Yummy Old-Fashioned Cabbage Recipes for One Person

Cabbage is cheap, filling and surprisingly versatile. And if you grew up eating fairly traditional home cooking, you probably don’t need me to introduce you to cabbage via kimchi tacos, tahini dressing or some viral charred-cabbage situation on TikTok.

Sometimes you just want simple cabbage recipes made with ordinary ingredients. Butter. Potatoes. Onions. Eggs. Ground beef. Cheese. The sort of things you probably already have in the kitchen.

That’s what you’ll find here.

These old-fashioned cabbage recipes are all designed for one person, so you won’t end up eating an enormous pot of cabbage soup until next Thursday. Most use only a handful of ingredients, and there are also a couple of good ways in here to use up a wedge of cabbage left over from another meal.

How Much Cabbage Do You Need for One Person?

As a rough guide, 100–150 g (3½–5 oz) of raw cabbage per person is plenty for a side dish. For a cabbage-heavy main meal, you’ll probably want around 200–250 g (7–9 oz).

You don’t need to be terribly precise, though. One of cabbage’s virtues is that most of these recipes are very forgiving.

A small head of cabbage will usually stretch to several meals for one person. Once cut, wrap it well or put it in a container in the fridge and just slice off what you need. It can store a relatively long time in the fridge.

Green or white cabbage works for all the recipes below unless I’ve specified otherwise.

1. Fried Cabbage and Onions for One

This might be the easiest place to start if boiled cabbage has left you unconvinced about this vegetable.

Cooked slowly in butter with onion, cabbage gets soft and slightly sweet, with lovely browned bits around the edges.

Ingredients

• 150–200 g (5–7 oz) cabbage, thinly sliced
• ½ small onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until it starts to soften.
3. Add the cabbage and toss everything together.
4. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and beginning to brown around the edges.
5. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.

Make it a meal: add a fried egg on top or serve it with a boiled or baked potato.

2. Buttered Cabbage and Potatoes

Cabbage and potatoes don’t look glamorous, but oh gosh, yum! There’s a reason folks have been eating this for generations. These ingredients are inexpensive, filling and really very hard to mess up.

This version is somewhere between plain buttered vegetables and a very simple colcannon.

Ingredients

• 1 medium potato, about 180–200 g (6–7 oz)
• 120 g (4 oz) cabbage, shredded
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Peel the potato if you like, cut it into chunks and put it in a small saucepan of salted water.
2. Boil for about 12–15 minutes, until nearly tender.
3. Add the cabbage to the same pan for the final 4–5 minutes.
4. Drain well.
5. Return everything to the pan and add the butter and milk.
6. Mash roughly rather than trying to make it completely smooth.
7. Season with salt and pepper.

Optional: Stir in some grated cheddar or top it off with a fried egg if you want something more substantial.

3. Cabbage and Ground Beef Skillet

This is proper cupboard-and-fridge cooking. Ground beef, cabbage, onion and a few seasonings all go into one pan and come out as dinner.

Ingredients

• 125 g (4½ oz) ground beef
• 150 g (5 oz) cabbage, shredded
• ¼ onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon oil, if needed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons water

Method

1. Brown the ground beef in a frying pan over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage, Worcestershire sauce and water.
4. Turn the heat down slightly, cover and cook for about 8 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and cook for another 2–3 minutes until the cabbage is tender and any excess liquid has evaporated.
6. Season to taste.

Serve it as it is, spoon it over mashed potatoes or have a simple slice of buttered bread with it.

4. Old-Fashioned Creamed Cabbage

Creamed cabbage is exactly what it sounds like: tender cabbage in a simple white sauce.

If you like creamed spinach, cauliflower cheese or vegetables in béchamel, this is very much in the same comforting family.

