An easy, rustic, and comforting Greek stew you just set and forget!

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This comforting Greek lamb and cabbage stew is delicious and perfect for the cool weather coming our way. The lamb melts into the thick sauce and soft cabbage, making every bit amazing. It’s so easy to make that it takes just a few minutes to put it together, and you just wait for it to cook. Using lamb with the bone adds a depth of flavor, and the meat tends to be a bit more tender. However, use whatever lamb you have or can find at the store.
Why you’ll always make a double batch
Melt in your mouth lamb
Soft, sweet cabbage
Hearty, thick tomato sauce
An easy-to-make rich, hearty, and delicious Greek lamb and cabbage stew that warms you from the inside out!

Lamb and cabbage stew ingredients
- Lamb –substitute beef if you prefer
- Green cabbage –chopped
- Olive oil –try the one in our shop made with olives from my family’s olive trees!
- Onions –finely chopped
- Garlic cloves –grated or minced
- Salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Crushed tomatoes
- Dried thyme
- Lemon wedges

How to make Greek lamb and cabbage stew
Brown the lamb
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
- Season the meat on both sides with a bit of salt and black pepper.
- Brown the lamb in a few batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
Make the stew
- Add the onions to the pot and warm for 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add the garlic and warm it until fragrant.
- Add all of the browned lamb to the pot, salt, pepper, crushed tomatoes, a cup of water, and thyme.
- Cover the pot with the lid and cook over medium heat for about an hour or until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Add the cabbage to the pot and season it lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until wilted.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed
Alternate methods for browning lamb
The air fryer and oven are alternative methods for browning your lamb. Sometimes, I even brown half on the stovetop and half in my air fryer. It keeps me from browning multiple batches. Brown the lamb in the air fryer at 400 °F, 200 °C for 20 minutes, flipping the lamb over halfway through. To brown all of the lamb at the same time, drizzle it with olive oil and season. Then, place it on a sheet pan under the broiler for about ten minutes on each side.

Serving
I can eat this stew just like it is, with crusty toasted bread and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. However, you can spoon it over rice with a lemon wedge on the side or serve it for breakfast with a poached egg on top. Oh my gosh, that sounds delicious right now! Kali Orexi!
More stew recipes
- Instant Pot Beef Youvetsi (Greek-Style Beef & Orzo Stew)
- Greek Artichoke & Fava Bean Stew: Ready in 30 mins!
- Lemony Cod & Potato Stew
- Pastitsada from Corfu: Beef Stew with Pasta
- Baked Harissa Lamb Stew

Greek Lamb & Cabbage Stew
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/2 pounds (1.5 kg) lamb
- 1 large head of green cabbage, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 15 oz (425g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- lemon wedges
Instructions
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Season the meat on both sides with a little salt and black pepper. Brown the lamb in a few baches as to not overcrowd the pan.
Alternatively brown the lamb in the air fryer at 400 °F, 200 °C for 20 minutes. Flip the lamb over halfway through.
Add the onions to the pot and warm through 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and warm through until fragrant.
Add all of the browned lamb to the pot aong with the salt, pepper, crushed tomatoes, a cup of water, and thyme. Cover the pot with the lid and cook over medium heat for about an hour or until tender and until the sauce has thickened.
Add the cabbage to the pot. Season it lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until wilted.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve with toasted bread and some lemon wedges. Kali Orexi!
Recommended Products
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KitchenAid KSM3311XAQ Artisan Mini Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, 3.5 quart, Aqua Sky Blue
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Traditional Cretan Aprons (heavier fabric)
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Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven, 6 Qt, Midnight Chrome
Made this stew yesterday it was simply delicious.
I used lamb shanks bone-in cut into small rounds.
Winter is almost upon us in outback Queensland Australia and the temperature can drop to below zero.
Greek Lamb Stew with Cabbage has a beautiful flavour and is very filling, perfect on a cold night.
I’m delighted to have come across dimitrasdishes.com last year it’s my go to site for Greek recipes that are authentic and flavourful.
I enjoy watching the video’s before making a dish for the first time and cooking for my family and friends who wouldn’t normally experience the taste of Greece in the bush.