How to Boil Cabbage: A Comprehensive Guide to Boiling a Cabbage

For someone who is a fan of cabbages and wants to indulge in a vegetarian meal once in a while, this how to boil cabbage guide, is your go-to food recipe blog. An easy and comprehensive method of boiling a cabbage, with the right amount of care and attention, reads below for your perusal. Before we get to the kitchen and get on with the ‘how to boil a cabbage’ endeavor, let us first accustom ourselves with this divine vegetable created by the Almighty.

A Brief Intro to the World of Cabbages

The cabbage is a highly underrated vegetable and is often grouped as part of the family of its undeniable lookalike- the lettuce. As a means of expanding your knowledge, cabbage is not even a cousin of the lettuce or a neighbor as a matter of fact. Instead, the cabbage is related to broccoli (the tiny tree looking vegetable that children generally fork aside on their plates) and the cauliflower (which does not look like a flower). The existence of cabbage is characterized by different varieties, differing in shapes and colors, e.g., Bok Choy, Choy Sum and Savoy cabbage etc. and differing in colors from light green to dark green and purple etc.

Existing in all its wonderful personalities and mannerisms, cabbage has been produced most in China, India, Russia, and in South Korea. From kimchi in China to Sauerkraut in Poland to spicy curries in India to Coleslaw in America, cabbage has intricately made itself a part of international cuisines with such divine grace that is hard to not acknowledge.

Coming back to the ‘how to boil cabbage’ recipe, it is important to read and go through the recipe once before cooking and the second time during the cooking. The process seems simple; however it could be and should be done perfectly for a change, because who wouldn’t love a cabbage boiled to perfection? Make sure to follow all the steps of this ‘how to boil cabbage’ guide to obtain the best results.

Utensils and Ingredients You Will Need For This Recipe

• A fresh cabbage head that weighs two pounds
• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A cooking pot with a lid
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sunflower Oil
• A wooden spoon that does do not mash the cabbage when stirring
• A timer watch (in case you are forgetful and fear leaving the cabbage unattended for too long and resultantly overcooking it)

Selecting the Right Cabbage Head

One of the many constraints to cooking a vegetable is to choose the right candidate. Anything edible you wish to consume should go through personal and critical scrutiny, so you are confident about the safety of the consumption you are bringing into your body. To contemplate whether the cabbage you have selected is fresh and consumable, keep in mind the following:

• The leaves of the cabbage should be considerably green and crisp looking.
• Leaf flaps that are visibly limp and not firm is one sign you should look for another candidate.
• The weight of the cabbage should also be kept in consideration when buying one. Usually, a one-pound cabbage is equal to and no larger than a softball. However, a cabbage that weighs two pounds- well now, you can imagine. A two-pound fresh cabbage is required for this culinary endeavor.

Step by Step Instructions on How to Boil Cabbage

Once you are done with choosing the cabbage that fulfills all its requirements by weight, color, leaf situation and freshness, you are good to go. First, clean it sufficiently under open water and then bring the head, I mean the cabbage head, to the cutting board.

