Best Ever French Braised Cabbage Recipe with Savoy

A braiser of freshly cooked French Braised Cabbage on top of an induction stovetop.

4.62 from 90 votes

Best Ever French Braised Cabbage Recipe with Savoy

This braised cabbage recipe has a French twist to it that separates it from other braised cabbage dishes. It's first sautéed with onions and caraway seeds, and then braised in broth and white wine. A little cream and mustard is stirred in at the end.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Braised cabbage

Servings:

Calories: 128.5kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup finely diced yellow onion about ½ of a large onion, see the Recipe Notes
6 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage, divided, see the Recipe Notes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt see the Recipe Notes
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, Roasted Vegetable Paste see the Recipe Notes
2 tablespoons white wine see the Recipe Notes
2 tablespoons heavy cream see the Recipe Notes
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard see the Recipe Notes

Instructions

Prep. Dice the onion.
Remove any tough or damaged outer leaves of the head of cabbage and thinly slice it into ¼" slices of cabbage using a sharp chef's knife.
Sauté. Melt the butter in a pan suitable for braising over medium heat, and add the chopped onion, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. If you don't have a pan specifically designed for braising, you can use a large pan with vertical sides at least 2" high, a large Dutch oven, or deep sauté pan. (See the Equipment Notes.)
Sauté until the onion is completely softened and almost melting into the butter. Check the onions every couple of minutes and toss using a wooden spoon to prevent it from browning.
Add 4 cups of the cabbage, and toss to coat with the onions and butter. Place a lid on the braising pan and continue to cook over low heat until the cabbage wilts. Check the cabbage periodically and nudge it around the braiser as needed to evenly cook.
Simmer. Add ¼ cup of water, the Bouillon, and wine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and then add the remaining 2 cups of cabbage.
Replace the lid, and continue to simmer until the second addition of cabbage is completely softened. Add additional vegetable broth if needed using a ratio of ¼ teaspoon Bouillon per ¼ cup of water.
Remove the lid and continue to cook, if needed, until almost all of the braising liquid is cooked off.
Note: The total cooking time is dependent upon the thickness of the cabbage slices. The more thinly the head of cabbage is slice, the faster the slices will wilt and braise.
Whisk. Whisk together the cream and mustard in a small bowl and stir into the cabbage. This is the step that brings fabulous extra flavor to this braised cabbage dish.
Correct for any seasoning.
Serve. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Equipment Notes

If you don't have a brasier, you can use any large skillet with a lid that ideally has vertical sides at least 2" high or a Le Creuset Dutch oven. The higher sides of the skillet promote steaming and braising versus a shallow skillet.

Ingredient Notes

Yellow onions - I don't recommend substituting white onions, sweet onions, or red onions.
Cabbage - The kind of cabbage you use will affect the final braised dish and Savoy cabbage is my favorite choice for braising. Napa cabbage can be substituted, but its leaves are more delicate and will soften much quicker. Light green cabbage is hardier and will need a longer cook time, although can be substituted in a pinch, and red cabbage is not at all suitable. Check out this article for the differences between 5 main types of cabbage carried in most markets.
Kosher salt - There is a variety of brands that sell kosher salt and they differ from each other in the size of each salt crystal. This can throw off the amount needed in recipes since small crystals fit more salt into a teaspoon than large ones. I recommend Diamond Crystal, which has larger crystals than Morton's Kosher Salt but smaller than 365 brand sold in Whole Foods grocers.
Vegetable stock - I use Better Than Bouillon Paste, Roasted Vegetables, which is available in most supermarkets. If you use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth, you may need to add additional salt to the recipe.
White wine - Any light, dry white wine works great, such as a savignon blanc.
Heavy Whipping Cream - Half & half can work in this recipe, but whole milk and 2% should not be used. They are too thin for this recipe.
Mustard - Use any kind of Dijon mustard.

Nutrition