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Buttered Cabbage with Caraway

Delicious! Torn cabbage leaves, blanched in salted water, tossed with butter, caraway and celery seeds.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Blanched Buttered Cabbage with Caraway
Elise Bauer

Gobsmacked. I thought I was pretty well versed in what one could do with cabbage, addicted to the stuff as I am.

Whether it's braised, in stewed, stuffed, boiled, or made into coleslaw, we eat cabbage in every which way around here.

But this my friends, this has to be the easiest way to prepare cabbage and still have it taste great. (Boiled cabbage is probably the easiest, but then what you have is just boiled cabbage.)

Buttered Cabbage with Caraway
Elise Bauer

My mother made something like this the other day with curly cabbage. You just simply blanch the torn or roughly cut cabbage leaves in boiling salted water, drain them, and toss with butter, and seasonings.

Butter and cabbage together? A dream team. And caraway and celery seeds just make them dance.

Buttered Cabbage with Caraway

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • One 2-pound head of green cabbage
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
  • Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method

  1. Put water on to boil:

    Heat a large (8-quart) pot of well salted water to a boil.

  2. Prep the cabbage:

    While the water is heating, prepare the cabbage. Peel away and discard and discolored or old outer leaves. Cut the head of cabbage into quarters, through the core, and cut away and discard the core. Use your hands to tear the cabbage into large (about 1 to 2 inch) pieces. (Or use a knife.)

  3. Boil leaves for 90 seconds:

    Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the torn cabbage leaves to the water. Submerge the leaves in the hot water. Cook for 90 seconds, then drain the pot of its water. Return the cabbage leaves to the pot.

  4. Melt butter, toss with cabbage, caraway, celery seeds, salt:

    Stir 4 tablespoons of butter into the cabbage. The cabbage and the pan are both hot, so the butter should melt quickly in the pan.

    If you are using unsalted butter, you will want to add more salt to the cabbage. Start with half a teaspoon and add more if needed.

    Sprinkle with caraway seeds, celery seeds, and black pepper, and toss to combine.

    Serve immediately. Great with pork, veal, or frankfurters.