1. Take your two-pound leafy candidate and slice it down the middle with your sharpest knife available. Now, take one semi-circle of the cabbage head and cut it into two halves. Repeat the same with the second half until you end up with four sections of the cabbage. Make sure you keep the cabbage placed on the cutting board at a stable angle to avoid it slipping and causing you to injure your hand.
2. After cutting them into four halves, remove the core from each half. To do this, hold the cabbage piece at an angle, so its interior leafy flaps are visible to you, locate the core, and slide it down with the knife. This core removal is important, as it allows for the leaves of the cabbage to come apart more easily for the next step and while boiling.
3. Once you’ve relieved each cabbage piece of its core, cut each piece into smaller parts. After, you’ve safely severed the head (I mean the cabbage head, of course), it is ready for the boiling phase. Wash and rinse it to remove any remains of dirt within any of the flaps.
4. The ‘how to boil a cabbage’ ritual is impossible without a pot of boiling water. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a pot and fill it with about 250 ml of water (remember measurements are important; quit being lazy and just be organized for once!). Place the pot gently on the stove and do not forget to cover the top to ensure fast boiling.
5. Once you are convinced the water has attained the right temperature, i.e., it has started to boil, add the sliced cabbages in to the pot. Spread out the cabbage sections to ensure even boiling.
6. Before putting the lid of the pot back on, add one teaspoon of salt. The salt is one of the two ingredients that need to be added for taste.
7. On low heat, let the cabbage simmer about fifteen minutes.
8. Fifteen minutes later, lift the lid and stir the contents of the pot with a gentle hand (do not stop simmering). Now, once you’ve sufficiently stirred it, put the lid back on and let the cabbage continue to simmer for another fifteen minutes.
9. After the second fifteen-minute simmer, check on your cabbage’s status. If water remains in the pot, let it boil off without covering. If you cover the cabbage, it would result in overcooked mush.
10. Now, it is time to add the second ingredient, which happens to be the perfect companion to salt. Yes, you guessed it right- half a teaspoon of black pepper. Once you’ve united the salt and pepper into the leaves of the cabbage in the pot, the trio is complete. Stir the contents to facilitate maximum unison of ingredients.
11. At this point, the cabbage is sufficiently soft, and the water has boiled fully. To create a strength to the boiled cabbage, add two tablespoons of sunflower oil into the pot. Adding the oil into the boiled cabbage gives the contents a bit of substance and a light fried edge. Moreover, this particular oil holds qualities of reducing cholesterol levels, improving the functions of the heart, improving the immune system, and reducing inflammation.
12. The boiled cabbage process is complete; take the contents out of the pot onto a plate and garnish with coriander. Voila! You have successfully, perfectly, and responsibly performed all the steps in the ‘how to boil cabbage’ guide and now hold the official title of ‘cabbage boiler’ with pride.

How Long To Boil Cabbage

It is a task of keeping a consistent eye and remaining attention when cooking a cabbage. In case of boiling, it often precedes the mind of the one cooking it- to add water with measurement. Measurements are often disregarded, but nonetheless, they hold trivial importance in regard to the recipe at hand.

It is important to keep in mind that the cabbage should not be boiled for a continuous thirty minutes, as this will result in it in being overcooked. The lid should be removed after the fifteen-minute interval to avoid the cabbage turning into a mashed overcooked existence. In this way, adding more or less water plays a vital role in determining the rightful fate of the cabbage. If you boil it more than required, it will start to release an all too familiar odor. The odor is the sign the cabbage has surpassed its cooking time.

Benefits of Boiled Cabbage

Cabbage is responsible for the prevention of radiotherapy and its side effects. In this regard, it is beneficial for people diagnosed with cancer and those seeking prevention from it. Moreover, cabbage is good for the heart, improves the body’s immunity, and digestion. Other than that, the succulent leaves of the cabbage serve as a great source of vitamin C.

One of the basic and prominent benefits of boiled cabbage is it is easy to make and involves not even the slightest bit of hassle. Second, this boiled cabbage diet is often associated with weight loss for its fat burning qualities. A boiled cabbage meal firmly and efficiently balances between being a light-hearted snack for obtaining a healthy body or trying to eat healthily. Making the boiled cabbage a part of your diet will produce positive body changes that are hard to ignore.

Based on Ingredients

Vitamin K

Our body requires about 54 percent of vitamin k intake for men and 60 percent for women daily. Vitamin k helps in thickening blood to help it clot blood faster in times of injuries. Steamed cabbage contains vitamin k among its many other beneficial aspects, which help in providing the dosage required in the body.

Glucosinolate

Chopping a cabbage converts the above-mentioned substance into cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. These isothiocyanates help in flushing out carcinogens from the body, and in this regard, they help, not only to control and remove existing cancer-causing carcinogens, but also prevent the possibility of new ones forming.

Folate

Folate present in the boiled cabbages helps to boost vitamin B-9 intake. Genetic mutations and accumulation of these mutations help and regulate for cancerous cells to grow. To stop triggering the cancerous growth, consumption of boiled cabbages is vital. The folate present in the boiled cabbage increases vitamin B-9 consumption up to 38 micrograms, which is 10 percent of the recommend rate by certified medical specialists.

Someone simply on a diet or diverted towards healthy eating should resort to this easy task of boiling a cabbage and making part of their daily diet. The recipe is not only for vegetarians but for people with other food preferences. The benefits that aspire from the consumption of a boiled cabbage are also not limited to anyone but are offered to all if consumed.

A Final Word

There you go, you can now come up with delicious boiled cabbage with the help of this comprehensive ‘how to boil cabbage guide’. So hurry up and get this nutrient-filled vegetable and head straight to your kitchen to enjoy the maximum benefits of boiled cabbage.