Discover four ways to reduce your discomfort while enjoying this cruciferous veggie.

Let’s cut right to the chase: Does cabbage give you gas? If so, you aren’t alone—this cruciferous vegetable has been known to make plenty of people toot! And while it’s great that cabbage varieties help keep your digestive system humming along, gas and bloating aren’t exactly the desired outcome to enjoying such yummy dishes as Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon or hearty cabbage steaks.

But don’t despair, you (and your intestinal tract) will be happy to know there are several ways to cook cabbage so it’s less gas-inducing.

Why Does Cabbage Give You Gas?

“The high fiber content is one piece of the picture,” says registered dietitian Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN. “Additionally, cruciferous vegetables—like cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts—contain raffinose, an indigestible sugar. As it’s fermented by bacteria in the gut, gas is produced, which is why you may experience flatulence and discomfort after eating these foods. They also are sources of sulfur-containing glucosinolates, plant compounds noted for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Because of that sulfur content, gas produced when we eat cruciferous foods can have a very distinct odor.”

One way to cut down on some of the gas-producing effects is to choose cooked cabbage over raw. “Generally speaking, cooking can help reduce this effect by ‘softening’ the fiber, making it a little bit easier on the digestive system,” explains Cording. She added that cooking the cabbage also helps reduce the amount of sulfur in the veggie, which can help with the odor.

How to Cook Cabbage So It Doesn’t Make You Gassy

It’s time to stop Googling “does cabbage give you gas” and start looking for a solution to enjoying your cruciferous veggies without the unpleasant side effects. Cording suggests preparing it one of these four ways:

Ferment it

Fermenting foods can help make them easier to digest—and homemade sauerkraut is also surprisingly easy. It’s important to shred the cabbage well, and then you can get creative with different herbs and spices.

Boil it

In general, cooking makes vegetables easier to digest, which can help reduce gas. To retain the nutrients in the cabbage that would be lost when you drain the water, try cabbage soup or Mexican cabbage roll soup. You can add other vegetables, tomatoes and a protein source (like beans, lentils or chicken) for a more filling meal.

Roast it

In addition to helping improve digestibility, roasting will bring out a natural sweetness as the sugars in the cabbage caramelize. Try Roasted Cabbage and Onions for a satisfying side dish.

Add herbs

Adding the right herbs can also help ease digestion. A few of Cording’s favorites that pair particularly well with cabbage include ginger and turmeric.

Should You Add Baking Soda to Boiled Cabbage?

Cording says this can help reduce the odor produced during cooking and help maintain the green color. However, she doesn’t recommend this, as it may also reduce the nutritional value of the cabbage.

Our Favorite Cabbage Recipes

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Cabbage Roll Casserole

I layer cabbage with tomato sauce and ground beef lasagna-style to create a hearty casserole that tastes like cabbage rolls but without all the work. —Doreen Martin, Kitimat, British Columbia

Go to Recipe

Warm Cabbage, Fennel and Pear Salad

This crunchy salad makes an elegant first course or side, but it’s hearty enough to be an entree when paired with a crusty artisan bread. We love it served warm. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut

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Egg Roll Noodle Bowl

We love Asian egg rolls, but they can be challenging to make. Simplify everything with this deconstructed egg roll made on the stovetop and served in a bowl. —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas

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Favorite Corned Beef and Cabbage

It may be the most famous dish to eat on St. Patrick’s Day, but this Irish-American corned beef recipe is a favorite at our table all year long. This is how to make corned beef and cabbage. —Evelyn Kenney, Trenton, New Jersey

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Pineapple-Papaya Slaw

This is no ordinary coleslaw! Bursting with flavor from fresh fruit, cilantro and red bell pepper, it just may become your new picnic mainstay. For easier preparation, buy packaged shredded cabbage. If you can’t find papaya, substitute mango. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Grilled Cabbage

The first time I made this, I couldn’t believe how good it was! We served it with grilled burgers and our dinner was complete. I never thought I’d skip dessert because I was full from too much cabbage! —Elizabeth Wheeler, Thornville, Ohio

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Broccoli Slaw

Here’s my favorite twist on broccoli salad. It’s so easy to make and has an irresistible tangy crunch. —Konny Thomas, Citrus Heights, California

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Pork Shepherd’s Pie

Of all the shepherd’s pie recipes I’ve tried through the years, this version is my favorite. Although I live alone, I enjoy cooking and baking for friends and family. —Mary Arthurs, Etobicoke, Ontario

German Red Cabbage

Sunday afternoons were a time for family gatherings when I was a kid. While the uncles played cards, the aunts made treats such as this traditional German red cabbage recipe. —Jeannette Heim, Dunlap, Tennessee

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Contest-Winning Cajun Cabbage

Looking for a different treatment for cabbage? Try this spicy cheese-topped Cajun cabbage that I adapted from a friend’s recipe. I added a little of this and that until it tasted the way I wanted. Not only do my husband and kids like it, but I also get rave reviews when I make it for company or church functions. —Bobbie Soileau, Opelousas, Louisiana

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Pennsylvania Dutch Coleslaw

My mother used to make this salad on holidays. With all the cabbage that is grown here in the Northwest, the recipe is a real natural for us! —Deb Darr, Falls City, Oregon

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Cabbage Roll Skillet

Have a happy helping of this quicker take on something our grandmothers would make. We serve it over brown rice. It also freezes well. —Susan Chickness, Pictou County, Nova Scotia

