This wintery saute has been on regular rotation this autumn, in fact pretty much every week there’s been a good savoy cabbage available. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes (including prep) and uses only one pan, a chopping board and knife. There’s plenty of plant based matter here and carbohydrate from the chestnuts and protein from the chickpeas. And you don’t even need a pan of boiling water.
I’ve said before that you can make a stir-fry right from your store cupboard – pretty much all of the ingredients here in this saute are pantry friendly with the exception of the cabbage. The end result isn’t at all fancy but it’s healthy and tasty and strikes the right balance of autumnal sweetness and spice without being overfilling.
Savoy cabbage, sweet chestnuts and the subtle lemony warmth of nutmeg are decidedly comfort food territory. The chickpeas (garbanzo) might not be the obvious pairing with chestnuts and cabbage but add substance, nutrients and texture to your meal without competing overpowering the other
flavours. We like this saute topped with a poached or fried egg to turn it into a more substantial meal. I have mine with a drizzle of truffle oil and hubby likes his with a splash of soy sauce. A dusting of grated parmesan might also work well.
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How to make a quick stir-fry from your store cupboard
Recipe for Savoy cabbage, nutmeg and chestnut saute
1 tablespoon olive oil
Half a large savoy cabbage, finely sliced
150g cooked chestnuts, finely chopped (I use vacuum packed chestnuts)
150g canned chickpeas, drained
Freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt and pepper
Optional: a splash of soy sauce or drizzle of truffle oil
Heat the olive oil in a deep sided frying pan on a medium heat.
Add the chestnuts and chickpeas and cook for five minutes.
Add the cabbage and continue to cook until the cabbage has softened slightly (take care not to brown it).
Season well with a really good grating of nutmeg, sea salt and plenty of pepper and the soy and truffle oil if using.
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Sophie Roberts is a registered dietitian based in Oxford, UK. She loves combining her nutrition know-how with a sustainable approach to buying and preparing food and shares her tips and recipes here at Mostly Eating. 
{ 6 comments }
Lovely recipe Sophie. I remember you using those vacuum packed chestnuts before, I must take a look round to see if they’re available in Sydney. This is just my kind of dish in autumn and winter, one pot, low fuss, delicious and yet still containing a good whack of veg.
Thank you for this recipe, Sophie. Everything about it appeals to me — the ease, the ingredients, the warmth. I hope to make it to our Winter Farmers Market one of these Saturdays in December & definitely will look for savoy cabbage & chestnuts.
Lovely photos, too.
I’ve never cooked with chestnuts before, but they have wonderfully wintry associations. I’ve read about roast chestnuts since I was a child, but only tried them for the first time at a Christmas market last weekend.
Kathryn – definitely look out for vacuum packed chestnuts. Cooking and peeling chestnuts is definitely not what you want to get into for a quick and easy supper (I burnt my thumbs horribly last year doing this). I’ll be intrigued to see if you can get them in Sydney – I’m not sure if they’re a bit of European thing or not?
Elaine – do let me know if you manage to try this out with your farmers market finds. It’s a lovely lighter meal amid all the rich Christmas food.
Arwen – you might have just answered my question to Kathryn. I’m guessing you maybe had your chestnuts over in Germany? Hope you enjoyed them – they’re one of my absolute favourites.
I love the combination of chesnuts and cabbage. I’ll can imagine this would be a great for a light dinner on a cold night.
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