Soulful Sautéed Cabbage and Kale (Easy & Healthy)

Searching for an EASY yet HEALTHY and flavorful Southern side dish?

Your search ends with this Sautéed Cabbage and Kale recipe! This vegetarian-friendly recipe infuses the earthy flavors of sautéed kale and cabbage with the richness of butter and olive oil, creating a delectable side dish that’s both hearty and satisfying. Their nutrition, plus amazing taste certainly make them deserve a spot at the dinner table.

Do Black Folks Eat KALE?

When I mention my love of kale to black folks, I’m often given the side eye followed by statements like ” Black people don’t eat kale, we do collard greens.” Many of them don’t realize that long before kale become a “superfood” it was grown and enjoyed by African Americans for decades. Pepper pot soup is a dish made by black people up North that featured either kale or collard greens. Though collard greens reign supreme in Southern cooking, kale is a wonderful substitute that is almost genetically almost identical to collard greens yet cooks in half the time!

Why Saute Cabbage and Kale Together?

The simple answer is it taste AMAZING! Both cabbage and kale cook relatively quickly, so combining them in one easy dish takes hardly no time at all!

Do You Want More EASY SOUL FOOD RECIPES?

Here are some you will LOVE!

• Fried Honey Lemon Pepper Ribs
• Black Eye Peas with Smoked Turkey
• Easy Cornbread Muffins
• Instant Pot White Rice ( Perfect EVERY Time!!)

I served this delicious sautéed kale and cabbage with the meal pictured below. Create this WHOLE MEAL by clicking the links above!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kale bunch
• 1 small cabbage
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 fatback optional ( leave out for vegetarian or health reasons)
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 small sprig fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic minced

SEASONING

• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp crush red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic butter seasoning optional
• 1/2 tsp Vegeta (vegetable bouillon) or Chicken Bouilon
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Wash the kale thoroughly, removing any tough stems. Chop the leaves into 1 inch sized pieces.
• Shred the cabbage into 1/4- 1/2 in pieces.
• In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil, butter, and fatback (if using) over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute for 3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Be cautious not to let it brown.
• Add the chopped kale to the skillet. Toss with the onions and thyme and garlic, add 1/4 cup of water, then cover. Thyme adds a slightly herby flavor. You can omit if you don’t prefer it. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook the kale for 10 minutes. Stir half way through the cook time.
• Add the cabbage and seasonings. Cover and cook for 10- 15 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
• Adjust the seasonings to taste.
• Enjoy!

Sautéed Cabbage and Kale

5 from 3 votes

Sautéed cabbage and kale is a healthy and flavorful Southern side dish. This vegetarian-friendly recipe infuses the earthy flavors of sautéed kale and cabbage with the richness of butter and olive oil, creating a delectable side dish that's both hearty and satisfying.

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Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:20 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Soul Food, Southern

Keyword: healthy kale and cabbage recipe, sauteed cabbage and kale, sauteed cabbage recipe, sauteed kale recipe, southern side dish

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 kale bunch
• 1 small cabbage
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 fatback optional ( leave out for vegetarian or health reasons)
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 small sprig fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Seasoning

• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp crush red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic butter seasoning optional
• 1/2 tsp Vegeta vegetable bouillon
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Instructions

• Wash the kale thoroughly, removing any tough stems. Chop the leaves into 1 inch sized pieces.
• Shred the cabbage into 1/4- 1/2 in pieces.
• In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil, butter, and fatback (if using) over medium heat. Add the diced onion and thyme and saute for 3 minutes. Thyme adds a slightly herby flavor. You can omit if you don't prefer it.Then add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Be cautious not to let it brown.
• Add the chopped kale to the skillet. Toss with the onions and garlic, add 1/4 cup of water, then cover. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook the kale for 10 minutes. Stir half way through the cook time.
• Add the cabbage and seasonings. Cover and cook for 10- 15 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
• Adjust the seasonings to taste.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Some varieties of kale can be a bit tough; this is why I give the kale a 10 minutes jump start before adding the cabbage. I prefer my cabbage not to be mushy, which is why the cook time for this is only 20-25 minutes as opposed to the typical 45 mins to 1 hour often used to cook Southern greens. Cook the greens for as long as you like. Adjust all seasoning to taste.     

I consider grass feed butter and organic fatback to be healthy, if you don’t then use all olive oil.