If you’re a cabbage skeptic, rest assured: if prepared properly, cabbage can be a beautiful vegetable to eat. This buttery charred cabbage in spiced tomatoes with tahini by Nisha Vora proves that. The recipe comes from her new cookbook Big Vegan Flavor, and it’s a perfect crowd-pleaser for a weekend dinner party.

Pairing the cabbage with zingy tomato sauce makes the flavors even better. The cabbage is also topped with a creamy tahini sauce that adds to the dish’s indulgence.

So, what’s the benefit in eating this vegetable? Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that’s packed with nutrients and incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Rich in vitamins C and K, cabbage supports your immune system and bone health. It’s also high in fiber, which aids digestion and keeps you feeling full.

Aside from this tasty recipe, you can do a lot with cabbage, raw or cooked. You can enjoy cabbage raw in salads and slaws for a crunchy texture, or cook it in soups, stir-fries, and stews for a softer, comforting dish. Its mild flavor pairs well with a variety of ingredients, making it a staple in both raw and cooked dishes.

Buttery charred cabbage in spiced tomatoes with tahini

This buttery charred cabbage recipe utilizes a few methods to make the tasty and complex flavors come together. The cabbage is seared in wedges on a cast iron pan. Then, they're braised in a tangy, spiced tomato sauce until tender. Finally, the tahini sauce is drizzled on top to make this decadent veggie dish.

5 from 2 votes

Servings

Ingredients

½ medium green or red cabbage (a medium cabbage weighs about 2 pounds/910 g)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 14.5-ounce/410 g can diced tomatoes
1½ tsp cumin seeds
2 medium shallots sliced
3 garlic cloves finely chopped ½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tsp sweet or hot paprika
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp Aleppo pepper or Urfa biber or about 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup 8 g fresh cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley) leaves and tender stems chopped
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 recipe lemon tahini sauce or to taste

For the tahini sauce

60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
112 grams well-stirred tahini
¾ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
¼ tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves grated or crushed with a press
2 tsp pure maple syrup
6 to 8 tbsp ice water plus more as needed

Instructions

Cut the cabbage half lengthwise through the core to get four wedges.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy- bottomed pan for which you have a lid over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the cabbage, cut side down, and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
Using tongs, move the wedges back and forth gently to ensure they’re evenly coated in the oil, and cook until browned on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully flip, sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and cook until browned on the other side, 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer the wedges to a plate. Take the pan off the heat to cool down for 5 to 10 minutes (do some prep or cleanup in the meantime).
Stir the maple syrup into the canned tomatoes. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, tossing frequently, until they are aromatic and darker in color, 1 minute. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the coriander, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Aleppo pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in the tomato–maple syrup mixture with all the juices, stir, and carefully nestle the wedges back into the pan.
Cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender and the tomatoes have thickened a bit, 8 to 10 minutes, opening the pan once to check if the tomatoes are drying up (if so, add a few splashes of water).
Serve the cabbage straight from the pan. Top with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon some tahini sauce generously on top and serve more on the side.

For the tahini sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, tahini, salt, cumin, pepper to taste, garlic, and maple syrup.
Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, whisking as you go it will get stiff at first but eventually will become creamy yet pourable.
Taste for seasonings, adding more salt as desired.

From BIG VEGAN FLAVOR by Nisha Vora, to be published on September 3, 2024 by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2024 by Nisha Vora. Photographs by Nisha Vora, edited by Rosana Guay.

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