Ingredients

• 150 g (5 oz) cabbage, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 120 ml (½ cup) milk
• Salt and black pepper
• Small pinch of nutmeg, optional

Method

1. Simmer the cabbage in lightly salted water for 5–7 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly.
2. Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium-low heat.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously so the sauce stays smooth.
5. Cook for 2–3 minutes until thickened.
6. Add the cabbage back to the pan and stir to coat.
7. Season with salt, pepper and a tiny pinch of nutmeg if you like.

This dish works great alongside chicken, meatloaf, beef sausage or a simple baked potato.

5. Cabbage, Potato and Sausage Skillet

For a one-pan dinner that actually feels like a meal, add some sausage!

Use a plain beef, chicken or turkey sausage. A smoked beef or poultry sausage works too.

Ingredients

• 1 medium potato
• 1–2 beef, chicken or turkey sausages, depending on size
• 120–150 g (4–5 oz) cabbage, sliced
• ¼ onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons water

Method

1. Cut the potato into small cubes. There’s no need to peel it.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the potato over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Slice the sausage and add it with the onion. Cook for another 4–5 minutes.
4. Add the cabbage and water.
5. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender, the potatoes are cooked through and everything has picked up a little colour.
7. Season to taste.

6. Simple Cabbage Soup for One

Most cabbage soup recipes seem designed to feed either a large family or a small regiment. This one makes a sensible amount for one person.

Ingredients

• 150 g (5 oz) cabbage, chopped
• 1 small potato, diced
• ½ carrot, sliced
• ¼ onion, chopped
• 400 ml (1⅔ cups) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon butter or oil
• Salt and black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, optional

Method

1. Heat the butter or oil in a small saucepan.
2. Cook the onion and carrot for 3–4 minutes.
3. Add the potato, cabbage, stock and thyme.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5. Taste and season.

If you want a heartier soup with protein, try adding some leftover chicken, cooked ground beef or sliced beef, chicken or turkey sausage.

7. Cabbage and Egg Fry-Up

Eggs are useful when you’re cooking for one because they turn leftover vegetables into a decent meal in about five minutes.

This easy recipe particularly handy when you have some cooked cabbage left over from the night before.

Ingredients

• 100–120 g (3½–4 oz) shredded cabbage
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon butter
• ¼ small onion, sliced, optional
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, if using, followed by the cabbage.
3. Cook for 5–7 minutes until the cabbage is tender and lightly browned.
4. Make two spaces in the cabbage and crack in the eggs.
5. Cover the pan and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are done to your liking.
6. Season with salt and pepper.

A slice of toast on the side makes this a perfectly respectable breakfast, lunch or lazy dinner.

8. Cheesy Cabbage and Potato Gratin for One

This is a good one for cold evenings. Potato, cabbage, cheese sauce. Nothing mysterious going on here.

Ingredients

• 1 small potato, about 120–150 g (4–5 oz)
• 120 g (4 oz) cabbage, shredded
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 120 ml (½ cup) milk
• 40 g (1½ oz) grated cheddar
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
2. Cut the potato into thin slices and simmer in salted water for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage for the final 2 minutes, then drain everything well.
4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
5. Gradually stir in the milk and cook until the sauce thickens.
6. Stir in half the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
7. Put the potato and cabbage into a small ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce.
8. Scatter the remaining cheese on top.
9. Bake for about 15–20 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned.

9. Braised Cabbage with Apple

Cabbage doesn’t always need meat to make it interesting. Apple adds a little sweetness without turning the dish into anything particularly fancy.

Red cabbage is especially good here, although ordinary green cabbage works too.

Ingredients

• 150 g (5 oz) cabbage, thinly sliced
• ½ small apple, peeled and sliced
• ¼ onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) water
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar, optional

Method

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
2. Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage, apple, vinegar, water and salt.
4. Cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
5. Taste. If your apple is particularly tart, add a small pinch of sugar.

Serve with chicken, beef sausage or a baked potato.

10. Cabbage and Noodles for One

Cabbage and noodles is wonderfully basic comfort food. Versions of this dish turn up throughout Central and Eastern Europe for good reason: both ingredients are cheap, filling and easy to keep around.

