Roasted Red Cabbage
on Feb 28, 2022, Updated Jul 08, 2022
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This roasted red cabbage recipe delivers on looks, and more importantly, taste. Slices are dipped in a marinade made with honey and balsamic vinegar. The result is an easy side dish that roasts in 20-25 minutes.
Also try these roasted green cabbage wedges with herby tahini sauce.
Table of Contents
It may not be as popular as its fellow cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts, but I’m here to make the case for humble cabbage. Lately, I’ve been very into these crunchy leaves as the base for salads and more.
But I don’t always keep it raw. For this roasted red cabbage, I quickly marinate slices of cabbage in a honey balsamic mixture before putting them on a baking sheet and sliding it into the oven.
If you’re usually meh on cabbage, you have to try roasting it. The leaves get crispy and caramelized on the edges and it brings out a kind of nutty flavor that goes perfectly with the acidity of the vinegar and the sweetness of the honey.
You Need This Red Cabbage Recipe – Trust Me
This grocery store standby may be officially named red cabbage, but I won’t correct you if you call it purple cabbage. The color is beautiful and bright. When you roast it, it does darken, but it still has that signature violet hue.
You are probably wondering if you can use green cabbage (a.k.a. regular white cabbage) instead, and the answer is yes. They are very similar in taste and texture.
Also, if you are trying to eat on a budget, cabbage is a great choice. The density of the leaves packs in a lot for the money for healthy recipes. Cabbage has vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and lots of antioxidants. It’s low carb and low in calories if that’s on your mind, and you’re looking for a healthy side dish.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This is what you need:
- Cabbage: My first choice is red cabbage for its deep purple color, but you can also use green cabbage.
- Olive oil: Make sure to reach for your bottle of extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe since it has very few ingredients. You want the best flavor possible.
- Balsamic vinegar has such a distinct essence to it. If you prefer something lighter, you can substitute with sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Honey gives the marinade something a little bit sweet. If you want the recipe to be vegan, swap it for maple syrup.
- Mustard: A teaspoon of whole grain mustard like Dijon helps the marinade mix together and adds flavor.
- Garlic powder & onion powder: Any chance I get to use ingredients from my spice drawer, I take it. Rather than mincing garlic and risking it burning in the oven, this potent dried powder version and onion add so much, especially when paired together.
- Red pepper flakes: Just a pinch gives the marinade a hint of heat.
- Salt & black pepper: These seasonings are a must for the flavor of the overall dish.
- Parsley: The roasted cabbage is finished with chopped fresh herbs.
How To Make Roasted Red Cabbage
1. Prep the cabbage. Remove any wilted outer leaves. Trim the bottom off the whole cabbage with a sharp knife. After that, cut it in half lengthwise. Then cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
2. Make the marinade. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. I like doing this in a wide bowl with a flat bottom. While not required for the recipe, it does help get the slices in the marinade.
3. Dip the cabbage slices on each flat side into the marinade. I find this is much easier than using a pastry brush, and you can really coat the raw cabbage.
4. Place the slices on a large rimmed baking sheet. They should be in a single layer and not touching or overlapping. Like you would with any roasted vegetables, you want to maximize their contact with the pan to encourage browning.
5. Roast the cabbage until it is crisp and browned at the edges and caramelized. This takes 20-25 minutes. There’s no need to flip the cabbage. When you move the slices, some of the outer leaves may come apart. Just try to keep them intact as best as you can.
6. Serve topped with chopped parsley.
Serving
These cabbage wedges are such an easy side dish. But you can treat them like red cabbage steaks and turn them into a main if you serve them on top of cooked lentils or rice. They look beautiful on the dinner table. I know it is mixing cuisines, but I would also consider adding a dollop of hummus for a store-bought sauce too if you are thinking vegetarian main dish or grain bowls.
Leftovers
Roasted cabbage is best eaten warm right after it comes out of the oven. You can store leftover cabbage in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days. They will lose their crispy edges. At that point, I recommend eating the cabbage cold and not trying to reheat it.
FAQs
You can thinly slice a head of cabbage and keep it raw for salads and slaws. Cabbage is also wonderful roasted, braised or sauteed.
When you cook cabbage it has a slightly sweeter taste than it does raw. In this recipe I make a honey-balsamic marinade to enhance its roasted flavor.
More Cabbage Recipes
Asian Cabbage Salad
Apple Cabbage Salad
Sesame Soba Noodles
Sesame Ginger Noodles
Napa Cabbage Salad
No Mayo Red Cabbage Slaw
Savoy Cabbage Salad
Find more roasted vegetable ideas in my seasonal roundup with everything from vegetarian mains to easy side dishes and meal prep tips.
Did you make this red cabbage recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below. Thanks!
Roasted Red Cabbage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head red cabbage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Trim the bottom off the cabbage and cut it in half lengthwise. Then cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. If possible, it helps to do this in a wide shallow bowl with a flat bottom.
- Dip each cabbage slice on both sides in the marinade. Place the slices on a sheet pan in a single layer. They should not be touching or overlapping.
- Roast the cabbage for 20-25 minutes until browned in spots and caramelized at the edges.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
THIS. IS. AMAZING! We made this for dinner tonight and served it with crispy roasted potatoes and some pinto beans, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and diced red pepper. I swear it was the best meal we’ve had in a VERY long time! Usually when I make a new recipe I tweak this or add that – not this time! It is perfect just the way it is! THANK YOU PAIGE! Thank you for this fabulous dish!
Wow, this was dynamite! So easy and also delicious the next day. Will be adding to our rotation of side-dishes.
Paige THANK YOU for this amazing recipe! The flavors blend together so well and baking it to caramelize the marinade is a stroke of genius. We’ve made it several times already in just the past 3 months, can’t get enough of it and the youngsters who came for dinner last night enjoyed it as well! This is one of the few recipes I use on the regular that is perfect the way it is. THANKS!
Delicious, the only thing for me was the cabbage could have used a longer cooking time as the actual stalk was to tough to eat. But will definitely add this to my favourites.
A metric version would be nice, after all 99% of the worlds population use metric and not imperial
Shut up, mark
This was a perfect recipe for red cabbage! The marinade is delicious and the ingredients are staples in most kitchens. I will certainly make this over and over again.
Good recipe, but it doesn’t make nearly enough marinade. You have to triple the ingredients to cover one head of cabbage.
Looks great, I am planning on making this tomorrow! However I am just wondering how to go about washing the cabbage beforehand so that the slices do not fall apart?
You can slice the cabbage then gently rinse the slices and pat them off with a towel. Full disclosure: I don’t wash it because I assume roasting at a high temperature will be enough. No matter what, I find that the center slices do a pretty good job of not falling apart because of the stem. The end pieces are more delicate, but I just stack them back together if they come apart.