Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage & Cabbage
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
6 hrs
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Total Time
6 hrs 5 mins
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Servings
8
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Eastern European
Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage & Cabbage
Description
The dish combines green cabbage chopped from a whole head with smoked sausage cut into chunks, along with sliced yellow onion and leeks. Seasoned lightly with garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and bay leaf, the ingredients cook together slowly in broth in a slow cooker. Browning the sausage first adds depth through browned bits scraped into the broth. The long, slow cooking softens the cabbage and melds flavors, while leaving the sausage tender.
Butter is stirred in just before serving, adding richness and a silky mouthfeel. The resulting meal has a balance of savory smoked sausage and softened, flavorful cabbage with a comforting texture achieved by slow cooking low and slow.
This can be served as a low-carb main dish on its own or accompanied by potatoes, noodles, or crusty bread to complement the savory stew. The dish fits well into colder months or any meal needing a warm, filling option.
Adjust cooking time based on preferred cabbage tenderness. Adding butter last preserves its creaminess. The recipe allows broth selection based on preference among chicken, beef, or vegetable options.
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage chopped, green, whole head
- 2 oz. smoked sausage sliced into 1-inch chunks, also known as kielbasa, packages of
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 2 leek sliced, white parts
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1-2 bay leaf
- 1 cup broth chicken, beef, or vegetable
- 3 tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Add chopped cabbage to slow cooker.
- Brown sausage pieces in a skillet for a couple minutes, stirring often, making sure all sides get browned. Add the sausage to the cabbage in slow cooker and pour the broth in the skillet used to cook the sausage, scraping up the yummy brown bits in the pan.
- Add the onion, leeks, garlic powder, bay leaf, salt and pepper to slow cooker and then pour the broth from the skillet over everything in the slow cooker. Do not add butter yet, we're going to add it at the end when it's done cooking.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours, checking on it at the 5-hour mark if you want your cabbage more firm.
- When done, cut butter into a couple pieces and scatter in slow cooker. Mix everything well and taste for needed salt. The butter will melt in just a couple minutes.
Notes
- This dish works well as a satisfying low-carb main, but can be served with potatoes, noodles, or crusty bread to complete the meal.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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