I have cooked cabbage in many different ways. I've chopped, shredded, steamed, boiled, and stir-fried it, but strangely, I have never roasted it. Not until last night, that is — and now I'm wondering why I waited so long! This is going head-to-head with braised Brussels sprouts as the most delicious thing I've eaten yet this year.
Easy Winter Recipe: Roasted Cabbage with Bacon
I had a big head of cabbage that had been languishing in my kitchen for weeks, waiting to be used in soup or dumplings. I hadn't had the time or ingredients for either of those recipes, but the cabbage had been getting progressively more dry and crunchy so I decided it was time to use it up. I wanted something quick and easy, and I've been positively craving roasted Brussels sprouts lately, so I wondered if there was a way to treat the cabbage as one giant sprout and roast it in the oven.
Sara Kate roasted baby cabbages with honey and vinegar last year, but I had never tried to roast an entire full-grown head of cabbage. Would it even work? Or taste good?
After a little research I decided to cut the cabbage into wedges and add some bacon that was nearing its own use-by date. I removed the dry and crunchy outer leaves, then chopped the cabbage into 8 chunky wedges. I discarded the core and laid the wedges down in a baking pan. They fit just right in my roasting pan.
I drizzled them with a little olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Then I chopped about four slices of bacon into lardons and draped them over the cabbage and alongside it.
Then I slid the whole pan into the oven, preheated to 450°F. I roasted for about 30 minutes total, flipping the wedges over halfway through. It looked like a hot mess, but a very promising one.
The final result?
Wow!! The high-heat roasting gets rid of any cabbage funk and makes the cabbage sweet and flavorful — all that bacon grease certainly adds to the irresistible aroma. The bacon pieces were crispy and chewy, and the bacon fat seeped into the cabbage, making it tender and juicy in the middle and crispy and browned on the outside.
The combination of tastes and textures was just fantastic. The outer leaves and edges of the cabbage were browned and crispy — I let some blacken at the tips, and they gave that burnt-marshmallow smokiness to each bite. The insides of the leaves, though, were silky and plump with concentrated juices, and shiny from the olive oil and bacon.
I served the cabbage in wedges, topped with crumbled bacon, on dishes of pasta, and we went at it with knife and fork. The cabbage was crunchy, chewy, soft, and juicy. The flavors of salt, olive oil, pepper and bacon married perfectly; it was really the most satisfying yet simple dinner I've had in a long time. In fact, just the cabbage on its own is very satisfying and filling. I had a leftover wedge for lunch — no pasta — and felt fully satisfied. It's delicious, and such a mix of textures and tastes.
Have you ever roasted cabbage? If you do, how do you like to make it? I basically described the recipe above, but here it is in proper format in case you want to have it in a more organized flow.
Roasted Cabbage with Bacon
serves 4
1 large head green cabbage, outer leaves removed
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick bacon
Heat the oven to 450°F. Cut the cabbage into quarters and slice the bottom of each quarter at an angle to remove the stem core. Cut each quarter in half again so you have eight wedges. Lay these down on a large roasting pan or baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Cut each slice of bacon into small strips and lay on top of the cabbage.
Roast for 30 minutes, flipping the cabbage wedges once halfway through. If the edges aren't browned enough for your taste after 30 minutes, put them back in for five-minute increments until they are.
Serve immediately; the wedges cool down fast.
Note: When I make this again I may try a suggestion from these message boards and elevate the cabbage on a rack so that the moisture drips down and lets the cabbage brown more thoroughly.
Related: How To Roast Any Vegetable
(Images: Faith Durand)
Comments (25)
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There is a similar recipe (minus the bacon, I think) in the January issue of Martha Stewart Living and it intrigued me so much (roasted cabbage?? whould've thunk it???) that I dog-eared it as something to try. Your post will make me attempt it that much sooner. I'm picking up a head at the farmer's market this weekend.
view rosebud's profile
Do you think it'd work with red cabbage?? I have a head I really need to use up.
view rasmugirl's profile
I discovered the deliciousness of grilled cabbage this summer, and like your method of roasting, it's pretty amazing! And yes, it'll work with any kind of cabbage.
For grilling, I cut it into wedges and ran a skewer through to keep them from falling apart. An excellent addition to any kabob veg mix.
view splatgirl's profile
omg, I'm so making this for dinner tonight! I love cabbage so I always have some in the fridge. I have a serious weakness for food that has that little bit of *burnt* on the edges and I always cook my roasted veggies until they have tinge too. So delicious.
view d4kk1tt3n's profile
Oh my, I discovered roasted cabbage last month and I can't get enough of it. I couldn't imagine eating it any other way, and now with bacon, what a dreamy meal over some pasta or on a good bread.
