This simple sauteed cabbage recipe with carrots is a healthy side dish for Thanksgiving dinner and is ready in just 30 minutes. It’s an easy recipe packed with nutrition and protein, making it the perfect side dish for any main dish.
How do you make green cabbage more interesting? Add crisp carrots and hearty vegan sausage!
If you love cabbage stir fry, you will love this sautéed cabbage recipe even more because it has more flavors and textures. It’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh cabbage.
What are your thoughts on cabbage?
🛒 Ingredients
Here is a quick look at the ingredients. It’s to understand why these specific ingredients were chosen. The full recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Cabbage – Green cabbage is a nutrition powerhouse. It’s packed with magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin K, and Fiber. It has a large amount of Vitamin C (when raw) but it’s lost during the cooking process. Check out my, “How to cut cabbage” post. Nutrition Source: Cleveland Clinic.
Carrots – Bugs Bunny had it right! Carrots have so much nutrition like fiber, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. When eaten raw, it has an amazing amount of vitamin C. Source: USA Today.
Vegan Sausage – It’s been a while since I used it in a recipe because I am not a big fan of it. Yes, it’s a processed food, however, it has about 23g of sausage. It’s a great option for those transitioning to veganism who miss the meat. Source: Field Roast.
🌿 Substitution tip: Don’t like vegan sausage? Substitute it with tempeh or tofu. Or, you can just use carrots and cabbage.
🪜 How to make sauteed cabbage
If you are using a food scale, I have listed the precise weights in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Cook the sausage
- Peel the vegan sausage casing and cut up the sausage into ½” squares (1.27cm).
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat for 30 seconds, then add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil (can be substituted with melted ghee) and chopped sausage (gently to prevent splatter).
- Sauté for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Then transfer the sausage to a small bowl and set aside. Don’t wash the pan because we will use it to cook the rest of the recipe.
Step 2 – Cook the cabbage and carrots
- Chop the red onions and cabbage (half of a small head of cabbage) into a julienne shape. Place the used pan (from step 1 above) on low heat and add 3 Tbsp of avocado oil (can be subbed with coconut oil, unsalted butter, or extra virgin olive oil). Add the red onion strips.
- Saute the red onions for 2-3 minutes. At this point, you can also add two cloves of garlic (minced).
- Add the shredded cabbage and shredded carrots. Don’t stir, let it cook for a couple minutes.
4. Add the Italian seasoning and salt. Optional: Add red pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix well and set the heat to medium.
5. Let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Cook until it’s tender.
6. Add the cooked sausage from step 1 to the pan. Toss all the ingredients for another 7 minutes on low heat.
7. Finish with lemon juice and cilantro (optional).
It’s now ready to serve. Did you find these instructions easy to understand? Feel free to chime in below.
🥬 Cabbage Cutting Tip: Remove the damaged outer leaves. Place the cabbage on a cutting board and use a large sharp knife to cut the cabbage.
Answering Common Questions
– Vital Wheat Gluten
– Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil
– Unsulfured Dried Apples
– Yukon Gold Potatoes
For the full list of ingredients, visit Field Roast’s website.
Sadly, no, this sauteed cabbage cannot be frozen. It will lose its texture and flavor when it’s defrosted. Trust me, it’s a soggy mess you won’t like to eat.
Absolutely! This will be more like a fried cabbage recipe and will taste just as good without the vegan sausage.
You can substitute it with red cabbage. Want another kind of cabbage? Try Savoy cabbage or napa cabbage. They are on the sweeter side, so adjust the flavors accordingly.
🧊 Freezing Tip: Sauteed cabbage cannot be frozen because it will lose its textures and flavors. Consume this cabbage recipe within 5 days of making it.
📦 Make ahead and leftover storage
This sauteed cabbage recipe is best consumed right away. However, you can make it the night before and serve it the next day. Be sure to store it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. I love these (Affiliate Link) glass containers from Amazon.
Use up the sauteed cabbage leftovers and carrots recipe within five days.
🥘 Cooking Tip: You can use a cast iron skillet to cook this recipe. It will cook the cabbage more evenly.
🍽️ How to serve this sauteed cabbage recipe
This is an easy side dish so it will go with any main course meal. My favorite way to serve it is alongside cauliflower steaks, meatball casserole, and stuffed poblano casserole. It’s a nutritious meal that you will be happy to serve anytime.
I am debuting this great recipe at my Thanksgiving dinner table. It’s going to be another cheap Thanksgiving side dish to make.
Want even more Thanksgiving recipes? Check out my collections:
- Easy Air Fryer Thanksgiving Recipes
- Incredible Thanksgiving potatoes that are not mashed
- Vegan Thanksgiving menu
- The Best Vegan Desserts
- Easy salad recipes
What’s your favorite simple side dish to serve at Thanksgiving?
🌿 Try these vegan sausage recipes
- Vegan Sausage Stew – Cooked in the Dutch Oven, this is a hearty and warm bowl of soup.
- Cauliflower Rice with Vegan Sausage – Flavored with tajin spice, this is a very delicious side dish.
- Vegan Stuffing Recipe – This stuffing has it all! It has apples, butternut squash, croutons, vegan sausage, and mushrooms!
- Confused about what is vegan? I have a complete guide to veganism.
- Do you know what a complete protein is? And, do you know the 8 vegan sources of complete protein?
💌 Sharing is caring
Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this recipe. If you enjoyed this, please give it 5 stars and share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Flipboard, and Instagram.
Sauteed Cabbage with Carrots
Equipment
- 1 large knife for shredding the cabbage and cutting the sausage
- 1 Chopping board for shredding the cabbage and cutting the sausage
- 1 Skillet If you have a cast iron, use that. Any strong-bottomed skillet will work.
Ingredients
- ½ head of a cabbage 0.5lb or 225g
- 0.33 lb shredded carrots 150g
- ¼ red onion 80g
- 1 vegan sausage 92g
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil 16ml for cooking the sausage
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil 48ml for cooking the cabbage and carrots
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning 3g
- 1 tsp salt 5g
- ¼ lime
Optional Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- chopped cilantro for garnish
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes or black pepper to taste
Instructions
Step 1 – Cook the sausage
- Peel the vegan sausage casing and cut up the sausage into ½” squares
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat for 30 seconds
- Add avocado oil and chopped sausage (gently to prevent splatter).
- Sauté for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Then transfer the sausage to a small bowl and set aside.
- Don’t wash the pan because we will use it to cook the rest of the recipe.
Step 2 – Cook the cabbage and carrots
- Chop the red onions and cabbage into a julienne shape.
- Place the pan from step 1 on low heat and add 3 Tbsp of avocado oil.
- Saute the red onions for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic too, if using.
- Add the shredded cabbage and shredded carrots. Do not stir for 2 minutes
- Add the Italian seasoning and salt. If using pepper of any kind, add it now.
- Mix well and set the heat to medium.
- Let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Cook until it’s tender.
- Add the cooked sausage from step 1 to the pan.
- Toss all the ingredients for another 7 minutes on low heat.
- Finish with lemon juice and cilantro.
It’s now ready to serve. Did you find these instructions easy to understand? Feel free to chime in below.
Notes
- Nutrition Information is approximate. Based on ingredients entered in Cronometer.
- Use organic ingredients wherever you can.
- Vegan sausage is processed food, but it’s ok occasionally and also good for those transitioning to veganism.
- If you can find shredded cabbage at your grocery store, use that.
- Do not freeze this recipe because it will lose its texture. Refrigerate leftovers and use up within 5 days.
