Roasted cabbage is the sneaker hit of our summer test kitchen — to their own surprise, the veggie lovers among us were wild for it. “These cabbage steaks are actually awesome,” one of our tasters said. “I don’t mean to sound so surprised, but I don’t usually think of cabbage as being this delicious.”

It’s true, we’re used to cabbage as the wrapper, the added bit of texture, the veggie so pickled, so coated in puckery vinaigrette or creamy sauce, that you don’t really taste it. But here it is, all by itself, the star of the show. The oven does something wonderful to it — it’s tender, chewy, a little charred, and super crispy on all its thin edges. And it has a wonderful sweet, smoky flavor.

We drizzled ours with a very creamy, very garlicky lemon-Dijon dressing and some parsley. We like how bright, tangy, and fresh it tastes against the cabbage’s more earthy flavors, but you could really use just about any of your favorite dressings. A lemony dressing laced with anchovies and Parm would be a nice match, or even something less splashy, like a buttermilk ranch dressing. A dollop or two of chimichurri or romesco would definitely work, too.

This recipe is as handy as it is tasty. It’s the answer to the eternal “head of cabbage in the bottom drawer of the fridge” question. It’s also the weeknight dinner fix: you probably have everything you need to make it right now. It’s got enough going for it that it can play center of the plate for a vegetarian meal, or it can be a great side for a chunk of protein, plant-based or otherwise.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the cabbage:

1 head green cabbage

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, grated

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Kosher salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Place the cabbage on a cutting board with the root end up. Cut into 1”-thick slices, trying to keep the leaves and the core intact to help the cabbage steaks hold together.

3. Transfer the cabbage steaks to a large sheet pan. Drizzle and brush one side with half the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Flip the cabbage steaks over and repeat with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Roast the cabbage steaks in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are starting to brown. Flip them over and continue roasting for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're tender and the edges are crispy and nicely browned.

5. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Mix together until smooth.

6. Transfer the roasted cabbage steaks to a serving plate, drizzle on the dressing, garnish with parsley, and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from The Spruce Eats

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