This is one of the easiest, most delicious ways to cook down a whole head of cabbage until it's falling-apart tender. If the spiced tomato paste has reduced and the pan starts getting dry and dark before the cabbage is ready, just add a splash of water to loosen and let it keep going.
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What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Small Bowl
$15 At Amazon
8-Inch Chef's Knife
$47 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
¼
3
1½
1½
1
1
½
3
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix tomato paste, garlic, coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
Step 2
Cut cabbage in half through core. Cut each half through core into 4 wedges.
Step 3
Heat ¼ cup oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if needed, add cabbage to pan cut side down and season with salt. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cabbage to a plate.
Step 4
Pour remaining ¼ cup oil into skillet. Add spiced tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tomato paste begins to split and slightly darken, 2–3 minutes. Pour in enough water to come halfway up sides of pan (about 1½ cups), season with salt, and bring to a simmer. Nestle cabbage wedges back into skillet (they should have shrunk while browning; a bit of overlap is okay). Transfer cabbage to oven and bake, uncovered and turning wedges halfway through, until very tender, liquid is mostly evaporated, and cabbage is caramelized around the edges, 40–50 minutes.
Step 5
Scatter dill over cabbage. Serve with yogurt alongside.
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Reviews (244)
Back to Topdelicious!! have made it two times so far, second time doubling-and-some the sauce and adding chickpeas.
o rose
berkeley, ca
2/8/2024
Easy, delicious and very flavorful. I served it over a rice blend, and added ground beef for my husband, who is not vegan. We both loved it. Getting some good color on the cabbage was important, and I doubled the sauce per previous reviews. I will definitely make this again!
RC
Utah
2/3/2024
Very easy recipe and very delicious. Smokey, barbecue flavor and the cabbage is rich and silky. Definitely making this again.
SoozieQ
Brimfield
2/2/2024
Delicious - especially with the addition of sauteed red onions, and then at the end, the dill, greek yogurt etc. I thought it needed more Umami and salt so I added about a T of soy sauce to the overall recipe and then put it out for topping at the end as well. It really perked it up. I saw some of the reviews that complained about the liquid amount - I thought the author of the recipe was pretty clear about adding enough water to come up half way and that was *before* adding the seared cabbage and sauteed onions (in my version). I found it easier to eat by gently chopping up the cabbage at the very end before serving, but you could also ensure more even cooking by chopping it into bite size pieces, rather than leaving it as wedges, before adding it to the pan to bake. Wonderful new addition to my repertoire and also a great way to use some red cabbage in the bottom drawer that's been around for over a month!
Natalie L.
Northern VA
1/23/2024
What a disaster. Any chef would know that the tomato sauce base, along with the nesting nature of the cabbage leaves, would prevent the cabbage from cooking through in the cooking time recommended. Even after 1 1/2 hours, the cabbage was still very crunchy. And with the amount of red pepper the recipe has it was so spicy that it couldn't be enjoyed. I would cut the red pepper to 1/4 tsp and increase the cooking time to 1 hr 45 minutes at least. Fall apart?? You would need 2+ hours. Ot blanch the cabbage first to get a head start on the cooking. Honestly, I can't wait till it cools enough so I can throw it out.
sb
USA
1/22/2024
This is a great dish. I enjoyed it for two nights and will make it again. Followed the recipe exactly. Cabbage never tasted so good. JH
Jim Hancock
La Jolla
1/17/2024
Big hit! I took the seasonings in a different direction because I had some leftover tomato sauce with crumbled hot Italian sausage in it. I mixed the tomato paste with fennel seed, paprika, the grated garlic, and added some Calabrian pepper paste. I also chopped up some piquillo peppers and added that with the cabbage in the skillet. I used half water and half of my tomato sauce for the liquid. Served with noodles on the side. Swoon-worthy!
Ant117
Goodyear, AZ
1/16/2024
To the previous reviewers with the print problem. Try saving it as a PDF first (you can do this from the print menu of most browsers). Then print the PDF. This will help with the format issues.
Anonymous
1/14/2024
Sounds great, will try tonight but I so agree with last reviewer. Why dont you provide a printable version of the recipes or better format that does not waste so much paper and when pasted into document the quantities show up at the beginning of the ingredients, not to the very far right and on the row above the actual ingredient. Most people would be paying to subscribe. Do your subscribers a favor.
kathy
4000
1/14/2024
This drives me crazy. WHY do you continually put the amount on one line then the ingredient on another, then leave a bunch of space in between. It makes it impossible to print out the recipe on one page front and back. Thus I really can't ever make any of your recipes as my computer is a desk top which doesn't go in the kitchen to watch. Why don't you print your recipes one line after another in order to really be able to use and print??????
Marty
San Rafael, CA
1/13/2024
YUM, what a treat. I followed the others' recommendations and doubled the sauce and am glad I did. I also added juice from half a lemon to give it a little more zip!
Julia
Chicago, IL
1/3/2024
Perfect rich flavor and tender texture.
FranE
Buena Vista VA
11/16/2023
I made the exact recipe but once I put it the oven I checked reviews. So, I mixed another sauce w/o cooking it in olive oil and at 30 mins added the tomato liquid and spices. I cooked it another 30 mins. It was fantastic! My husband ate 3/4 of the cabbage. I will make it again and cut into 1/8ths. The seared cabbage caramélisés and is the yummiest bite! So more searing more caramélized.
Jane
San Antonio
10/10/2023
This was delicious! I eyeballed the oil and needed a while longer for my cabbage to be good and charred, but otherwise followed directions exactly. I also dumped a full can of garbanzo beans in there with the sauce and I’d do the same next time - the cabbage and beans had the most delicious flavor and texture. There wasn’t a lot of sauce leftover (maybe I could have taken it out earlier), so if you want a lot of sauce (say, to serve it with rice) I’d echo people saying to double it. Overall a cheap, easy, and delicious recipe that could serve as a side or main - it’ll be a new staple for me.
Elise D
Portland, OR
5/24/2023
Just made this with other’s suggestion to double the sauce. I loved it. I added about 1/4 c Harissa paste rather than double tomato paste. Served with basmati rice. When I make it again, I’ll char the cabbage longer.
Anonymous
Austin, TX
3/22/2023