Ingredients

• 75 g (2½ oz) egg noodles or other short pasta
• 150 g (5 oz) cabbage, thinly sliced
• ¼ onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and plenty of black pepper

Method

1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan.
3. Add the onion and cabbage and cook over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown.
4. Drain the noodles and add them to the frying pan.
5. Toss everything together and season generously with black pepper and a little salt.

A spoonful of sour cream on top is delicious if you happen to have some in the fridge.

11. Simple Roasted Cabbage Wedges

If your memories of cabbage involve something pale and boiled into submission, roasting is worth trying.

The edges brown and turn slightly sweet while the centre gets tender. I like these wedges with a simple minute steak!

Ingredients

• 1 thick cabbage wedge, about 200 g (7 oz)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F.
2. Leave the core attached to the wedge so the leaves stay together.
3. Put the cabbage on a small baking tray and rub both sides with the oil.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Roast for 15 minutes.
6. Carefully turn the wedge and roast for another 10–15 minutes until tender and browned around the edges.

You could also plate these wedges with a fried egg, chicken, beef or turkey sausage, or a baked potato.

12. Bubble and Squeak for One

And finally, perhaps the best cabbage recipe of all when the cabbage is already cooked.

Bubble and squeak was made for leftovers. Traditionally, it uses leftover potatoes and cabbage fried together until browned. Exact quantities aren’t terribly important.

Ingredients

• 150 g (5 oz) leftover mashed or boiled potato
• 100 g (3½ oz) cooked cabbage
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Roughly mash the potato and cabbage together and season with salt and pepper.
2. Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat.
3. Add the potato mixture and press it down into a thick cake.
4. Cook for 5–7 minutes until browned underneath.
5. Turn it over. If flipping the whole thing sounds like an excellent way to decorate your floor with potato, divide it into two pieces first.
6. Cook for another 5 minutes until hot and browned.

Top it with a fried egg, serve it with leftover chicken or beef, or eat it exactly as it is. It’s so good.

Other Cabbage Recipes for Leftovers

The useful thing about buying cabbage when you live alone is that you don’t have to decide what to do with the whole thing at once.

Use a wedge for fried cabbage and onions one night. Shred some into soup a couple of days later. Add another handful to a sausage skillet, then use whatever is left for cabbage and noodles or bubble and squeak.

You can also add small amounts of raw cabbage to:

• Sandwiches and wraps
• Homemade coleslaw
• Soups and stews
• Stir-fries
• Scrambled eggs
• Fried rice
• Potato hash

And unlike a bag of delicate salad leaves, a head of cabbage isn’t generally plotting its own liquefaction approximately after you bring it home. It can keep well for weeks if you store it properly in the fridge.

Which Cabbage Is Best for Cooking?

For these simple recipes, green or white cabbage is the easiest all-round choice.

Savoy cabbage is softer and cooks quickly, so it’s particularly good with butter, potatoes and onions.

Red cabbage takes longer to soften and has a stronger flavour. It’s excellent braised with apple and vinegar.

Pointed or sweetheart cabbage is tender and slightly sweeter, so it’s especially good for quick frying.

You don’t need to buy a particular variety just because a recipe specifies one, though. If there’s already half a head of cabbage in your fridge, just use that.

Simple Cooking for One Doesn’t Need Special Ingredients

One of the biggest annoyances with recipes supposedly written for one person is discovering that you need six ingredients you don’t normally buy just to make a single serving.

Cabbage is refreshingly uncomplicated. It goes with potatoes, onions, eggs, cheese, ground beef or chicken and you can get several completely different meals out of the same inexpensive vegetable.

And because it keeps so well, there’s no particular urgency to use the entire thing immediately.

Start with whichever recipe matches what you’ve already got in the kitchen. That’s usually a much better way to cook for one than buying a trolley full of ingredients to follow somebody else’s meal plan.