This is one of the best sides dishes you will ever make! Combining green cabbage and okra is an easy and delicious way to enjoy these two vegetables. Full of flavor with a hint of garlic, this is the perfect side dish to any meal!
I am a southern girl and I grew up on green leafy vegetables. Out of all of the vegetables I grew up on, I hated cabbage and brussel sprouts the most. My grandmother and mom always poured white vinegar over these two green vegetables and it was disgusting. The problem was in the way they cooked them. They had no flavor.
It wasn't until I had this Brussels Sprout Salad that I started to like brussels sprouts. And then I tried this stuffed cabbage roll recipe you can make in a crock pot and it was full of flavor. I decided to step outside my comfort zone and make this cabbage recipe my sister-in-law came up with and it changed my mind about cabbage forever.
Who would have thought that steamed cabbage and okra would taste good together? What makes this dish so delicious is the hint of garlic.
Okra
Okra is one of my absolute favorite vegetables ever. We always had okra growing in our garden and mom used to make fried okra weekly. This past Sunday, a lady at church brought in this HUGE bag of fresh okra from her garden and told me to take as much as I wanted. So I did... I took a ton so I could use it in some recipes as well as freeze it. Okra freezes really well.
When my husband saw all the okra, he begged me to make a batch of his family favorite recipe. I made a huge pot and it was fantastic! Now I want to share it with you because it's so nutritious, super easy to make, and is great for leftovers.
🛒 Ingredients
We're talking 6 simple ingredients to make this side dish. I tend to use green cabbage with this recipe but napa cabbage, savoy cabbage, and white cabbage also work well. You can use either a small head of cabbage with this recipe or a large one...it all depends on how big of a batch you want to make. You can also use fresh or frozen okra. Either works great.
🔪 How to Cut Cabbage
How you cut cabbage for this recipe is important. You don't want shredded cabbage, you want bite-size pieces. On a cutting board, cut the head of cabbage in half right down the middle. From there, cut it in half again. Cut out the heart and toss. Expert Tip: The heart is that hard white part in the middle and it's very bitter. You don't want to eat that part. Next, cut the half into 4 sections. turn it around and chop into bite-size pieces. Rinse in a colander and place in a large pot on the stove.
📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ⅓ cup of water to the pot. Stir well top coat.
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On your stovetop, turn the burner to medium-high heat and when the water starts to get hot (not boiling), turn the heat down to medium and place the lid on top of the pot. Let the cabbage mixture steam for about 10-15 minutes, until it is just starting to turn soft. Once the time is up, place the raw okra on top. Let it sit on top without stirring for about 10 more minutes, again with the lid in place and heat on medium temperature. You want the mixture to steam, not boil.
After 10 minutes, stir the mixture once and place the top back on pot. You will know the cabbage is done when the liquid has started to dissolve from the bottom of the pot and the vegetables are soft. Grab a bowl and serve immediately.
Cabbage Nutrition
When cabbage is cooked correctly, it's super yummy and super nutritious. There are a lot of health benefits to eating this leafy green vegetable. There is 2 grams of dietary fiber in a cup. And it's gut-friendly fiber. I try to get about 25 grams of fiber in a day and it's a struggle. But this recipe really adds to my daily fiber target. When it comes to calories, there's only 22 calories in a cup. And it's also low in carbs. Cabbage contains a lot of antioxidants and you need those to fight free radicals which can cause diseases.
Okra Nutrition
There is also a lot of health benefits when it comes to eating okra. Okra contains a lot of fiber and has many other nutritional values such as having a high amount of vitamin B6 and folic acid. Okra may also play a role in lowering cholesterol.
💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
- Don't boil it - The key to making cabbage and okra is to steam it.
- Don't overstir when making this dish. Avoid the temptation of stirring the mixture too much. If you do, the okra is going to become slimy. Stirring occasionally is key.
- Cabbage makes water naturally so only add ⅓ cup to this recipe.
- Whole okra or bite-size pieces - I like to cut my okra into bite-size pieces. My husband likes the entire piece of okra in (with the ends cut off). I often times do both. I cut some fresh okra into bite-size pieces and leave a couple of whole pieces in for him. We all win!
