Butter braised cabbage with sugar snap peas is my new favourite side dish. The softness of the buttery cabbage combined with the crunch from the just tender sugar snaps goes so well with any roast meat. And for extra flavour I’ve added some tasty cream cheese. I can’t imagine why I’ve never cooked cabbage like this before!
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A new way to serve cabbage
If you like cabbage, then I think you are going to love this dish of butter braised cabbage with sugar snap peas.
The recipe came about when hubby arrived home from the allotment and proudly presented me with three cabbages and enough sugar snap peas to keep us in stir-frys for the better part of a month! The problem was what to do with them all so that we weren’t eating the same thing night after night.
I decided to braise the cabbage with some onions in butter and then add the sugar snaps for extra texture. And instead of going to all the trouble of making a cheese sauce, I thought that one or two spoonfuls of soft cream cheese would add a nice touch.
I can’t believe how delicious it was. It’s the best cabbage dish I’ve ever tasted. It was even better than my buttered cabbage and leek recipe (and that’s really saying something!)
The cabbage was perfectly cooked, and the sugar snaps provided a satisfying crunch. The butter gave the whole dish a slightly nutty taste, while the cream cheese brought the whole dish together.
Hubby’s verdict on my use of his vegetables? ‘This deserves a recipe on your website‘. So here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
What you will need
Equipment
All you will need by way of equipment is a large saute pan or saucepan, and a sharp knife and chopping board for cutting up the vegetables.
Ingredients
This recipe will easily feed 6 people as a side dish. To make a smaller portion just use less vegetables.
**You can get full instructions for making this butter braised cabbage on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Cabbage – I used a sweetheart cabbage, but this dish will work with savoy or white cabbage too.
Sugar snap peas – sometimes called mange tout.
Onion – I used a white onion but there’s no reason why you couldn’t use a red onion instead.
Cream cheese – I normally use the supermarket ‘own brand’ for cooking and keep the more expensive Philadelphia cream cheese for spreading on crackers.
Butter – don’t try and get away with using margarine – butter provides a much better flavour.
Salt and pepper to taste. This dish benefits from lots of freshly ground black pepper.
What to do
This is more of a method than an actual recipe.
Remove the outer leaves and core from the cabbage and chop it coarsely.
Remove the ends from the sugar snaps and cut them in half.
Peel the onion and cut it into approximately half-inch dice.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and add the onions.
Turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.
Leave the onions to sweat gently for about 5 minutes until they start to turn translucent. Don’t allow them to brown.
Stir the chopped cabbage into the onions and add the peas.
Add 2 tablespoons of water and half a teaspoon of salt.
Replace the lid and leave it to cook gently for 20 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
Stir the vegetables every few minutes.
The vegetables should still have a slight crunch to them – don’t let them overcook.
Also, keep your eye on the pan and if it starts to dry out add another splash of water and turn the heat down.
If there is any moisture in the pan towards the end of the 20 minutes, remove the lid so that the water can evapourate.
Stir in the cream cheese and allow it to melt.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary and a good grinding of black pepper.
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Can I freeze this dish?
I personally wouldn’t freeze it because the vegetables would become soggy once frozen and defrosted.
Storage
You can store the braised cabbage and peas for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
Save for later
If you’d like to try this braised cabbage and sugar snap recipe yourself, why not pin it to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it again easily. Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Other recipes
Here are some of my other vegetable side dishes you may like to try:
- Baked cauliflower and broccoli cheese
- Glazed carrots
- Cheesy zucchini bake with cream crackers
- Creamy leek and brussels sprouts bake
- Creamed cabbage South African style
- Mashed green beans (boereboontjies)
The recipe
Butter braised cabbage with sugar snap peas
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound / 450 grams cabbage coarsely chopped
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 ounces / 140 grams sugar snap peas ends removed and halved
- 1½ ounce / 40 grams butter
- 2 ounces / 60 grams cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaves and core from the cabbage and chop it coarsely.Remove the ends from the sugar snaps and cut them in half.Peel the onion and cut it into approximately half-inch dice.1 pound / 450 grams cabbage, 1 large onion, 5 ounces / 140 grams sugar snap peas
- Melt the butter in a saute pan and add the onions. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.Leave the onions to sweat gently for about 5 minutes until they start to turn translucent. Don't allow them to brown.1½ ounce / 40 grams butter
- Stir the chopped cabbage into the onions and add the peas. Add 2 tablespoons of water and half a teaspoon of salt.Replace the lid and leave it to cook gently for 20 minutes until the vegetables have softened.½ teaspoon salt
- Stir the vegetables every few minutes. The vegetables should still have a slight crunch to them – don't let them overcook.Also, keep your eye on the pan and if it starts to dry out add another splash of water and turn the heat down.
- If there is any moisture in the pan towards the end of the 20 minutes, remove the lid so that the water can evapourate.Stir in the cream cheese and allow it to melt.Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary and a good grinding of black pepper.2 ounces / 60 grams cream cheese, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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