Cabbage & Noodles

I have such tenderness towards this dish. She’s not the prettiest gal at the dance, but she’s reliable, loves you, and will drive you home after too many shots behind the bleachers. Point being, she’s fully there for you in the most heartwarming sense, which is precisely both the point and magic of classic comfort food. I first made this on this most recent Rosh Hashanah, making it up as I went along. I love to offer traditional as well as more modern dishes, so I can appeal to all ages and tastes of my varied guests. This take on cabbage and noodles was loved and eaten by all ages! I stuck to the basics (don’t fix it if it ain’t broke) but I added a nice amount of fresh squeezed lemon juice to lend an element of freshness.

Ingredients:
Bag of wide egg noodles cooked to package directions
A large Vidalia onion, chopped
A medium head of green cabbage, quartered then sliced width wise into slices that are about 1 inch wide by 2 to 3 inches long.
3 lemons (they’ll give off more juice at room temp)
Salt, ground pepper, garlic powder
3 tbsp vegan butter or margarine
White wine to deglaze, several tbsp
Vegetable stock to sweat the cabbage, about a cup to be used in as needed amounts. I like the Imagine brand.

In a large pot, sauté the chopped onions in olive oil. Deglaze with white wine as the pot dries. Squeeze one of the lemons into the sautéing onions. When the onion is fragrant and translucent, add the sliced cabbage to the pot, stir to distribute the onions. Add 1/2 cup veg stock and cover pot to sweat the cabbage for about 5 to 7 minutes at least, until the cabbage becomes tender and reduced in size. Add remaining stock as needed, especially if it’s a big cabbage. Squeeze in the second lemon. After the cabbage softens, turn heat to low and add the noodles, salt and pepper to taste, a tsp of garlic powder, and vegan butter. Mix gently but thoroughly. I added the third lemon because I like it lemony, but taste first to judge. For a more classic flavor you can leave it out. The dish should be a lemony, buttery marriage of cabbage and noodles. Serve hot or warm immediately. If making it a day in advance, bring it fully to room temperature and drizzle with some olive oil and a hit of fresh lemon to revive it. It sounds like a lot of lemon, but it’s really not since this makes a large quantity.