I first made this dish a few months ago after a video popped up on my tiktok for you page. It was a time when I was being recommended a lot of cabbage videos, and despite not knowing how the algorithm got me there, I think the intention was to get me to eat more cabbage. Well, it worked.
a cabbage renaissance
I won’t go into cabbage’s infamous reputation and the after-effects of eating it – although I did noticed a lot of comments on those videos that I promptly chose to ignore. I think cabbage is undergoing something of a renaissance. People are choosing to embrace what was once considered peasant fare. Even I, a food lover and cabbage-eater never really understood cabbage’s appeal, until a trip to Poland, where I had many cabbage-centric dishes that blew me away.
Simplicity and sourcing fresh ingredients are the secret to great food, after all. And cabbage, a vegetable that boasts so many health benefits – from vitamins A, B, C, and K, fiber, iron, potassium – is inexpensive and incredibly versatile. It can be used raw in salads, sliced thinly and sautéed in a hot skillet with olive oil and garlic, or turned into a thick, hearty stew. Add an Asian twist and you have seared cabbage with miso butter.
Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts
This recipe, a lazy sheet pan dish, is so simple and cheap – a welcoming aspect, specially now with all this inflation. It’s also easily customizable. I got the inspiration from smitten kitchen and made some minor modifications. You can check her post and see where she got the original inspiration and modifications she has made herself – plus lots of useful tips!
The biggest change I made was the cabbage. Instead of using savoy, a variety that has tender leaves, I used green cabbage – the most basic and common of cabbages. It works great, too because the leaves are tightly packed, so the wedges won’t fall apart. I also like its sweet nature and how it gets a nice crisp.
I like the idea of keeping it vegetarian, but adding anchovies would also add another layer of complexity. What I like most about this dish is its simplicity, though, so I tend to stick with the basic ingredients. The parmesan cheese is a lovely way to add a salty kick, but you can skip it, and just keep it vegan. For simple dishes like this I like adding a lot of salt and acid to the dressing, so make sure to adjust to taste as you go. If necessary, add a little bit of honey to balance out the flavors.
If you make this Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts please be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you and I love responding to every comment. And don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram. I’d love to see your photos!
Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 large head green cabbage
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large lemon
- red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 475ºF.
- Remove any damaged outer leaves of cabbage and cut it 8 to 12 wedges. Coat a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange cabbage wedges in one layer, and drizzle them with 2 more tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes, until charred underneath (if you see a few thin black edges; don’t worry, they’re going to taste amazing). Using a spatula, flip each wedge over and roast for 8 to 10 more minutes, or until the edges of the cabbage are dark brown.
- Meanwhile, place nuts on a smaller baking dish and roast them next to the cabbage for about 5 minutes. Remove and transfer onto a cutting board. Coarsely chop. Add walnuts to a small bowl. Finely grate the zest of lemon and the garlic, and to the same bowl.
- Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to walnuts, a few pinches of salt and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Allow it all infuse as it cools, while the cabbage roasts
- When ready, squeeze the juice of the lemon in and stir to combine. Adjust flavors to taste, adding more salt, lemon, and honey, if needed – you want this dressing to be robust.
- When the cabbage comes out of the oven, spoon the walnut dressing over the wedges. Grate parmesan all over, adding more to taste. Serve immediately, while piping hot.
