come with a deadline. Buy them, use them, or discover them wilting in the back of the refrigerator a few days later.
Cabbage is much more patient.
I recently bought two heads of cabbage at Costco for $2.99. That’s a lot of vegetables for three dollars—and a whole head of cabbage can keep for weeks in the refrigerator.
One head also gives you multiple servings. Cut off what you need, put the rest back in the fridge, and come back to it another day.
For a fresh vegetable, that’s pretty convenient.
Very Little Work Between Fridge and Plate
As a gardener, I’ve always appreciated another lazy advantage of cabbage: there isn’t much to clean.
A cabbage head develops from its protected center, so the inner leaves have relatively little exposure to dirt. Unless earwigs or other insects work their way inside, the inner leaves tend to stay quite clean. Usually, removing the outer leaves and giving the cabbage a quick rinse is all it takes.
Then slice, shred or chop what you need. Eat it raw or cook it just about any way you like.
Cabbage has a subtle natural sweetness that becomes more noticeable with cooking, and salty, savory flavors work particularly well with it.
The Less-Famous Cruciferous Vegetable
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale get most of the attention, but cabbage belongs to the same cruciferous vegetable family.
That means it also contains glucosinolates—naturally occurring plant compounds that have made cruciferous vegetables particularly interesting to researchers studying diet and cancer prevention.
Glucosinolate levels vary widely by vegetable and variety.
Cabbage is another inexpensive, easy way to get cruciferous vegetables onto the plate.
Try It Roasted
See our Miso Roasted Garlic & Caper Cabbage recipe.
Salty, tangy capers play against the subtle sweetness of roasted garlic and cabbage, while miso adds savory depth and an umami boost.