The Most Underrated Vegetable in the Produce Aisle Is Also One of the Cheapest

Some vegetables get all the love: Kale, celery and mushrooms have all seen at least 15 minutes of fame…and don’t even get me started on poor cauliflower , who’s been battered, riced and turned into more pizza crusts than I care to think about. Sure, you could shell out for fancy wild mushrooms and race to use them before they rot in your crisper, you can feign enjoyment while you choke down another kale Caesar, or—hear me out—you could embrace the most underrated vegetable in the produce aisle, which also happens to be one of the cheapest. Could the cabbage in the room please stand up?

Yep, humble cabbage. It’s not very glamorous. It shows up at random in bagged salad mixes as if to say, “I’m just an afterthought.” (Sad, really.) It’s also incredibly hardy, versatile, nutritious, easy to find and cheap. Here’s why you should totally be cooking with it more.

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Cabbage Is Cheap

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According to the USDA’s most recent Economic Research Service reports , green cabbage costs about 70 cents per pound on average, making it the second-cheapest vegetable after potatoes. It’s also nearly entirely edible with little waste, so the cost per cup is equally low. And have you ever sliced up a head of cabbage? The yield! Stunning! According to the University of Vermont , one medium head of cabbage weighs about two and half pounds and yields about nine cups of shredded raw cabbage and seven cups cooked.

Cabbage Is Easy to Find

Even though the peak season for cabbage is winter, it’s available year-round in most grocery stores. It’s also grown throughout the United States (and that helps keep the cost down, too).

Cabbage Is Nutritionally Dense

True, all vegetables have their health benefits. But cabbage—a member of the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and cauliflower—is a low-cal, low-carb queen with tons of nutritious selling points. According to the Cleveland Clinic , one cup of raw green cabbage contains 22 calories, more than two grams of fiber, 54 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin C and 85 percent for vitamin K. It’s also high in potassium (good for regulating blood pressure) and antioxidants (good for reducing inflammation).

Cabbage Is Hardy

We’ve all been victims to a box of baby spinach that was meant for a salad but ended up wilting in the fridge. And avocados will turn on you at the drop of a dime. But cabbage is a loyal friend. According to Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center , properly stored cabbage can last up to two months in the refrigerator. But what’s “properly stored?” Easy: For a whole head, keep the outer leaves on, don’t wash the produce until you want to use it and store it wrapped or unwrapped in your crisper. If you use a partial head, you can tightly wrap the remaining portion in plastic wrap and store it in the crisper.

Cabbage Is Versatile

Although it’s essential for coleslaw , that’s not the only cabbage recipe you should keep in your collection. Raw cabbage is crisp and neutral in flavor, so it makes an excellent base for long-lasting, make-ahead salads, and it can even serve as a low-carb wrap for proteins. Cooked cabbage gets a bad rap for being, well, stinky, but that’s only if you over cook it. Treated with care, heat will turn the crunchy vegetable into a tender, slightly sweet and luxurious experience. It can be caramelized like onions, braised until falling apart and roasted in the oven.

Need more proof? Here are seven cabbage recipes that aren’t just slaw:

• Roasted Cabbage Steaks
• Fried Cabbage with Noodles and Bacon
• Cabbage-Fennel Salad with Honeycrisp Apples
• Green Cabbage Gratin
• Winter Cabbage and Apple Soup
• Buckwheat Gnocchi with Cabbage, Potatoes and Fontina
• Pan-Roasted Cabbage with Brown Harissa, Sour Cream and Turmeric Oil

So what I’m saying is, you can keep your asparagus and your spinach—I’ll be dining on cabbage and pocketing the change.

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