Braised Savoy cabbage with tomatoes, chickpeas and olives

Name: Braised Savoy cabbage with tomatoes, chickpeas and olives
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Verza (savoy cabbage) to be cleaned 6.5 lbs; Tomato purée 2 ½ cups; Precooked chickpeas drained weight 2 ½ cups; Yellow onions 1 cup; Taggiasca olives 5.3 oz; Parsley to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serving: 8

PRESENTATION

Braised Savoy Cabbage with Tomatoes, Chickpeas, and Olives—verza stufata—slow-cooks in tomato passata until the leaves are tender and deeply flavored. Chickpeas add body and substance, while olives bring a pleasant sharpness that cuts through the richness of the braise. The finished texture is thick and clinging, the kind that only long, gentle cooking produces, and exactly what you want from a cold-weather vegetable dish. Savoy cabbage is at its best from autumn through winter, and it handles slow braising beautifully, absorbing the tomato passata and developing a flavor that feels genuinely homestyle without any complexity in the preparation.

The triple combination of savoy cabbage, chickpeas, and olives is what makes this braised savoy cabbage recipe distinct from simpler stewed cabbage dishes. It works equally well as a hearty side or, piled into a bowl with a few slices of toasted bread, as a complete vegetarian meal. Either way, the result is rustic and satisfying—a few affordable ingredients that come together into something far more flavorful than the short ingredient list suggests.

How to prepare Braised Savoy cabbage with tomatoes, chickpeas and olives

To prepare the braised savoy cabbage with tomatoes, chickpeas and olives, first peel the onion and slice it thinly 1. Put the onions into a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil 2 and cook over medium heat until softened 3.

Meanwhile, cut the savoy cabbage in half 4 and remove the core 5, then cut it into julienne strips 6.

When the onions have softened, add the olives 7 and sauté for one minute, then add the savoy cabbage 8 and season with salt 9.

When the onions have softened, add the olives 7 and sauté for one minute, then add the savoy cabbage 8 and season with salt 9.

Cover again with the lid 13 and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. After this time, add the chickpeas 14 and stir again 15.

Continue cooking for another ten minutes. Once cooked, plate and garnish with chopped fresh parsley 17. Your braised savoy cabbage with tomatoes, chickpeas and olives is ready to be served 18!