How to Steam Cabbage (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Steamed cabbage dishes are easy to make and fairly quick, and this cooking method retains many of the vitamins and nutrients that the vegetable contains. Cabbage can be steamed, shredded or sliced wide, and cooked on the stove or in a microwave oven. Keep reading to learn more about each method.

Ingredients

For 6 to 8 servings

• 1 cabbage
• Water
• Salt
• Black pepper (optional)
• Butter or olive oil (optional)
• Apple cider vinegar (optional)

Step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Cabbage

Step 1. Choose cabbage that is fresh and stiff

Regardless of the type, fresh cabbage has stiff leaves without any spots or signs of browning. There should be no loose leaves on the outside, and the stems should not look dry or cracked.

• Green cabbage should have leaves that are dark green on the outside and pale green on the inside. The head of the cabbage should be round.
• Red cabbage should have leaves that are tough on the outside and reddish-purple in color. The head of the cabbage should be round.
• Savoy cabbage has wrinkled leaves and consists of fairly loose leaves that are dark green to light green in color. The head of the cabbage should be round.
• Napa cabbage is long, not round, and generally has pale green leaves.
• Bok choy has long white stems with dark green leaves.

Step 2. Remove any damaged leaves

These leaves should be loose enough to peel off with your hands.

The characteristics of damaged leaves are discolored or wilted. For round heads of cabbage, such as green cabbage, red cabbage, and savoy cabbage, you should also remove the leaves that are the thickest on the outside

Step 3. Cut the cabbage in half or quarter

Hold the cabbage with one hand. Take a large sharp knife in your other hand and cut the cabbage in half through the end of the stem. If desired, cut the cabbage into quarters again, cutting each piece in half lengthwise.

• Cabbage will take longer to cook if cut in half, but otherwise, cutting cabbage into quarters is just as easy.

  

• If you see signs of bugs or worms in the cabbage, you don't have to throw it to get it out. Instead, soak the cabbage heads in the salted water for 20 minutes. Cut the damaged parts and prepare as usual.

  

Step 4. Remove the core

Cut wedges under each half or quarter of the cabbage to remove tough stems.

• The core needs to be cut at a certain angle.

  

• Note that for cabbage that has long, loose leaves, such as napa cabbage and bok choy, the leaves should be left intact on the stem.

  

Step 5. Slice the cabbage, if you wish

If you want to slice the cabbage before steaming it, slice each cabbage that has been cut into quarters into thin strips and separate the layers by hand.

• Alternatively, you can slice the cabbage by scraping the quarter-cut heads of cabbage on a manual slicer.

  

• To slice napa cabbage or bok choy, slice the cabbage crosswise instead of lengthwise and separate the layers.

  

Step 6. Wash the cabbage

Put the cabbage in a colander and rinse under cold running water.

• Place the strainer on a clean paper towel and drain for a few minutes before continuing.

  

Part 2 of 3: Steaming Cabbage on the Stove

Step 1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan

Meanwhile, put the steaming basket into the pot, taking care that the bottom of the basket should not be exposed to water.

• The pot should be filled with water about 1/4 full, or no less than 1/4 the height of the pot.

  

• After placing the pot on the stove, heat it over high heat so the water boils quickly.

  

• You can add salt to the water, if you like, which will add a bit of flavor to the cabbage as it cooks. However, don't do this if you plan to pickle the cabbage straight away.

  

• The bottom of the steamer basket should not be in direct contact with the boiling water. If the boiling water hits the bottom of the basket, you'll end up boiling the bottom of the cabbage instead of steaming it.

  

• If you don't have a steamer basket, you can use a metal strainer or steel wire instead. Make sure the strainer can be supported on the mouth of the pot without falling and without sticking up the lid so that the pan can be closed tightly.

Step 2. Put the prepared cabbage in the steamer basket

Spread the cabbage evenly.

• If you're steaming sliced cabbage, you'll want to make sure that the cabbage is evenly distributed across the bottom of the steamer basket.

  

• If steaming cabbage that is cut into quarters or halves, arrange the cabbage pieces so that they touch and face the core of the cabbage under the basket. Each piece should be equally exposed to the bottom of the basket.

