Southern Cabbage Recipe (Boiled Cabbage)

This Southern cabbage recipe features cabbage that is simmered in a flavorful broth with smoked turkey and soul food seasonings. A savory and succulent Southern side dish, this soul food style cabbage is a staple on our Sunday dinner table!

Cabbage in Southern and soul food cuisine isn’t just about healthy greens; it’s about a flavorful transformation. Marrekus, who grew up in Tennessee, says this Southern cabbage recipe was on a weekly rotation at his house. It’s now one of our family’s favorite recipes, along with mixed greens (a greens and cabbage mixture) and collard greens with smoked ham hocks (or smoked turkey collard greens). Everyone always goes back for seconds and even thirds!

I especially love how the boiled cabbage with smoked turkey comes out tender and buttery with a kick of spice. The secret to achieving perfectly tender cabbage is to simmer it in a flavorful broth. The longer it boils, the more tender it becomes. The broth is sooo delicious, perfect for slurping. It’s a great side dish that exemplifies the saying, “Good things come to those who wait.”

What is boiled cabbage?

Boiled cabbage is a classic Southern side dish. It’s often simmered with flavorful ingredients such as smoked turkey, ham hocks, or bacon for added richness and depth of flavor. The cabbage is typically chopped or sliced and cooked until tender, soaking up the seasonings and smokiness of the meat.

Ingredients

• Fresh cabbage: A head of green cabbage, roughly chopped
• Water + smoked turkey: We used a turkey leg, but you can also use smoked turkey wings, smoked turkey tails, neck bones, or smoked ham hocks.
• Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base: For flavoring. Alternatively, use a chicken bouillon cubes or bouillon powder.
• Seasonings: Diamond Crystal kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, lemon pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
• Apple cider vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce

Recipe variations and modifications

• Collard Greens and Cabbage are mixed greens cooked together and simmered in a flavorful smoky broth, with seasonings, onions, ham hocks, and red pepper flakes.
• Easy Southern Fried Cabbage Recipe is another Southern favorite. Sliced cabbage is sautéed with onions, garlic, and often crispy bacon or smoked meat until it becomes tender and slightly caramelized. It’s a simple and flavorful side dish.

How to pick cabbage

Make sure to select a firm whole head of cabbage with no wilted leaves. This is especially important when shopping at the grocery store because oftentimes the produce will be days old. If you can find a local farmer’s market that sells green cabbage, that’s even better.

How to make Southern cabbage recipe

How to cut cabbage

• Remove the outer leaves and peel off any wilted or damaged leaves of the cabbage head.
• Then, slice in half vertically through the core. Take each half and cut it in half again, creating four wedges.
• Place a wedge flat-side down, then slice it crosswise into thick strips.
• Then give them a few more cuts across to create a rough chop.
• This doesn’t need to be perfect—just enough so the cabbage pieces are smaller and more manageable for boiling.
• Rinse under cold water to remove any dirt or debris before cooking.

What to serve with Southern cabbage

Some of our favorite dishes to pair with this Southern cabbage recipe include smothered chicken, smothered pork chops, fried pork chops, fried chicken, and fried fish.

It also goes great with Southern cornbread, pinto beans, and collard greens (like this collard greens and cabbage recipe).

How to store leftovers

Boiled cabbage tastes even better the next day! The seasonings have time to penetrate and the cabbage becomes more tender and infused with the rich flavors of the broth.

• After preparing this Southern cabbage recipe, allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container or a covered bowl. Make sure to store it in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.
• Boiled cabbage can be safely refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

Is this Southern cabbage recipe spicy?

This recipe has a kick to it from the red pepper flakes. You can omit this ingredient if you’d like.

Can I use chicken broth instead of water?

Sure! We recommend low-sodium chicken broth if you plan to go that route.

What is the final texture of Southern cabbage?

This boiled cabbage recipe yields soft and tender cabbage. If you want the cabbage to be slightly crunchy, cook it for less time.