This African cabbage stew with ground beef should be on your dinner menu tonight! Made with tomato sauce, peppers, ground beef, and a handful of spices, it is perfect for a family dinner and your whole family will love it!
This super easy cabbage stew is budget-friendly, quick to prepare, and tastes amazing! It is very healthy and is perfect for a low carb or keto diet. It also freezes well and is great for a busy weeknight meal.
What is Cabbage Stew?
Cabbage Stew is a soup or stew that is made with cabbage as the main ingredient. However, other veggies like onions, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes are usually added to it to make it more nutritious.
Chopped or ground meats are also added to it, depending on personal preference. However, cabbage stew can be made vegetarian by leaving out all animal protein.
Cabbage stew is one versatile soup that can also be made in an instant pot to reduce cooking time, or a slow cooker if you're not in any rush at all.
Ingredients Used
- Vegetables: Cabbage, red bell peppers, garlic clove, and onion. I use one large head of cabbage for this recipe.
- Tomato sauce: The tomato sauce will add more flavor and acidity to the dish. You can buy your tomato paste or tomato sauce from the grocery store.
- Ground beef: I use 73% lean and 27% fat ground beef for this recipe, but any type will do.
- Spices: Cayenne pepper, black pepper, bouillon powder, salt, and thyme.
- Olive oil: To sauté and cook the ingredients. You can also use avocado oil or your preferred oil.
How To Make This Recipe
- First, prepare all your ingredients. Wash and peel everything. Chop your onions, garlic cloves, red bell pepper, and shred cabbage.
- Add the ground beef, half a teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to a little oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Stir and cook till evenly browned.
- In a dutch oven or a large pot, heat some olive oil, then add the chopped garlic, onions, and red bell pepper to the hot oil.
- Cover the saucepan and sauté for a few minutes, then add the spices and stir.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, ground beef, and cabbage.
- Stir and bring to a boil, then taste for spices and adjust.
- Simmer for 10 minutes till the cabbage is softened and the flavors blend well together.
Make it in the instant pot
Another great way to make this dish is to cook it in an instant pot.
- First, switch your pressure cooker to the sauté function.
- Add some olive oil, then sauté your ground beef with the spices in some olive oil, till evenly browned.
- Then add the onions, garlic, and red bell pepper and let it cook for a few minutes.
- Next, add some hot water, or even cold water, and pour in the tomato sauce and stir it in.
- Lastly, add the chopped cabbage.
- Seal the pot, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Quick-release the pressure and serve.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers of this delicious stew in the refrigerator for three to four days. First, put it into an airtight container and then into the fridge.
You can also freeze your African cabbage stew recipe leftovers in the freezer for about two to three months. You can make a big batch and then put them in smaller airtight containers or freezer bags in the freezer for easy reheating.
To defrost, put it in the fridge to thaw overnight. Then reheat it on medium-high heat on your stovetop till hot. Enjoy!
What can I eat this recipe with?
This delicious stew recipe goes perfectly well with rice and noodle dishes. For a low-carb option, I like to eat it with cauliflower rice, shirataki rice, or shirataki noodles.
Helpful tips when making this recipe
- If you want your cabbage a bit crunchy, simmer for about five minutes only and put off the fire when it's your preferred texture.
- If you don't have tomato sauce, but you have tomato paste, don't worry. Just mix two parts tomato paste and one cup of water and heat while stirring. You might have to season it to your taste, though.
- I suggest that you stir-fry onions and other veggies first before cooking because it will add a delicious flavor to the dish.
Recipe Variations
- Add some bacon to this mouth-watering dish to make it even more awesome. Yum!
- Make yours with more veggies. You can use cauliflower, broccoli, or your favorite veggies.
- Use some chicken stock with a lot of shredded chicken in this recipe for a fantastic chicken cabbage stew.
- If spicy food is right up your alley, add a generous amount of red pepper flakes or habanero peppers to give it a nice kick!
Frequently asked questions
This cabbage stew is very healthy and is packed with vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Cabbage may keep your heart healthy and aid digestion. It is also a great source of vitamins C and K.
Cabbage stew is very keto-friendly. Cabbage itself is low in calories and has very low carbs, so it is safe to eat while on a ketogenic diet. Cabbage stew contains veggies and other keto-friendly ingredients, so you can indulge in this savory stew as much as you want!
Enjoy these other stew recipes!
📖 Recipe
African Cabbage Stew with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 lbs ground beef
- ½ onion
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme
Instructions
Make it on the stove
- Chop your onions, garlic cloves, red bell pepper, and shred cabbage.
- Add the ground beef, half a teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to a little oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Stir and cook till evenly browned.
- In a dutch oven or a large pot, heat some olive oil, then add the chopped garlic, onions, and red bell pepper to the hot oil.
- Cover the saucepan and sauté for a few minutes, then add the spices and stir.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, ground beef, and cabbage.
- Stir and bring to a boil, then taste for spices and adjust.
- Simmer for 10 minutes till the cabbage is softened and the flavors blend well together.
Make it in the instant pot
- First, switch your pressure cooker to the sauté function.
- Add some olive oil, then sauté your ground beef with the spices in some olive oil, till evenly browned.
- Then add the onions, garlic, and red bell pepper and let it cook for a few minutes.
- Next, add some hot water, or even cold water, and pour in the tomato sauce and stir it in.
- Lastly, add the chopped cabbage.
- Seal the pot, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Quick-release the pressure and serve.
Notes
- If you want your cabbage a bit crunchy, simmer for about five minutes only and put off the fire when it's your preferred texture.
- If you don't have tomato sauce, but you have tomato paste, don't worry. Just mix two parts tomato paste and one cup of water and heat while stirring. You might have to season it to your taste, though.
- I suggest that you stir-fry onions and other veggies first before cooking because it will add a delicious flavor to the dish.
I love these, but I make mine in crock pot as I do not have an instant pot and have a very small senior apartment kitchen. I am a Type 2 and low carb spice lover....THANK YOU! Please put out a real paper cookbook.
Hi Jeannine, I'm so glad to hear it worked out well in the crockpot! I am still working towards a cookbook 🙂
Such a wonderful flavor! I used about 40oz of chicken broth to make it soupy. Delicious!
I'm glad you loved it, Angie!
Great Flavors, definitely adding to my repeat list without a doubt! Only question I have, do you happen to know the weight of the cabbage you used? My local grocer has a wide range of sizes. Accuracy isnt the most important thing, but I love it because it lets me visit anothers world better.
Thanks Tayo!
Hi Nick, I used a medium cabbage which was approximately 2 pounds. But this recipe is quite forgiving even if you dont use an exact weight.
tasted amazing! will be in my rotation. Thank you for finally giving me low carb options that actually contain seasonings and flavor.
You're so welcome, Jillian!
I think this recipes is missing liquid. It needs more than 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Mine turned out very dry.
The stew is supposed to be quite thick. You can always add more water or broth if you want to.
What part of Africa is this dish from because majority of ingredients do not seem to be naturally of African origin (minus red pepper or maybe tomatoes). Ingredients appear very Euro/Mediterranean. Which country pls, just curious?
Some of my dishes are more Afro-fusion or African-inspired. They don't always come from a particular country.
Very nutritiuos. I'm loving it
Thank you, Jabulile!