One pan swamp cabbage is a fast and easy dish that is made in one pot. Easy to make, just sauté the bacon and sausage, add a few chopped veggies and spices and you have a warm and cozy dinner or hearty side in no time.
Smoky and hearty, healthy and balanced, this is a one-pot meal that is sure to satisfy. I loved creating this recipe and loved the results even more! This recipe stays true to its origins and tastes fantastically satisfying, spicy, and smokey. Serve it with a side of cornbread for a well-rounded meal.
This dish reminds me a lot of Haluski, another Eastern European cabbage and sausage recipe that’s a one-pan wonder without the Southern influence. Both are uniquely delicious, so I hope you’ll try them both!
If you’d like to try more dishes that star cabbage, an often overlooked nutritional powerhouse, I hope you’ll check out our cabbage roll casserole, fried cabbage and bacon, are our ugly, but incredibly delicious, cabbage casserole!
WHAT IS ONE PAN SWAMP CABBAGE?
Swamp cabbage is a really delicious Southern dish that can be served as a hearty side or one-dish main meal. It’s a Florida specialty dish, and is often called Florida swamp cabbage, that has roots from Poland. LaBelle, Florida even hosts a swamp cabbage festival annually if you happen to be in the area!
Loaded with smokey flavor, this Florida favorite is a hit with everyone. Lots of bacon, sausage, and a great mix of veggies. It even boasts a surprise, unique ingredient, hearts of palm, to keep the flavor train going!
SWAMP CABBAGE INGREDIENTS
- Thick-cut bacon: Bacon adds smokey meaty flavor.
- Smoked sausage: I use Kielbasa sausage, a smoked Polish sausage.
- Red bell pepper: This is a sweet pepper that is not spicy.
- Large Yellow onion: A mild and sweet aromatic when cooked.
- Celery: Cooked celery has a mild and earthy taste. It is considered an aromatic.
- Garlic: Fresh only…please! Listen, I love using convenience products as much as the next cook. Buy the bagged peeled garlic as a shortcut but not the stuff that comes pre-minced and suspended in that weird-tasting liquid. It doesn’t even taste like garlic!
- Cabbage: I use green cabbage. Cabbage is high in fiber many vitamins. This veggie is mild and sweet, a little earthy when cooked or braised.
- Hearts of palm: What are hearts of palm? It comes from the sabal palm and tastes like a cross between artichoke and a water chestnut. They are usually found canned or jarred.
- Diced tomatoes: Use your favorite brand of canned tomatoes.
- Water: Tap or filtered water
- Cajun seasoning: A great mix of spices such as paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, and thyme. You can sub this out with all purpose seasoning, such as Everglades, if you’d prefer
- Sugar: A little sugar balances the acidity of the dish.
TIPS
- Originally: Made with sabal palmetto, also called cabbage palm. We use the more accessible, canned hearts of palm. Is it the same thing. No, but if you don’t have access to the natively grown plant, it’s the best substitution you can get!
- Make It Crispy! Be sure to take your time when browning the bacon and sausage in order to form crisp edges.
- Overcooking: Don’t overcook the cabbage. Overcooked cabbage can smell sulfurous.
- Large Dutch Oven: I like to use my enameled cast iron Dutch oven to make this Floridians fav!
- Variations: Personalize your swamp cabbage stew with more south Florida favorites such as shrimp, jalapeño pepper, or green bell pepper.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
Serve this as a main dish with cornbread like: Southern cornbread, hot water cornbread, Jiffy cornbread, honey butter cornbread, and jalapeno cornbread.
This can be served as a side dish with main dishes like: crockpot pork tenderloin, Mississippi pot roast or crockpot Mississippi meatballs, Salisbury steak, Swiss steak, Instant Pot pork chops, or our honey glazed salmon
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Once made, store your leftovers in an airtight container, to last three days in the refrigerator.
- Can You Freeze This? I do not recommend freezing.
- Make-Ahead: This dish can be made ahead of time. Just reheat.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
HOW TO MAKE SWAMP CABBAGE
- Cook the bacon.
- Add the sausage.
- Stir in the bell pepper, onion, and celery. Saute and add the garlic.
- Add the cabbage, hearts of palms, tomatoes, water, Cajun seasoning, and sugar. Simmer.
- Cook until the cabbage is tender. Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
MORE ONE-POT + PAN SOUTHERN RECIPES
- Cowboy Spaghetti
- Southern Chicken and Dumplings
- Brunswick Stew
- Smothered Chicken
- Ground Beef and Potatoes
- Hamburger Gravy
- Cajun Shrimp
- Okra and Tomatoes
MORE SOUTHERN SIDE DISHES
- Smothered Potatoes
- Southern Style Green Beans
- Maque Choux
- Tennessee Onions
- Skillet Corn
- Texas Roadhouse Green Beans
- Texas Rice
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Cowboy Baked Beans
- Arkansas Green Beans
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
If you’ve tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a review. I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Swamp Cabbage
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 5 1/2 ounces smoked sausage sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces
- 1 small red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed then finely chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 8 cups cabbage, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 (14-ounce) jar hearts of palm, drained and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, including juices
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- In a large pan or Dutch oven, fry chopped bacon over medium-high heat until it releases its fat and edges are crispy; Set aside, reserving drippings.
- Stir the sausage into the Dutch oven (with bacon) and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and bacon is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in red pepper, onion, and celery and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the cabbage, hearts of palm, tomatoes, water, Cajun seasoning, and sugar. Adjust heat to medium high and simmer.
- Cover the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve!
Notes
- Make It Crispy! Be sure to take your time when browning the bacon and sausage in order to form crisp edges.
- Overcooking: Don’t overcook the cabbage. Overcooked cabbage can smell sulfurous.
Gotta love this! The best meal I want to cook after a long day at work!
So happy your like this cabbage dish Linda! We adore it at our house!!