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recipe for fried cabbage with bacon in a bowl
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5 from 2 votes

Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Easy to make, healthy recipe for fried cabbage with bacon, the perfect cabbage side dish or a delightful light meal on its own.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 246kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • 100 g/ 3.5 oz lean bacon See note 1
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil See note 1 as well
  • 2 medium onions
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs white or green cabbage
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds See note 2
  • 1 medium tomato
  • 180 ml/ 6 fl.oz/ ¾ cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar + more to taste
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • small bunch of parsley

Instructions

  • Chop the cabbage and set it aside. Cut the bacon into cubes and slice the onions. Finely chop the garlic cloves. Keep the garlic separated from the bacon and onions.
  • Heat the oil (only if using lean bacon) in a large skillet. Saute the bacon and the onions until the fat has rendered and the onion slices are golden. Pour out most of the rendered bacon fat, keeping only about 1-2 tablespoons of the fat.
  • Add the chopped garlic cloves to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped cabbage. It will seem like a lot, but the cabbage will wilt down after a few minutes of cooking time. Cover and cook for about 6-7, stirring well a few times in between.
  • Add the sweet paprika powder, sugar, caraway, some salt, and pepper. Stir well and add the finely chopped tomato and the vegetable broth. Cover the pan and saute for another 6-7 minutes or until the cabbage is almost done. You might want to cook the cabbage for a shorter or longer period of time, depending on your taste, the cabbage can remain crunchy or get even softer. But it should not become mushy.
  • Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Stir well and cook the cabbage for another 4-5 minutes without the lid. Adjust the taste generously with more sea salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar, and a little sugar. The cabbage should taste slightly sweet and sour.
  • Stir in the chopped parsley.

Video

Notes

If using lean or turkey bacon, fry it in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. If using regular bacon, there is no need to add any oil to the pan, the bacon will render more than enough fat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 869mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g