Introducing my new favorite veggie noodle...Braised Cabbage Noodles!
Now sure, calling shredded cabbage "noodles" may be a bit of a stretch, since they aren't very long, but I'm excited to report that it works amazingly well as a noodle replacement. And isn't the function of noodles simply to be a tender vessel for yummy spaghetti sauce? This cabbage dish does the job beautifully.
While I've dabble quite a bit with zucchini noodles, and simply love the concept of low calorie, low carb, fiber-filled noodles, it was always missing the tender consistency of the traditional noodles that I craved. Try to cook zucchini noodles and you end up with mush. Butternut squash and sweet potato noodles were more satisfying, as these can be baked until tender, but both contain higher starch content than zucchinis, which means more carbs and calories.
I think that I've found the perfect noodle hack with this very simple method of slow braising green cabbage with a nice dollop of coconut oil and some seasoning. It's simple to make - simply wilt it on the stove and the stick it in the oven for an hour, removing it once to stir. The resulting noodles are tender, flavorful, low carb, low calorie and downright tasty!
Enjoy this exciting noodle recipe as a base for Ground Turkey Spaghetti Sauce :)
2 heads green cabbage, thinly sliced
¼ cup coconut oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
sprinkle of onion powder
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Core the cabbage and slice into ¼ inch strips.
Place a Dutch oven (heavy bottomed, oven safe pot with lid) over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and melt.
Add the sliced onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and mix to combine. Continue to cook over medium heat, until the cabbage has wilted, about 5 minutes.
Cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring once at the 30 minute mark. Remove from the oven after 60 minutes, once the cabbage is very tender.
Season the braised cabbage noodles with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder and minced fresh parsley. Enjoy!
These Braised Cabbage Noodles are my favorite base for homemade spaghetti sauce!
Calories: 73
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 7g
Sodium: 22mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 2g
Sugar: 4g