Forget Cabbage: Mustard Greens Are The Flavor-Packed Veggie You'll Want In Everything

If you ask us, it's time to replace cabbage as your definitive go-to leafy vegetable — mustard greens deserve a spot in the cart, too. There are many types of cabbage to cook with, but mustard greens are their whole own thing, despite the two belonging to the same Brassica family. And they bring very different personalities to the plate as well — in the same ways that cabbage is usually mild and even a little sweet, mustard greens have a much more peppery kick. Think of them as being somewhere between arugula and kale with a little (you guessed it) mustard or horseradish hit coming through. The young leaves are much more delicate whilst the older ones are even spicier, especially when eaten raw.

And all of that spicy, bold taste means mustard greens won't totally disappear into cooked dishes in the same way that cabbage does. And as a result, you should think of them less as a background actor, and more like a main character — they'll instantly liven up anything from noodle dishes to soups and pasta. They're already a staple in Southern dishes as well as many dishes from Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cuisine, so next time a recipe calls for cabbage, and you'd like a little more punch, consider reaching for mustard greens instead.

While both cabbage and mustard greens can be cooked in similar ways – steamed, sauteed, pickled, braised, etc. — they're not interchangeable in every recipe, every single time. When you need a crunchy coleslaw to top a sandwich with or a vegetable that is sturdy enough to stuff some filling into, that's when you're better off sticking to cabbage. Cabbage retains its texture in a way that mustard greens won't — these greens are much softer, closer to spinach, and so they wilt faster in heat.

The places where they really shine are in recipes that benefit from leafy vegetables — think of dishes like fried rice, curries, and incredible vegetarian soups. You want to add them to dishes where their peppery flavor will bring a little welcome heat because while it will mellow out a little as it cooks, it won't entirely disappear. In other words, skip this one in your banana and greens smoothie. If the spice is a bit too intense for your palate, you can also mix mustard greens with other greens, such as spinach or kale, to balance it out. Mustard greens are less of a perfect swap for cabbage in every situation and more of something you can learn to appreciate in their own right for bringing an entirely different flavor to dishes. And sometimes, that little spicy and peppery kick is exactly what your meal was missing.