It seems like I am continually trying to find the perfect side dish to keep me from sneaking and snacking on the carb-laden foods that my family provides for parties. I’m always tempted with the creamy, flour-based sauces and the starchy root vegetable and breading combos. My mother so ritualistically shares these, so this year I am showing everyone up with this fantastic buttery, creamy, braised cabbage!
Braising is a cooking technique often used for meat. The first step involves searing it with dry heat, followed by steaming, often with an acidic liquid. This enhances the natural flavors for a beautifully tender main dish. Since a vegetable isn’t as sturdy, the cooking process is altered by frying the fragrant garlic and onion first, followed by steaming the vegetable, in this case cabbage, in the liquid. From there, we can use the left-over drippings with a bit of traditional acidic taste to make a rich and guilt-free cream sauce.
Not only is this dish keto friendly, but it won’t blow your calorie allowance for the day either! Truly the best of both worlds!
Yields 4 servings of Garlic Butter Braised Cabbage
The Preparation
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup vegetable stock*
- ¼ medium cabbage, sliced into 1-inch rounds, approximately 3 slices
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Pinch of salt
- Garlic herb powder to garnish, optional
*You can substitute chicken stock for a non-vegetarian version.
The Execution
1. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Be sure to use a skillet or frying pan with a lid to properly braise!
2. Add chopped onion and garlic to the butter and sauté on medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add cabbage slices in an even layer. If they don’t all fit, stacking them will work, too. You may also want to cut one slice in half to make it all fit! Cover with the lid and let the cabbage cook for about 20 minutes or until very tender.
5. Once tender, remove the cabbage from the pan and set aside to make the sauce.
6. Add the Worcestershire sauce to the pan and bring the sauce back to a simmer.
7. Stir in the sour cream and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
8. Pour the cream sauce over the braised cabbage and garnish with optional garlic herb seasoning. Portion into four equal servings.
This makes a total of 4 servings of Garlic Butter Braised Cabbage. Each serving comes out to be 109 Calories, 9g Fat, 5g Net Carbs, and 1g Protein.
| Garlic Butter Braised Cabbage | Calories | Fats(g) | Carbs(g) | Fiber(g) | Net Carbs(g) | Protein(g) |
| 2 tablespoons butter | 204 | 23.04 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.02 | 0.24 |
| ¼ cup diced onion | 16 | 0.04 | 3.74 | 0.7 | 3.04 | 0.44 |
| 2 cloves garlic, minced | 9 | 0.03 | 1.98 | 0.1 | 1.88 | 0.38 |
| 1 cup vegetable stock* | 11 | 0.15 | 2.06 | 0 | 2.06 | 0.53 |
| ¼ medium cabbage | 57 | 0.23 | 13.17 | 5.7 | 7.47 | 2.91 |
| 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce | 26 | 0 | 6.52 | 0 | 6.52 | 0 |
| ¼ cup sour cream | 114 | 11.13 | 2.66 | 0 | 2.66 | 1.4 |
| Totals | 437 | 34.62 | 30.15 | 6.5 | 23.65 | 5.9 |
| Per Serving(/4) | 109.25 | 8.66 | 7.54 | 1.63 | 5.91 | 1.48 |
Garlic Butter Braised Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup vegetable stock*
- ¼ medium cabbage sliced into 1-inch rounds, approximately 3 slices
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Pinch of salt
- Garlic herb powder to garnish optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Be sure to use a skillet or frying pan with a lid to properly braise!
- Add chopped onion and garlic to the butter and sauté on medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add stock and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add cabbage slices in an even layer. If they don’t all fit, stacking them will work, too. You may also want to cut one slice in half to make it all fit! Cover with the lid and let the cabbage cook for about 20 minutes or until very tender.
- Once tender, remove the cabbage from the pan and set aside to make the sauce.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce to the pan and bring the sauce back to a simmer.
- Stir in the sour cream and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Pour the cream sauce over the braised cabbage and garnish with optional garlic herb seasoning. Portion into four equal servings.