When cooked together, cabbage and okra become a huge powerhouse veggie combo with so many health benefits! It is so good for you! And you know it's good when your 9 year old likes it and asks for seconds...ponder that one for a minute....
🍽️ Other Recipes You'll Love
I love pairing this recipe with my Southern Style Pot Roast. If you want a southern style meal, this is one to try. I mentioned this one earlier but I'm going to mention it again. This Crock Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole is like stuffed cabbage, only better because you get the convenience of letting the crock pot do all the work.
Have you ever had cabbage soup? My Poor Man's Soup recipe is a lot like it but so much more delicious! This vegetable soup with cabbage is a comfort food and is extremely healthy. Another recipe of mine you should try is my healthy Coleslaw. It's made with both red and green cabbage and is mixed with apples and other fresh vegetables.
And since we all know cabbage is one of those foods that gets popular around St. Patrick's day, try pairing my cabbage and okra with my Slow Cooker Brisket. It's the perfect holiday meal!
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Steamed Cabbage and Okra
Ingredients
- 1 head of fresh green cabbage
- 15 pieces of okra, fresh or frozen cut into bite size pieces OR whole - just cut the ends off
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- Place ⅓ cup of water in large pot.
- Cut the cabbage into bite-size pieces discarding the hearts. Wash thoroughly and place pieces in the pot on top of the water.
- Add in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir well to coat.
- Turn the burner on medium-high heat and when water starts to get hot (not boiling), turn heat down to medium and place lid on top of the pot.
- Steam team for about 10-15 minutes, until it is starting to just turn soft.
- After that 10-15 minutes is up, place the raw okra on top of the cabbage. Let it sit on top without stirring for about 10 more minutes, again with the heat on medium temperature. You want this to steam, not boil.
- After 10 minutes, stir once and place top back on pot.
- You will know this dish is done when the liquid is starting to dissolve from the bottom of the pot and the cabbage and okra are soft.
Notes
- Don't boil it - The key to making cabbage and okra is to steam it.
- Don't overstir when making this dish. Avoid the temptation of stirring this one too much. If you do, your okra is going to become slimy. Stirring occasionally is key.
- Cabbage makes water naturally so only add ⅓ cup to this recipe.
- Whole okra or bite-size pieces - I like to cut my okra into bite-size pieces. My husband likes the entire piece of okra in (with the ends cut off). I often times do both. I cut some fresh okra into bite-size pieces and leave a couple of whole pieces in for him.
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Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in September 2016, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in August 2020.
Savita
Who knew steamed cabbage and okra could be so flavorful and satisfying? This dish is a delightful surprise! The simplicity of steaming allows the natural flavors of the vegetables to shine through, and the combination of cabbage and okra creates a perfect balance of textures. It's now a staple on my dinner table.
Amanda Mason
Wow Savita!! Thank you for the great feedback!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much and it's being served on the regular for you dinner menu!!! Let me know what other recipes of mine you try!!
Amy Liu Dong
The is a great recipe because the real taste of the mains will come out and the seasonings just enhances it!
Amanda Mason
Glad you loved it Amy!!! It is super flavorful!!
DK
I love okra and am always looking for another recipe to use it in! This one was great - simple, healthy and delicious!
Amanda Mason
So great to hear this!! Okra is excellent on its own but paid with cabbage...it's amazing!
Heather Wiederhold
All I have is a head of purple cabbage. Will this work well?
Amanda Mason
It might taste bitter. But you can try it. Green cabbage works best. Napa cabbage does, as well.
Savita
This sounds so interesting and so simple to make. An amazing side dish to my weeknight busy dinners.
Amanda Mason
It is simple to make and incredibly nutritious! Enjoy!
Luke
Excellent side dish recipe; we gad our Steamed Cabbage and Okra as a side with our Chicken Sunday roast dinner; it was lush 🙂
Amanda Mason
Yeah! I'm so glad to hear that it paired so well with your Sunday dinner!!