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Roasted Cabbage & Onions

I roast veggies to bring out their sweetness, and it works wonders with onions and cabbage. The piquant vinegar-mustard sauce makes this dish similar to a slaw. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts

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Baja Fish Tacos

Crisp mahi mahi pans out beautifully when dressed up with fresh lime, cilantro and smoky adobo. One bite and you’ll be hooked on these baja fish tacos! —Brooke Keller, Lexington, Kentucky

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Apple Walnut Slaw

A co-worker shared this slaw recipe with me. Now it’s a favorite at my house, too. Apples, walnuts and raisins are a fun way to dress up coleslaw. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

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Salmon Burgers with Tangy Slaw

I thought I’d made salmon every way you can make it—until now. The tangy slaw, made with fennel and avocado, adds another layer of flavor that goes surprisingly well with salmon and other seafood. —Amber Massey, Argyle, Texas

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German-Style Cabbage and Beans

This is one of my greatest hits for a potluck dish at church suppers. If you use some red cabbage, it will have very festive colors, light pink with green. It looks so pretty. —Winifred Winch, Wetmore, Michigan

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Cabbage and Beef Soup

When I was a little girl, I helped my parents work the fields of their small farm. Lunchtime was always a treat when Mother picked fresh vegetables from the garden and simmered them in her big soup pot. We loved making this delicious recipe. —Ethel Ledbetter, Canton, North Carolina

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Vietnamese Crunchy Chicken Salad

When I lived in Cleveland I would eat at a really good Vietnamese restaurant that had a dish I couldn’t get enough of. Since I had it so frequently, I figured out the components and flavors and created my own easy-to-make version. Everyone who’s tasted it loves it. —Erin Schillo, Northfield, Ohio

Midwestern Meat Pies

When I moved to the Midwest in 1966, I discovered many ethnic foods that I had never heard of before. One of my friends introduced me to this recipe, similar to sandwiches from Nebraska’s widely known Runza restaurant chain, and it quickly became a favored dish in my home. —Dolly Croghan, Mead, Nebraska

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Colcannon Potatoes

Every Irish family has its own colcannon recipe, since it’s a classic potato and cabbage dish. My recipe comes from my father’s family in Ireland. It’s part of my St. Patrick’s Day menu, along with lamb chops, carrots and soda bread. —Marilou Robinson, Portland, Oregon

Corned Beef Stir-Fry

The celery seed really comes through in this colorful combination of carrots, cabbage and corned beef. A woman at church shared the recipe with me. My husband and son love its subtle sweetness. —Alesah Padgett, Franklin, Georgia

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Inside-Out Stuffed Cabbage

Preparing stuffed cabbage rolls can be time-consuming, but this version with butternut squash has the classic flavors —and it’s table ready in just 30 minutes. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Slow-Cooker Kalua Pork & Cabbage

My slow-cooker pork has four ingredients and less than 10 minutes of prep. The result tastes just like the kalua pork slow-roasted all day in an underground oven. —Rholinelle DeTorres, San Jose, California

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Slow-Cooker Golombki

I modified my mom’s classic Polish dish to fit my hectic life. Instead of boiling the cabbage and then filling it with beef, I just toss the ingredients in the slow cooker. It’s much easier and tastes just as delicious. —Mary Walker, Clermont, Florida

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Campers’ Coleslaw

Crispy and crunchy, this old family slaw recipe makes a refreshing side dish for picnics and parties. —Kimberly Wallace, Dennison, Ohio

Hearty Beef & Cabbage Pockets

I found a similar recipe many years ago and experimented with my own version until I had it just right. If you can’t find the frozen rolls, you can use a homemade dough. —Elaine Clark, Wellington, Kansas

Great Northern Bean Stew

This thick and hearty stew with great northern beans is sure to chase the winter chills away. —Mildred Sherrer, Fort Worth, Texas

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Meat Buns

On the outside, these golden buns resemble ordinary dinner rolls. But one bite reveals the tasty, cheesy beef filling inside. —Sharon Leno, Keansburg, New Jersey

One-Pot Unstuffed Cabbage

Here is one of my favorite ways to cook and enjoy cabbage. It has all the good flavor of regular cabbage rolls, but it’s a lot less bother to make. In fact, it’s a one-pot meal! —Mrs. Bernard Snow, Lewiston, Michigan

Coleslaw with Poppy Seed Dressing

This is the kind of salad you can keep in the fridge for a couple days and it just gets better. I just add the sunflower seeds before serving to keep the crunch. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

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Chicken and Asian Slaw

This meal is always a hit, and it goes together so quickly. Sesame ginger salad dressing adds refreshing flavor to this pairing of broiled chicken and an exotic homemade coleslaw. —Melissa Jelinek, Apple Valley, Minnesota

Makeover Reuben Melt

This twist on a classic Reuben keeps the corned beef and uses a sauce made with Swiss (and plenty of thousand-island flavor). Fresh slaw on top replaces the sauerkraut. —Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Beef & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This recipe is special to me because it’s an easy one-pot meal that tastes like you spent the whole day in the kitchen. My family loves it. —Lynn Bowen, Geraldine, Alabama

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Dijon Pork Chops with Cabbage and Fennel

While living in Switzerland for a few years, my friends introduced me to an area renowned for their cabbage, pork and potato dishes. I decided to try a cabbage and fennel combination and believe they complement each other well. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut

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