  

Step 3. Season with salt and pepper

Sprinkle the leaves with salt and pepper, if desired, to add flavor to the cabbage as it steams.

• Sprinkle about 1 tsp (5 ml) salt and 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground black pepper, or add more or less seasoning to your liking.
• At this point, you don't need to add any oil or sauce to the cabbage. Only dry spices, such as salt and pepper, should be added.

Step 4. Cover the pot and steam until the cabbage is tender-fresh

The time it takes to steam the cabbage will depend on the type and how the cabbage was cut before you put it in the steaming basket.

• To make the cabbage cook evenly, you can flip the strips or divide the cabbage for two cooking times. Also, you should not lift the lid of the pot. This will give off the steam needed to cook the cabbage.

  

• In general, you can steam sliced cabbage for 5 to 8 minutes. Napa cabbage, savoy cabbage, and bok choy are perfectly cooked when steamed for only 3 to 5 minutes.

  

• In general, quarter-cut cabbage should be steamed for 10 to 12 minutes. Long cabbages like napa cabbage and bok choy tend to cook more quickly. Savoy cabbage can be steamed as fast as 5 minutes and as long as 10 minutes. Red cabbage takes longer than other types of cabbage.

  

• Add an extra 1 or 2 minutes longer than the quarter-cut cabbage cooking time when steaming the half-cut cabbage.

  

Step 5. Serve while still hot

Remove the steamer basket from the pan and drain on a clean paper towel for a few minutes before serving.

• If you like, you can sprinkle the cabbage with more salt and pepper or sprinkle the melted butter or olive oil on top. Stir gently to mix well.

  

• For a stronger flavor, sprinkle 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) of apple cider vinegar over the cabbage and mix well. This method is especially useful for napa cabbage and red cabbage.

  

Part 3 of 3: Steaming Cabbage in a Microwave Oven

Step 1. Place the cabbage on a microwave-safe dish

Arrange the cabbage evenly on the plate.

• If you're steaming sliced cabbage, make sure it's evenly distributed across the plate. You don't need to spread it out in a single flat layer, but the cabbage layers should be arranged evenly to cook them perfectly.

  

• Note that sliced cabbage is not recommended to be steamed in a microwave oven because the bottom layer of cabbage will end up being boiled rather than steamed.

  

• If you are steaming cabbage that is cut into quarters or half, arrange the cabbage pieces so that the sides of the stems are touching and facing down. Do not stack or arrange the cabbage pieces overlapping.

  

Step 2. Add 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) of water

The water level at the bottom of the dish should be very low.

• If cooking sliced cabbage, use about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water for every 2 cups (500 ml) sliced cabbage. This extra water will make the cabbage half boiled and half steamed, but if you don't increase the amount of water, it won't cook evenly.
• To enhance the taste, you can use broth instead of water. Vegetable stock is the best option, but thin chicken stock can also be used.

Step 3. Cover the dish not too tightly

If the dish has an oven-proof lid, use one. Otherwise, use plastic wrap that is microwave-safe.

• Do not close tightly. If the dish has a lid that you can use, place the cover on it at a slight angle to prevent too much pressure from building up or to ventilate the dish.
• Do not puncture the plastic wrap. Instead, simply place the plastic wrap on top so that it sticks to the top of the dish but not around the sides.
• If you don't have a cover or plastic wrap, you can cover the dish by placing an upside-down microwave-safe plate on top.

Step 4. Heat until tender-fresh

The amount of steaming time will vary depending on the power consumption of your microwave oven, how big the cabbage pieces are, and the type of cabbage you're using.

• For chopped cabbage, heat on high for 5 to 6 minutes. If steaming bok choy, reduce the amount of time to 4 to 5 minutes.
• For sliced cabbage, heat on high for 5 minutes. Pause midway through cooking, stir quickly with a fork or spoon, and continue cooking.

Step 5. Serve while still hot

Drain the cabbage in a colander or clean paper towel and serve while still warm.

• If you wish, sprinkle the steamed cabbage with salt and pepper or sprinkle melted butter or olive oil on top. Stir gently to mix well.
• For a stronger taste, sprinkle 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) of apple cider vinegar over the cabbage and mix well. This method is especially useful for napa cabbage and red cabbage.