Cabbage with Sweet Potatoes Recipe

This vibrant, flavorful cabbage with sweet potatoes recipe is the perfect healthy, vegan side dish that comes together in under 20 minutes. It features tender sweet potatoes and crisp cabbage sautéed in rich garlic and oil, then tossed in a savory stir fry sauce.

Whether you’re looking for an effortless weeknight dinner addition or a new way to enjoy fresh garden vegetables, this quick sweet potato and cabbage side dish is a must-try. It’s naturally gluten-free, plant-based, and incredibly versatile.

Why You’ll Love This Simple Cabbage Side Dish

When I first started growing Napa Cabbage in my garden, a wonderful variety like the ‘One Kilo Slow Bolt‘ I used here, I knew I needed a simple recipe to show it off. This dish is that recipe.

• Quick & Easy: Perfect for busy weeknights, ready in about 15 minutes.
• Healthy: Naturally low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with nutrients.
• Customizable: Easily swap in other greens or starches (see the Variations section below).
• Garden Fresh: A perfect way to use seasonal spring or fall harvests, but delicious year-round with store-bought ingredients.

This is my first time growing cabbage and I couldn’t be any more happy with the results. I tripled the size of my garden in 2020, so I have been adding new vegetables to my roster of plants that I know how to grow.

I chose this Napa cabbage because it grows really well in the early spring and fall seasons where I live. I started the cabbage seeds outside in small pots at the end of July and transplanted them into my garden a few weeks later. By October I was eating delicious Napa cabbage.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Sautéed Cabbage with Sweet Potatoes

Preparation

• In a large pot or skillet, heat your oil over high heat.

• Add the sliced garlic and sauté until it turns golden, which should take just 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn!

• Next, add the diced sweet potatoes, salt, and ground black pepper. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes, mixing them occasionally to brown slightly.

Cooking the Cabbage

• Add the sliced cabbage (whether it’s Napa or traditional), stir fry sauce, and vegetable broth (or bean liquid/stock substitute).
• Sauté for another 8 minutes, mixing occasionally, until the cabbage has wilted and the sweet potatoes are tender.

Serving Suggestions and Pairings

This flexible sweet potato recipe can be served as both a main course or a side.

• As a Main: Serve over a bed of brown rice, quinoa, or your favorite whole grain to create a filling, complete meal.
• As a Side Dish: It pairs perfectly with protein-rich main dishes, such as pan-fried chicken cutlets, roasted pork tenderloin, or pan-seared salmon.

For this dish, sweet potato recipe with cabbage, I am using One Kilo Slow Bolt Napa Cabbage from my garden. You could also use traditional cabbage, bok choy, spinach, chard, escarole, or broccoli rabe if you would like. I have used all of those vegetables before as substitutes.

For the sweet potatoes you could substitute yellow potatoes, red potatoes, or a winter squash, such as, butternut or acorn. I would use whatever you can find in the grocery store.

If you do not have vegetable broth you could use chicken stock or water as a replacement. If you wanted to add more texture and flavor to the dish you could add beans, such as cannellini or kidney. Make sure you add the liquid from the beans, that can be used as a substitute for the broth or water.

For more recipe ideas like this cabbage with sweet potatoes dish, check out my side dish recipes.