Cheers!
view Ladystiles's profile
Wow, that sounds amazing. I'm addicted to roasted brussels sprouts, but my husband isn't a fan, so I'm going to give this a shot and see how he likes it. Thanks!
view betheats's profile
I did a big tray of roasted veggies, including red cabbage, after your post on high heat roasting. Good stuff! And, of course, I don't hate the addition of bacon :)
view curbappeal's profile
What a great budget meal idea, too! Cabbage is dirt-cheap, and I usually get my bacon from the butcher case, so it's easy to just buy 1/4 lb or less to use in one recipe like this. I'll definitely be trying this! Thanks!
view IzzyIzzy's profile
my other fave cabbage treatment is stir-fried w/soy sauce, ginger, garlic, or just sesame oil -- especially the red cabbage, which turns anything else you decide to stir-fry a pretty red color as well
view kwatkins's profile
This looks amazing.... I will be making this today.. I would love to have some this morning.. if possible..THank you for sharing this yummy dish.
view Missy B's profile
whoa, that looks great - lately I've been addicted to braised cabbage, but I'm going to have to try this. Do you think it would work w/savoy cabbage? That's what I have in the fridge right now :)
view aurelais's profile
This looks so good. I'm glad to hear the high heat gets rid of "cabbage funk".
view smallkitchcara's profile
I LOVE roasted cabbage! I usually cut it into strips, about the width of linguini, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle salt and white pepper, and some cloves of garlic. A great big bowl is so satisfying and filling. And I can twirl it on my fork like pasta, but without the calories of pasta.
In fact, I've lost 28 pounds substituting certain vegetables for things like pasta (cabbage), meat (portobello mushrooms), potatoes (cauliflower)!
view GreatFriend's profile
I just tried this the other night, and holy crap, it's so good. I used the aforementioned Martha Stewart recipe (rasmugirl, it was with red cabbage, and I can confirm that it works) and loved it. Gonna have to try it with pasta and bacon, though, as that sounds kind of amazing.
view missmanders's profile
I'm going to try this tonight! I think I'll serve it with potatoes instead of pasta, though. With potatoes, cabbage, and bacon, it's like deconstructed cabbage soup.
view matchbookhymnal's profile
This is so timely! I just blogged about my beautiful purple cabbage...
http://hownikkiseesit.blogspot.com/2010/01/food.html
...and also don't know of many ways to use up THAT MUCH cabbage! Great idea! I don't eat meat very often at all, but may have to find a bit of bacon for this. :)
view if1hadwords's profile
Not gonna lie... this looks really good! Can't wait to try it
view KitchensPro's profile
Okay, I just tried it. It was, hands down, the most delicious cabbage I have ever eaten in my life. My husband agrees. We had it alongside some salmon patties and we ate at least 3/4 of a very large cabbage. It was incredible. I know bacon makes everything better, and roasting makes vegetables better, but this cabbage is like a whole other food from the boiled or stir-fried stuff.
I used the regular bacon I had on hand rather than thick-cut, and lowered the heat to 425 for the first 15 minutes so it wouldn't burn. It came out perfectly. I cannot stress enough how incredibly delicious this recipe is! Thank you, Faith!!!!
view matchbookhymnal's profile
What a great idea! Of course this would be tasty, now that I actually think about it. As matchbookhymnal says above, roasting makes all vegetables better. Another way I've been enjoying cabbage lately is with cream and juniper berries. Cabbage is not as boring as people think. And it's so economical and currently in season. I'm a huge cabbage lover. :)
view sarah9876's profile
I'm going to try this tonight with some red cabbage and double smoked bacon. I think it will go great with pot roast and mashed potatoes.
view NYKate's profile
OMG this is SOOO good... Made it for dinner tonight. Went well with the Morrocan infused Kangaroo fillets i made.
view ChristopherAlan's profile
In my humble opinion, don't use a rack. The bacon fat mingles with the cabbage on the bottom of the pan to produce the flavor that makes this dish work so well.
If you want something really decadent, add these to the cream braised brussels sprouts dish. You won't be sorry.
view mcantrell's profile
Just tried this and LOVED it. My husband loved it too, and he hates veggies. Tasty and cheap. This is entering our regular rotation.
view jillianblairc's profile
Om. Nom. Nom.
'Nuff said. Make it. Now!
view kaitlin's profile
This works great with red cabbage too, though I made a couple changes. I quartered, cored, and sliced the cabbage, then tossed it with a small yellow onion segmented like an orange with salt, pepper, olive oil, and golden raisins- then I baked it in a crock for an hour at 350º, giving it a good toss at the half hour mark. I think going for a longer cook time at a lower temperature is a little more forgiving. Turned out great!
view andypucko's profile