What Is Savoy cabbage and How Can I Use It?
If savoy cabbage has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 17 recipes to try it in.
Key Points
- Crinkled, lacy leaves that are milder, sweeter, and more tender than green cabbage.
- Pliable leaves are the easiest to roll, so it is the pick for stuffed cabbage.
- Thinner leaves cook fast; a few minutes of saute is usually enough.
- Leans on butter, cream, and nutmeg rather than sour-sweet braises.
- Looser heads keep about a week, less than dense green cabbage.
What is savoy cabbage?
Savoy cabbage is the one with the deeply crinkled, lacy leaves and a looser, ruffled head. It looks fancy next to a smooth green cabbage, and it cooks like a gentler version of one.
The flavor is milder and a little sweeter, and the leaves are noticeably more tender. That softness is the whole point. Savoy gives you cabbage character without the tough chew or the strong smell.
How to Use It
Those big, pliable leaves are made for wrapping. They bend without cracking, which makes savoy the cook's pick for stuffed cabbage and rolls like German Cabbage Rolls (Kohlrouladen). Blanch a leaf for a minute and it folds around a filling cleanly.
Savoy also braises and sautes faster than dense green cabbage because the crinkled leaves are thinner. It melts into soups and chowders, as in Savoy Cabbage & Corn Chowder, and stands up to a creamy treatment like Savoy Wedges with Cheese Sauce.
Shredded raw, it makes a softer, frillier slaw than crisp green cabbage. It also tucks nicely into pasta, the way Alpine Mushroom Pasta uses it.
Cooking and Pairing
Savoy leans toward butter, cream, and gentle aromatics rather than heavy sour-sweet braises. It loves bacon, onion, garlic, and a grating of nutmeg or a little cream.
Because the leaves are thin, watch the timing. Savoy goes from tender to overcooked faster than green cabbage, so a quick saute of a few minutes is usually enough. Pull it while it still holds its shape and a hint of bite.
For wraps, the only real trick is softening the leaves first. Blanch them or freeze and thaw the head so they bend instead of tearing when you roll.
Substitutes
Plain green cabbage is the everyday swap, firmer and a bit more assertive, so it needs slightly longer cooking. Napa cabbage matches savoy's tenderness and mild flavor well, especially in quick-cooked dishes and soups.
For stuffed rolls, both green and napa leaves work once blanched, though savoy's crinkled, flexible leaves are the easiest to roll without splitting.
Buying and Storage
Look for a head that feels springy rather than rock-hard, with crisp, deeply veined leaves and good green color. Savoy heads are naturally looser than green cabbage, so do not expect the same dense weight.
Store it whole in a plastic bag in the crisper. It keeps about a week, shorter than tight green cabbage because the open, ruffled leaves dry out faster.
Once cut, wrap it well and use it within a few days while the leaves are still crisp.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 开胃菜白菜
- British (UK) term
- Savoy cabbage
- en français
- chou
- en español
- berza
Recipes using savoy cabbage
There are 17 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Buttermilk Herbed Coleslaw
Say goodbye to soggy slaw with this crisp buttermilk herbed coleslaw recipe. A light, creamy buttermilk dressing pairs with fresh chives and parsley for a bright, flavorful side dish perfect with BBQ!
Corned Beef & Cabbage (Stovetop)
Traditional Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe with tender brisket, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. The authentic stovetop method for St. Patrick's Day perfection.
German Cabbage Rolls (Kohlrouladen) - traditional
"Kohlrouladen" used to be a staple on the menu for regular people in Germany during winter time. The relatively long preparation and cooking time pays out, because it can be easily reheated over a couple of days and gets even better and tastier then. Fried potatoes complete the picture, but you can cook the potatoes also in the pot with the sauce, if there is space left. This recipe can be varied in many ways, be it the stuffing (ground meat here), or the sauce. The recipe is as traditional as it can be; the ingredients are adjusted to availability in North America (like Savoy cabbage in lieu of "Weisskohl", bacon to replace "Speckwuerfel"). For sure the ground meat can vary depending on preferences or diets - I bet quite often in the "good old times " regular people did not exactly know what's in the ground meat they got from the butcher - at least it was some meat, for most of the families only once a week.
German Cabbage Rolls (Kohlrouladen) - traditional
"Kohlrouladen" used to be a staple on the menu for regular people in Germany during winter time. The relatively long preparation and cooking time pays out, because it can be easily reheated over a couple of days and gets even better and tastier then. Fried potatoes complete the picture, but you can cook the potatoes also in the pot with the sauce, if there is space left. This recipe can be varied in many ways, be it the stuffing (ground meat here), or the sauce. The recipe is as traditional as it can be; the ingredients are adjusted to availability in North America (like Savoy cabbage in lieu of "Weisskohl", bacon to replace "Speckwuerfel"). For sure the ground meat can vary depending on preferences or diets - I bet quite often in the "good old times " regular people did not exactly know what's in the ground meat they got from the butcher - at least it was some meat, for most of the families only once a week.
Alpine Mushroom Pasta
A Northern Italian variation on pasta. Cabbage with pasta makes this dish more filling and is dressed with a light white wine sauce. Quick and easy to prepare.
Lemon Pressed Cabbage
Lemon pressed cabbage is a quick Japanese-style pickle: savoy cabbage, cloud ear mushrooms, and thin lemon slices salted and weighted for an hour into a crunchy, refreshing side.
Linguine with Brussel Sprouts Barigoule
Linguine with Brussels sprouts barigoule braises savoy cabbage, leeks, and sprouts in wine, lemon, and thyme, then tosses the whole thing with linguine. A Provencal vegetarian pasta.
Roulade of Turkey with Foie Gras & Sauterne Sauce ...
Turkey roulade stuffed with foie gras, wrapped in savoy cabbage, and steamed. Served with a sauterne-cherry reduction sauce and crispy sweet potato frites.
Sauteed Greens for Piadini
Sauteed Italian greens for piadini made with spinach, broccoli rabe (cime di rapa), and savoy cabbage, boiled tender then finished in garlic olive oil. A traditional Romagna filling.
Noodles & Cabbage
Noodles and cabbage: a rustic Italian Alpine-style baked casserole layering fettuccine with savoy cabbage, potatoes, melted soft cheese, and brown butter perfumed with sage. Vegetarian comfort food from the mountains.
Savoy Cabbage & Corn Chowder
Savoy cabbage and corn chowder with new potatoes, green chili peppers, and a blend of crushed fennel, coriander, and dill in a light milk broth. Half-pureed for creamy texture.
Vegetable Soup (Zuppa Di Verdure)
Rustic Italian vegetable soup with cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and peas simmered in beef broth, finished with garlic-parsley and served over toasted bread.
Savoy Wedges with Cheese Sauce
Savoy cabbage wedges steamed in the microwave and topped with a Swiss cheese sauce seasoned with paprika, garlic salt, and dill. A low-calorie vegetable side dish.
