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How To Start Working Out When You Don’t Like To Exercise
Focus More on Your Brain and Less on Your Diet if You’re Serious About Losing Weight
Home Court Habits: The Secret to Effortless Weight Control
10 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight When You Think You’re Doing Everything Right
How To Burn More Calories Without Breaking A Sweat
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Foodists
Oddly Delicious: Cabbage and Eggs
Cabbage and Eggs
I must confess that I’ve been reluctant to share this recipe for a long time because, well, let’s just say it isn’t the most photogenic thing that I cook.
However, I realized that this simple cabbage and eggs dish has become such a staple of my home court recipes that it isn’t fair to keep it from you any longer.
This recipe is special for a few reasons. First, even though it may look funny it tastes (and smells) absolutely amazing. The secret is adding just a splash of soy sauce to the cooked cabbage before adding the eggs, which gives it a rich umami flavor that our mouths crave.
Second, it’s surprisingly filling given that it’s just two eggs and a handful of leaves. Something about the combination makes it feel almost luscious and decadent to eat, and it keeps me full for hours.
Last, but certainly not least, how often do you get to eat (and actually enjoy) vegetables for breakfast? Although I’ve been known to make this for any meal of the day, the egg component makes it easy to add to your morning healthstyle and double down on your veggie consumption for the day.
One final bonus is that when I use certain varietals of purple cabbage in this dish my eggs turn an almost neon blue. What’s not to love?
Cabbage and Eggs
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 1 cup (packed down) thinly sliced cabbage
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Preparation
Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium high heat until it is hot. Add the olive oil and swirl it in the pan. Add the sliced cabbage and cook, stirring frequently until it softens and begins to brown, 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the heat on the pan to medium. Add the soy sauce and stir the cabbage constantly for about 30 seconds until the steam subsides. Do not leave this unattended or it will burn.
Spread out the cabbage so that it makes an even layer in the bottom of the pan, then pour over the eggs.
Let the eggs cook and set for about 20 seconds, then slowly fold them over themselves until the eggs are cooked through. We aren’t trying to make an omelet here, but a bit of cohesiveness in the dish is nice, as it keeps the eggs tender and moist.
Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Yep, that’s a reflection of me in my pajamas in the fork.
Originally published June 26, 2013.
I’ve been making this for some time also – I’m sure I first saw it in an earlier article of your (or maybe in your book?). Now the whole family is hooked. So easy & good.
Made this (Cabbage and Eggs) this morning for my breakfast. You are absolutely right,it is delicious and will give me a new HABIT of trying lots more SUMMERTOMATO recipes.
Daria, this recipe looks delicious but I have a doubt: isn´t feating olive oil risky or unhealthy? Shouldn´t we be using other oils, like coconut oil and such? Please share your thoughts. Thanks! 🙂
*heating
My thoughts: http://summertomato.com/pros-and-cons-of-cooking-oils-canned-fish/
Thanks for that link, Daria! Wonderful explanations.
Just what I needed… or the cabbage in my fridge needed. I can do this with the red cabbage too, right?
Cheers!
Amit
definitely going to try this though eggs with vegetables is already one of my home court breakfast habits. sounds great.
Will make this immediately. BTW, scrambled eggs cooked in seseme seed oil is the bomb!
My family has been using a variation of this dish for years. We chop the cabbage, cook it with butter, margarine or olive oil until tender, then mix it a couple of chopped hard cooked eggs. Instead of soy, we usually use salt and pepper. It is also a great filling for pirushski (sp?), a traditional Russian dish.
I love broccoli slaw in eggs, which is very similar to sliced cabbage as you do here! Honestly, I just load up any veggie in my fridge (spinach, kale, zucchini, squash, beans, asparagus, tomatoes, broccoli, broccoli slaw, brussels sprouts, rutabaga/ sweet potatoes/ parsnips, mushrooms are some of my fave! Also, of course green smoothies are a great way to fit in veggies for breakfast!
Simply delicious. Thank you.
Oh, yes, many times I’ve had cabbage and eggs (and bacon, all tossed in a bowl, YUM). A new egg/cabbage twist I enjoyed last night for dinner was from your last post, Darya, about eating probiotics – – eggs and kimchi. That was the first time I’ve tried kimchi, and I was delighted!
This is similar to my typical breakfast: eggs & salad.
I’ll scramble an egg or two (often with some crumbled feta or grated parmesan cheese mixed into the egg or tossed with the salad) and then add that to a salad that usually consists of fresh spinach leaves, tomato, red or yellow pepper, carrot, and a mushroom tossed with some olive oil, lemon juice, and a bit of salt. Then I’ll drizzle a spoonful of tahini paste (made from 100% ground sesame seeds) over the whole thing.
