I recently was out to dinner and tried grilled cabbage for the first time. I’m not quite sure how I have made it this far in life and in my food career without ever trying cooked cabbage before now. I was literally blown away by both the flavor and texture. It had a flaky, meaty quality to it that almost resembled a white flaky fish (but without the fishy flavor, of course). It was surprisingly satisfying for a cooked leafy green vegetable. I just loved it. I knew I had to learn to cook it myself at home.

Once home, I decided I had had such great success with the Whole Roasted Cauliflower using my cast iron skillet that oven roasting would be the perfect easy and delicious way to put my own spin on this recipe. Oven roasting in the skillet really crisps up the outside of the cabbage. I love how vegetables sear so well and catch so much flavor from cast iron skillets.

The roasted cabbage turned out golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. It was simple and wonderful with just the olive oil, salt and pepper. However, if you have been following me recently on Instagram stories, then you know I have been pouring my new Green Tahini Sauce over everything. And this roasted cabbage was certainly no exception. With one bite, I knew it was a match made in heaven. Plus, the green cabbage paired with the green tahini sauce is uber festive for St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not an ounce Irish but love any excuse to celebrate with food. While corned beef is definitely not my thing, cabbage most certainly is. This dish makes cabbage a star. I love to serve it over warm fluffy white quinoa. It makes a filling vegetable side dish anytime of year.

Cabbage is a powerhouse vegetable offering so many health benefits. It is high in fiber, low in calories and loaded with antioxidants, phytochemicals and vitamins. It is considered an excellent source of immune boosting vitamin C.

Cabbage is in season year-round. You want to look for green cabbage heads that are well-formed, smooth and have compact leaves. The head of cabbage should feel heavy for its size. This is a vegetable you can definitely buy ahead of time to keep on hand. It can be refrigerated in your crisper for up to seven days. Keep it wrapped in plastic if it sold that way in the store and it will stay even fresher.

You can serve this dish in the skillet or you can transfer to a serving dish.

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, egg-free and dairy-free. I hope you love this dish as much as I do. It is so easy and flavorful. If you give it a try, please let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it, and tag a photo @eatingbyelaine and #eatingbyelaine on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook so I can see your creations!

Roasted Green Cabbage with Green Tahini Sauce

Author: Elaine Gordon
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 75 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Green cabbage takes centerstage in this addictive dish. It is crispy and flavorful on the outside and tender and slightly sweet on the inside. I like to drench it in my Green Tahini Sauce for even more flavor. Cabbage never tasted so good!

Scale

Ingredients

1 small head green cabbage
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Optional: Green Tahini Sauce for drizzling on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Use the convection mode if you have it. Coat a 10-inch or larger cast iron skillet with extra virgin olive oil.
Next, prepare the cabbage. Wash and dry, remove just the outer layer of leaves (“wrapper leaves”) and slightly trim the stem leaving the core intact. Cut into quarter wedges lengthwise.
Place the cabbage in the skillet and coat generously with olive oil on all outer sides using a brush. Sprinkle on all sides with salt and pepper. I use a generous amount of oil and salt. I go a bit lighter on the pepper.
Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and cook covered for 40 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, remove the cover and using tongs gently flip each cabbage quarter onto a different side. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven again and use tongs to rotate each quarter of cabbage again (so that all three sides have a chance to be face down in the skillet which allows them to brown evenly). Roast uncovered for another 10-15 minutes watching closely at the end to avoid any burnt spots.
Check for doneness by sliding a knife into the thickest part of the cabbage near the core. It should slide in and out effortlessly. If it does not return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on your oven and the size of your cabbage. You do not want any part of the cabbage to be crunchy. It should be soft and tender throughout.

Category: Side Dish