Steamed Cabbage with Lemon, Butter, and Thyme

Cabbage has a wonderful character when you treat it simply, and of course the texture is fantastic—silky and crunchy at the same time—and this shallow-steaming method gets that texture just right. While I love the simplicity of this basic version, I also like to juice it up a bit with hot sauce, grated Parmigiano, and breadcrumbs

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Bring ½ inch of water to a boil in a large sauce-pan. Add the cabbage, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and steam-simmer rapidly. After about a minute, uncover, stir the cabbage around so it’s getting evenly steamed (it’s okay if some of the leaves fall off the wedges), add a touch more water if necessary, cover, and cook until the cabbage is mostly tender but still has some crunch, 4 to 6 minutes total depending on your cabbage.

Step 2

Drain the cabbage well, give it a quick chop or two to make it easier to eat, and pile it into a bowl. Season with the lemon juice, butter, thyme, and several twists of pepper.