February 28, 2022

Roasted Red Cabbage

With a honey balsamic marinade, this roasted red cabbage is an easy recipe with simple ingredients that's an incredibly versatile side dish. You'll never overlook this vegetable again.

With a honey balsamic marinade, this roasted red cabbage is an easy recipe with simple ingredients that’s an incredibly versatile side dish. You’ll never overlook this vegetable again.

Slices of roasted red cabbage on a plate.

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 including red cabbage, oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, spices and parsley.

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 or apple cider 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 overall dish.
Parsley: The roasted cabbage is finished with chopped fresh herbs.

Halved cabbage head on a cutting board and sliced cabbage on another cutting board.

Dip each cabbage slice into the bowl of marinade

marinated raw cabbage on a sheet pan, and roasted cabbage slices on another sheet pan.

How To Make Roasted Red Cabbage

Prep the cabbage. Trim the bottom off the whole cabbage. After that, cut it in half lengthwise. Then cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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 leftovers 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.

More Cabbage Recipes

Asian Cabbage Salad
Apple Cabbage Salad
Sesame Soba Noodles
Sesame Ginger Noodles