Roasted cabbage: high heat, lowest rack, a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper — and this humble crucifer transforms into something surprisingly delicious.
Cabbage is having a moment, and every version is welcome. This one is charred, caramelized, and utterly simple.
Summer’s almost here — my favorite season — when mayo-based coleslaw shows up everywhere. But have you tried roasting cabbage at 500°F? The difference is huge.
I Have Thoughts
This is more about technique than an ingredient list. Key points: preheat your oven very hot, position the rack low, and keep the wedges spaced so they roast instead of steam. Cut through the core into wedges and lay them flat on the pan; caramelization happens at the contact point. Aim for some char — it’s intentional. The result should be crisp outer leaves, and a soft, sweet, almost buttery interior.
Make Ahead
You can cut the cabbage into wedges a day ahead and store them covered in the fridge. For maximum crispiness, I don’t recommend roasting in advance, but leftovers keep well for up to four days in an airtight container.
Play Away
This approach is a template for many vegetables — roasted carrots, beets, potatoes, radishes — all follow the same blueprint: high heat, olive oil, salt. The oven does the rest. I love finishing cabbage with extras like a balsamic glaze, a labneh smear, or a tahini drizzle, but tried red, green, and savoy with just olive oil, salt, and pepper and it was delicious on its own. The technique is the recipe — start simple, then play with flavors.
Simple Roasted Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage cut into wedges through the core — green, purple, or savoy
- Extra-virgin olive oil enough to coat both sides generously
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 475–500°F and position a rack at the lowest level.
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Arrange the cabbage wedges in a single layer on a sheet pan without crowding. Drizzle both sides generously with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
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Roast until the undersides are deeply browned and charred in spots, about 10–12 minutes. Flip and roast another 8–10 minutes until edges are crispy and the centers are tender and sweet. Serve warm.
Notes
More Roasted Veggie Recipes You Want In Your Life
Try these simple, satisfying recipes:
- Roasted carrots
- Roasted radishes
- Roasted beets with tahini
- Roasted artichokes
- Roasted smashed potatoes
- Oven-baked sweet potato fries
If you try this recipe, leave a comment and tag the author on Instagram @danielagerson — I’d love to see your results.
There are many more seasonal recipes and produce guides to explore. Let’s make waves in the kitchen.