This is one of my favorite savoy cabbage recipes! A simple way of sauteing cabbage with bacon, this will make a perfect side dish or uncomplicated cabbage main dish.

A very simple and tasty way of serving savoy cabbage. Sauteed cabbage with bacon cubes, some crème fraiche and nutmeg. 30 minutes of your time, some boiled potatoes and maybe a sausage on the side and there you have it: a comforting, hearty dinner that everybody will love.
I generally like cabbage, savoy cabbage was the only sort I wasn't crazy about. Well, until sauteing savoy cabbage and bacon for the first time.
It might be the fact, that I only knew white and red cabbage from my childhood and youth and I wasn't so sure about the softer consistency of the savoy cabbage.
But as savoy cabbage is super popular in Germany and there are so many amazing savoy cabbage traditional recipes to be had around here, I had to get to know savoy cabbage better. And it really wasn't difficult to learn to love it!
Have a look at these amazing savoy cabbage recipes! What is there not to like?
Probably the most typical way of cooking savoy cabbage in Germany is to make these savoy cabbage rolls. Another very popular savoy cabbage recipe is the German cabbage soup with ground meat.
A special way to cook savoy cabbage (especially for guests) would be to make this delicious and good looking risotto and savoy cabbage “cake”.
And if you would like to make even more of this recipe for sauteed savoy cabbage, you could add some mashed potatoes and cheese and make this comforting and tasty cabbage and potato bake.
Ingredients
Savoy cabbage:
Savoy cabbage is a deeply green and crinkly cabbage variety originating in England and the Netherlands.
Sometimes during the 18th century it became very popular in Germany under the name of Savoyer Kohl, after the Savoy region in France (or Italy at the time), where this sort of cabbage was known during the 16th century already. Nowadays, savoy cabbage is called Wirsing in German.
Savoy cabbage is not as crispy as white, green or red cabbage and that makes it more suitable for cooking. I don't think I have ever tasted a savoy cabbage salad, we only have it sauteed or fried, in soups, casseroles and so on – well, cooked.
It has a mild taste and it is very nutritious, full of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
You will need about 900 g – 1000 g/ 2 – 2.2 lbs savoy cabbage. When shredded about 10 cups, a little more or less is not that important.
Savoy cabbage comes in different sizes, so 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs can be anything from ½ a large cabbage to 1 whole smaller cabbage.
You can use the remaining savoy cabbage to make this warming German soup with savoy cabbage and ground meat.
Bacon:
I used streaky bacon cubes. It is preferably to buy the already cubed bacon or a piece of streaky bacon, that you should cut yourself into cubes.
Thin bacon slices are not very suitable for making sauteed cabbage with bacon.
Otherwise you will need:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
- Crème fraiche
- Nutmeg, salt and pepper
HOW TO SAUTE SAVOY CABBAGE?
How to shred the cabbage?
This recipe for sauteed cabbage and bacon is super easy, but you will need a few minutes to shred the cabbage.
- Cut the savoy cabbage in half.
- Cut the halves into quarters.
- Cut out the core.
- Lay one cabbage quarter on its flat side and cut into thin ribbons.
- Cut the ribbons using a large chef's knife or a mandoline. (Amazon affiliate links)
How to saute savoy cabbage and bacon?
- Chop the onion very finely.
- Cut the bacon into cubes, if not already cubed.
- Shred the savoy cabbage as instructed above.
- Heat the olive oil in a very large pan.
- Saute the onion until translucent.
- Add the bacon cubes, fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add the shredded savoy cabbage and the finely chopped garlic.
- Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the vegetable stock, stir, cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated.
- The sauteed savoy cabbage should be soft, but not mushy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the crème fraiche.
- Adjust the taste generously with salt, pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg.
HOW TO SERVE SAUTEED CABBAGE?
This sauteed savoy cabbage recipe can be served as a main meal with boiled potatoes, for instance.
Or it can be served as a side dish for sausages, crispy baked chicken thighs, roasted pork or pork chops.
You can upgrade the recipe by making savoy cabbage and potato bake.
MORE HEARTY CABBAGE RECIPES?
Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Irish Cabbage and Potato Dish – Colcannon Recipe
Cabbage Pork Casserole
Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Sarmale – Traditional Romanian Cabbage Rolls
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Sauteed Savoy Cabbage with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion about 100 g/ 3.5 oz
- 100 g/ 3.5 oz streaky bacon
- ½ to 1 savoy cabbage depending on size, about 900 g/ 2 lbs/ more or less 10 cups when shredded
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 125 ml/ 4.2 fl.oz/ ½ cup vegetable stock from ½ a cube is fine
- 2 heaped tablespoons crème fraiche
- fine sea salt and pepper
- grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Chop the onion finely. Set aside.
- Cube the bacon, if not already cubed.
- Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, place a quarter on its flat side and shred the savoy cabbage into ribbons.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent, add the bacon and fry for a couple of minutes.
- In the meantime, finely chop the garlic. Add it to the skillet. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour the vegetable stock into the pot. Stir again, cover, and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the savoy cabbage is cooked, but not mushy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the crème fraiche.
- Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.
angiesrecipes says
A cabbage that I don't use often enough...love this stirfry!
mjskitchen says
this is the time of year we start eating more cabbage because the summer vegetables start to disappear. We just so happened to have bought a savoy cabbage this week and was wondering what to do with it. Now I know. Such a luscious looking dish, and of course, how can you go wrong with bacon. 🙂
Virginia says
Very good! Even with turkey bacon and goat cheese, which is what I had.
Adina says
Turkey bacon and goat cheese sound great, I love both of them.
Stephen says
THANK YOU ! ! ! ! !
Really wonderful ! I am surprised how tasty (and simple) this is.
I have now added this to my personal favourites list.
My personal addition is: When the cooking is finished I don't bother with the crème fraiche but make a small 'wells' in the surface and crack eggs into them, recover with the lid and let the eggs 'poach' in the residual heat for about 3 minutes until cooked but still soft yolks. It is now more of a complete meal (All in one pan !)
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback. The eggs are a great idea, I must try that.