Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans In Tomato Sauce

Name: Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans in Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 1 medium-sized head of cabbage (thinly shredded); 1 medium carrot (grated); 2 medium onions (chopped); 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can pinto beans (drained); 3 bay leaves; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp thyme; ground pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans in Tomato Sauce Overview

This Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans in Tomato Sauce is a comforting, wholesome meal that is so good for cold days and nights. It is such a simple yet very flavorful dish, made of so easily accessible and really affordable ingredients: cabbage, carrot, onion, tomato paste, and pinto beans. Having thyme among the ingredients is optional, but it definitely adds a great depth of flavor to the meal. Very filling thanks to a portion of beans as a protein source, this meal is also a gluten-free and grain-free and a great source of fiber.

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable which already tells a lot about how nutritional is this vegetable. The cruciferous vegetable group is told to be amount most healthful foods for the body. Among the long list of its benefits is the activation of defenses against pathogens and pollutants, boosting the liver detox enzymes, and the risk of cancer reduction (https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/cruciferous-vegetables/).

Pinto beans, on the other hand, are a great source of protein, fiber, and thiamine, as well as many other essential nutrients. Pinto beans have a low glycemic index and may improve blood sugar regulation.

A portion of Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans is incredibly high in protein and fiber while being very low in calories. This makes it a great food if you are looking to cut some calories from your diet.

If you are looking to add more flavors to the meal, consider pairing with mayo and dill lemon sauce. Just add a bit of fresh chopped dill and juice a quarter of a lemon along with mayo to a sauce bowl, then stir to combine and add on top of your served meal.

Depending on the size of the head of cabbage, this makes 6-8 portions. Considering the amount, this is an excellent option for easy meal prep for a week of lunches to take with you or dinners to enjoy at home.

How to Serve Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans

This Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans makes a wholesome meal on its own. However, if you are looking for ways to enrich this simplistic meal, you may add some vegan mayo and dill sauce and top your serving with some pumpkin seeds as well as ground flax seeds (if you having had one yet in the day).

Print Recipe

Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans in Tomato Sauce

This Sautéed Cabbage with Pinto Beans will make a great simplistic yet flavorful gluten-free comforting meal that is loaded with fiber and high in protein.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 45

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Eastern European

Keyword: Gluten free, Nut free, Oil free, Vegan

Servings: 6

Calories: 175kcal

Cost: $4 USD

Equipment

Large cooking pot

Ingredients

1 medium-sized head of cabbage thinly shredded
1 medium carrot grated
2 medium onions chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can pinto beans drained
3 bay leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp thyme
ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil optional

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot and sautée grated carrot and chopped onion for a couple of minutes (for oil-free, add a splash of water initially and keep on adding extra water as needed to deglaze the bottom of the pot).
Place shredded cabbage, cooked pinto beans and the rest of ingredients into the same pot and cook until cabbage is soft to your liking (around 1h30mins).*
Serve still warm. Top with pumpkin seeds (optionally), vegan mayo or mayo and dill sauce.

Notes

* Alternatively, massage the cabbage with salt and leave to release liquid for a couple of hours prior to cooking – this will help shorten the time to cook cabbage.