What We're Cooking This Week: Roasted Cabbage

Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.

Cabbage is my favorite vegetable. It’s delicious, but the humble cabbage is also good for me, doesn’t cost much, and grows, relatively speaking, in my own backyard. You can eat it raw or cooked, either quickly to retain some crunch or long and slow so it gets soft and melty.

When I need my cabbage fix but don’t have much time to get dinner on the table, I’ll cut the head into wedges and roast them. It’s not only fast and easy, but the technique offers endless possibilities for adding flavor with spices or sauces.

Cutting the cabbage can seem intimidating, but a couple of simple tricks make it easier. Use a knife that’s at least 8 inches long and cut from the bottom so you can see the core. You’re shooting for slices that are held together by the core, so try to slice straight through the center (but don’t worry if not every slice is perfect). After I cut the head in half, I cut those in half again, then slice three wedges from each quarter that have an outer edge about an inch thick. It’s fine if the wedges are thicker or uneven.

You can cook them with just olive oil and salt and be very happy, but a dusting of your favorite spice or spice blend adds another dimension. Ditto with sauces or condiments after they come out of the oven. You can just grab a bottle of your favorite hot sauce, make something creamy like this tahini yogurt sauce, or add some tang with pickled mustard seeds.

Roasted Cabbage

1 head green cabbage

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher style sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Cut the cabbage in half through the core. Leaving the core intact, slice each half into 6 roughly even slices.

Spread the olive oil onto a half sheet pan. Place each slice into the oil, then turn it over. Repeat with the rest the slices, and arrange any stray pieces of cabbage snugly against the thick edge of the wedges. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, if using. Add any other spices or blends if desired.

Roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cabbage is nicely browned. Serve the wedges as is or add your favorite sauce or condiment.