Exciting new levels of sautéed cabbage enjoyment are here! The humble cruciferous vegetable combines beautifully with chopped kale and soft butter beans in this 1-pan recipe. This vegan dish is loaded with aromatics like shallots, dried thyme, and garlic. The finishing touch is a creamy and dreamy stone ground mustard cream. You get the soft cabbage, bright green and tender kale, silky butter beans for protein, and the lush sauce. I top mine off with crunchy toasted almonds. This works as a veg side or as a main with some crusty bread. Served warm straight out of the skillet, this is a homey and vegan weeknight dinner delight!
Sometimes I like to do a nice sauté of vegetables and beans, add a complimentary sauce and some garnishes, and then call that dinner for the night. After trying this combination with a straggly cabbage on a whim one evening, I knew that it needed further recipe testing so that a final dish could debut here. It’s that good! Sometimes my winter veg game gets a little tired, so this is a fun way to shake it up.
I love the flavour of cruciferous vegetables with mustard and a hint of maple. It’s a cold weather dream in my opinion. For a delightful finishing touch, I have you quickly whip up a mustard “cream” (cashew based) to drizzle over the finished dish. This is not my most glamorous looking dish, but the flavours are so pleasant in these cold months!
The cabbage takes about 15 minutes to soften up in the skillet. You don’t have to hover over it the whole time though! Leaving it alone ensures that you get some extra brown bits and caramelization, which is where the flavour is. Once the cabbage is good, we hit it with a sparkle of apple cider vinegar and then add the kale and butter beans. Kale takes about 4-5 minutes to wilt, and then we’re ready to serve!
Drizzle the veg and beans with the mustard cream, top with the chopped almonds and extra black pepper. Spoon all of that sautéed cabbage goodness on crusty bread? This is my idea of vegetable heaven.
More cabbage appreciation:
Sautéed Cabbage, Kale & Butter Beans with Mustard Cream
Tender and caramelized sautéed cabbage combines with soft butter beans, vibrant kale, and a lush vegan mustard cream sauce. Flavoured with shallots, thyme, and garlic, this simple skillet main or side is cozy and nourishing.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon Tamari
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, halved & thinly sliced (about ½ cup sliced shallot)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ medium green cabbage, cored & chopped (about 600 grams)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups chopped kale, packed
- 1 ½ cups cooked butter beans, drained & rinsed (from one 15.5oz/458 ml can)
- ¼ cup toasted almond slices, roughly chopped
Notes
- Red cabbage will sub in fine here, but it will look a little grey by the end of the cooking process. Just warning you!
- Cashews can be replaced with pine nuts, raw sunflower seeds, raw sliced almonds, or macadamia nuts (soak at least 8 hours).
- I use about ¾ of the mustard cream when I make this! That makes it creamy enough for me. I use the remainder on a salad or grain bowl later on in the week.
Instructions
-
Make the mustard cream. In an upright blender, combine the drained cashews, water, nutritional yeast, stone ground mustard, maple syrup, Tamari, and a pinch of salt. Blend this mixture on high until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute Set aside.
-
Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent and a bit soft, about 5 minutes. If they’re browning too fast, lower the heat. Add the garlic and dried thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped cabbage and season with salt and pepper.
-
Sauté the cabbage, uncovered, for about 12-15 minutes, stirring it up here and there. The cabbage should be soft, browned in spots, and tender. You mostly want to leave it alone to get that nice caramelization! Once the cabbage is tender, stir in the apple cider vinegar and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet.
-
Add the chopped kale and butter beans, and stir to combine. Pop a lid on top to get some steam going. Once the kale is wilted, bright green, and tender–about 5 minutes–you’re good to go! Season again with salt and pepper.
-
Add ½ of the mustard cream to the skillet and stir. Take a taste and add more of the cream if you like. Also adjust the seasoning if necessary here (more salt, pepper, vinegar). Serve the sautéed cabbage, kale, and butter beans hot with chopped almonds and extra black pepper on top.