I can’t think of a better way to start off the day!
🙂
I agree!!! Eggs on a bed of greens is outstanding. I like a nicely poached egg over greens with an EVOO and lemon whisked dressing.
Simple yet delicious looking! 🙂
This recipe looks delish! The cabbage will be wonderful with my fresh chicken eggs! I am always looking for ways to change up my endless supply of them. Thanks. Wanda
Wonderful! I’ve been doing almost the same thing for a few years now but using onion instead of cabbage and using homemade Thai chili infused olive oil. I will try this immediately! 🙂
My mom has been making something like this (I use more cabbage and just 1 egg) since I was little. It’s one of my faves and one of the first dishes I learned to cook when I went to college! It’s like my ultimate “comfort food” funnily enough…..
Do you mind sharing your ethnic background?
I love to mix veggies into eggs and will try this one with the soy. FYI I had the Kimchi with eggs this morning. I put the Kimchi on the side until I knew it wouldn’t be too hot or even awful. But it was delicious! I mixed it all up and gobbled it down. Thanks for the simple stuff, Darya.
:), one more way to ‘hide’ cabbage, will try
Funny, I was asked at my bachelorette party what my favorite vegetable was (wild, this one!). People guessed kale, cauliflower and a dozen more exotic veggies. But and after much deliberation I settled on cabbage, because of its sheer versatility (breakfast, salad, dinner, kimchi, sauerkraut, etc.) and how much I use it and have grown to love it. Good cabbage should be sweet and crunchy, not at all bitter or tasteless.
Yum! Sauerkraut. I made a Sauerkraut and Shrimp saute last nite on a whim. Sounds weird…tastes great.
“how often do you get to eat (and actually enjoy) vegetables for breakfast”
Several times a week! I love cooking eggs this way with lots of vegetables–broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus or any greens. I’ve probably missed something, but those are my favorites.
Oh, and if you have leftover greens from dinner, warm them up and plunk a runny-yolked egg on top-fried or poached, however you like them.
You just inspired me to buy some purple cabbage ;).
Like the recipe. Added Sriracha sauce and now I love the meal.
Thanks,
I made this and it was delicious! I chose to use toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil, though, since it goes so well with soy sauce.
Just made this tonight – super easy and delicious!! I probably could have sliced the cabbage a bit thinner, but it WAS my first time cooking with it! Thank you for sharing, and for opening my eyes to a world of cabbage posibilites! 🙂
Also I used Bragg’s “Liquid Aminos” as a soy sauce alternative – that’s what my Mom has always used when recipes call for soy sauce, and so I have it in my head that it’s better for you? Not sure if it has any merit, but still tasted great!
Looks like I will be trying Kimchi with eggs next – THANKS!!
I tried this today for the first time. It was definitely the ugliest thing I’ve ever eaten, but it was delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Darya. I have a question about olive oil that I was hoping you could deconstruct given your science background. I’ve been reading that almost all cooked oils are ‘denatured’, that this is bad for you, creates toxins, etc. The message was ultimately; “Do NOT cook with olive or other oils. If you must, use coconut oil”. For a concerned foodist that cares about what she puts into her body – is this bogus, or holds some water?
I think people stress way too much over cooking oils. Here’s my take: http://summertomato.com/pros-and-cons-of-cooking-oils-canned-fish/
Mmm… I have some leftover cabbage I roasted with olive oil….bet I could reheat it and mix it with the eggs for your recipe. Yum!
I had leftover cabbage after making the 8-vegetable minestrone posted on your site (great recipe!!), so I finally tried this one. Such an easy recipe and so delicious. I truly didn’t think I cared much for cabbage, but after these two recipes I realized I’ve been missing out on this versatile veggie!
Totally agree! Cabbage seems so boring, but someone pressed me recently to name my favorite vegetable and I realized cabbage is the one I can’t live without. It’s great raw, cooked, fermented and is available year round!
This is yum! Immediate trial after found your recipe. Easy to make and healthy. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will try it tomorrow morning.
Can you explain the difference between “beaten” and “scrambled” eggs?
I think beaten eggs are raw and scrambled are cooked.
Hi Darya,
Bitter melon and eggs is also delightful and strangely simpatico (and non photogenic).
Agreed!
Isn’t it delicious!
Latins use to call these mixtures with eggs: “tortillas”. No, not in Mexico…
There is one tip missing, though…
After beatting the eggs, add first the fried cabbage over them, then mix them up. And finally, add them all together into the hot pan.
