Sauteéd Cabbage with Bacon, Onion, Dill, Lemon Zest
We love sautéed cabbage with bacon and onion, but the day I added dill and lemon peel to my recipe, I realized you can always improve a recipe from good to great. We ate the entire pan of cabbage in one sitting, because after one bite, it was hard to stop.
Why is Dill a Great Addition to Sauteed Cabbage and Bacon Recipe?
Did you know that dill is a super healthy herb in that it aids in digestion, arthritic pain, boosts the immune system, and reduces excess gas. If you’re worried about cabbage and gas, dill could change your cabbage life. Since I ate almost the whole pot myself, I can attest to the powers of dill!
Cabbage with bacon can be great or down right horrible. Home chef beware. This dish relies on balance, even if it’s just a few simple ingredients. The bacon needs to be cooked through, and cabbage needs times to soften and perhaps brown.
I like to start with a big fresh head of cabbage, removing all the outside pieces and then using a sharp knife cutting into 1/4 inch slices (give or take).
Make sure you use a heavy sharp chef’s knife to slice your cabbage.
I use thick bacon, and make lardons, cutting across the slices. Thick bacon puts out less grease, has less shrinkage, cooks more evenly. Sauté the bacon well, but not too super crispy.
Slice onion into thin slices, cook in the bacon grease, just until softened but not browned and then add in cabbage and Irish butter. Cook on low heat, while stirring occasionally until the cabbage is softened. Add in a touch of lemon zest at the last few minutes for fragrance. You can continue to cook on low, stirring occasionally if you want to brown the cabbage. Add in fresh dill if you have it, but dried will be okay too. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sautéed Cabbage with Bacon presents you with many options. You can add in some potatoes to the sauté. You can add a chopped apple or figs for added sweetness. Some add sugar to cabbage, and I have no idea why. I refuse to add sugar to vegetables when they taste so wonderful all on their own. But if you know me, Spinach Tiger, I’m a vegetable lover and I don’t like any kind of sweet/savory mix, unless that sweetness comes naturally from real fruit. Just try it my way, taste, and then see if you really need to add anything else.
You can add a touch of thick syrupy balsamic or a dash of apple cider vinegar. I didn’t do that, because I tend to stop adding ingredients when the taste is just right and this was just right, but I will list it as an option, because sometimes a dish needs that extra acid.
Sautéed Cabbage with Bacon
You can serve sautéed cabbage with bacon with a protein. This is a splendid side to chicken.
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- 1 medium sized head cabbage
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 pieces of thick bacon
- 2 tablespoon Irish butter
- 2 teaspoons dried dill Order Here
- salt
- pepper
- 1 small apple (optional)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- Take outer leaves off cabbage. Rinse any dirt off of cabbage.
- Cut bacon across into lardons.
- Saute the bacon well, but not to super crispy.
- Add garlic loves to bacon grease.
- Slice onion in thin slices, cook in the bacon grease, just until softened but not browned and then add in cabbage and Irish butter. Remove garlic cloves.
- Cook on low heat, while stirring occasionally until the cabbage is softened. Add in a touch of lemon zest at the last few minutes for fragrance. Add in fresh dill if you have it, but dried will be okay too.
- You can choose to brown the cabbage by turning the heat up to medium high. If you can refrigerate and reheat, you will have more flavor, but it's not necessary.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Options: If you are adding an apple, slice thinly (can leave skin on) and sauté with onion.
I love cabbage no matter how you present it to me. Thick bacon and Irish butter MMM M