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.