This makes a better mixture.
This is an interesting recipe for breakfast and looks del too! I mean it can give me a break from my regular oatmeal, oat-water breakfasts.
Love the recipe. Now I fry the cabbage with hot sauce and a few shrimp then the egg. Yummy!!
I’ve discovered the same thing by accident many years ago. I used Savoy cabbage with caraway and turmeric, and browned cooking onions. It was delicious!
Agree – not very pretty but delish! Never heard of cabbage and eggs but so glad I tried it. Next time I think I’ll try it with one of my infused grapeseed oils – garlic, smoky bacon or basil pesto would be extra amazing I bet! Thanks Darya 🙂
I made this for the first time two days ago. Made it again today. THANK YOU. Absolutely love it and can see myself eating it all the time. Any more dinner ideas that are this quick, easy and delicious?
To be honest I eat this for dinner sometimes too 😉
Nothing I’ve found is as quick as eggs, but stirfries, kale, broccoli, and my roasted cauliflower is great if you have 30 min. I usually pair these with some roasted chicken legs, something off the grill, or beans/lentils.
This sounds good to me, but I would make it more like a frittata for dinner. For me breakfast is steel cut oats and flax meal with a drizzle of agave nectar. I also use soy milk, rather than dairy milk.
Yes I will try this, but for a dinner entree!
I’ve been making this for breakfast probably 3 mornings a week since I read it on your blog. True love!
I use coconut oil most of the time, and I pepper the eggs.
This sounds delicious! I lived in China for several years and I absolutely went crazy for a dish which I think was very similar, but made with celtuce stalk (and probably a lot of MSG). I haven’t had much luck finding celtuce in LA, but I’m betting this dish would be just as delicious; I love cabbage! Thanks for the idea 🙂
hey darya, yet another winner along with the baked cauliflower we all enjoy. i used to work in a chinese restaurant (not as a cook) but i never had enough confidence to attempt this kind of dish before. anyways, long time listener first time caller, have you ever thought about moving into the interior of the country? the riverside neighborhood of wichita would be the perfect place to start a business, a family, a community, a home. people of your caliber are always appreciated, even if the husband is a little bit on the libertarian side. wouldn’t be the first time thats happened lol.
I’m sure I first saw it in an earlier article of your (or maybe in your book?)I’ve been making this for breakfast probably 3 mornings a week since I read it on your blog.
Yum, made this for lunch today, 6 year old loved it, 3 year old tolerated it, I thought it was fabulous! I only used 1/2 T olive oil and it was perfect.
I’m the same commenter as above, but just wanted to add that I made this again today with the other half of the cabbage and my 3 year old loved it this time, she’s the type that has to try things a few times, guess twice was enough with this dish.
I finally tried your recipe and it’s great. At first I was skeptical, but I have also tried your cauliflower recipe and love it, so I had to give it a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe. It tastes great and like you said it’s a great way to get veggies at breakfast.
Thanks again
FrankR
love this with spinach as well. i always eat this for breakfast.. i use onion though 🙂 i eat this along with peanut based dressing salad. almost everyday
So inspired by your recipe as I start a series of cheap and easy meals. We made this dish with sauted red cabbage and onions, over easy eggs, and served it deconstructed on toast. It turned out great and made the whole family happy, especially my youngest who always loves the option NOT to mix her foods.
Darya! I’ve been making this practically everyday for breakfast for the past 2 weeks. Absolute love how simple & delicious this is. Yer right, it ain’t that pretty..but it sure does know how to make my tongue and tummy smile. xx.
I knew there had to be a reason I was compelled to buy that cabbage last week when I was shopping! Today it is just about the only veggie left in my fridge and my car is in the repair shop so I can’t get to the market! Thank you also to everyone who added their favorite cabbage recipes!
There is a very similar recipe in my favorite Vietnamese cookbook (by Andrea Nguyen) that we used to make all the time. Her recipe includes a little dash of fish sauce too, which may sound gross but somehow makes the whole thing even more buttery and delicious…. Thanks for the reminder!
I throw in fish sauce sometimes too, when I’m in the mood for a more SE Asian taste.
Classic British bubble & squeak minus the potato!!
Looked ok, didn’t smell great, tasted delicious. Thanks! Will be in my rotation. Best thing for me is that I didn’t feel the lack of toast with it as I do with scrambled eggs by themselves!
Made this morning! Added some himalayan salt, crushed black pepper and cayene pepper. When done poured some salsa over it!! Num num! So delicious!