Braised Cabbage with Gremolata
This isn’t your average braised cabbage, it’s fall apart tender, buttery soft and incredibly flavorful. The cabbage is pan seared until crisp, slow cooked in the oven until tender and then topped with a walnut, mint and parsley gremolata. This roasted cabbage is the perfect side dish to serve for a special meal or when you want to impress. 
I have never been a cooked cabbage fan, I think that’s due to my Mom’s love for borsch soup when I was a child that put me off the cooked veggie for quite some time. A few months ago I had the most incredible melt in your mouth tender cabbage at a restaurant and immediately rushed home to try to recreate it. In this recipe the cabbage is cooked in two steps, first seared and then oven roasted until the cabbage becomes buttery soft and incredibly tender, it’s so so good and has quickly become my new favorite side dish. I think you are going to absolutely love this cabbage recipe that will quickly become your favorite way of cooking cabbage.
Why You Will Love This Braised Cabbage
- This is not your average roasted cabbage recipe. When pan seared and then roasted in the oven the cabbage becomes incredibly tender and buttery in texture. The caramelized cabbage topped with the crunchy gremolata is a winning combination and will quickly become one of your favorite side dishes.
- This Roasted Cabbage will quickly become one of your favorite dishes for winter. It is filling enough to enjoy as a main dish, but is also the perfect side dish to serve with chicken, roast, pork, lamb or even alongside your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- The combination of pan searing, which brings out the natural sweetness of the cruciferous vegetable followed by roasting in a hot oven which creates melt in your mouth cabbage wedges results in an incredibly delicious cabbage dish that really brings out the best flavors of the vegetable.
- Although this recipe takes a bit of time to make, there is less than 20 minutes of hands on prep, followed by 1 hour of slow cooking in the oven (when you prepare the rest of the meal)
- This low-carb side dish is grain free, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, whole30, keto and specific carbohydrate diet legal.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Roasted Cabbage
- Green Cabbage: a medium sized head of cabbage
- Oil: I prefer using avocado oil to sear the cabbage wedges because of its high smoke point but vegetable oil or a light olive oil can also be used.
- Garlic: i recommend using fresh garlic rather than jarred as I find that it has a much weaker flavor. The recipes calls for 3 cloves, but feel free to reduce the amount if you prefer to use only a little garlic for the sauce.
- Shallot: A finely diced shallot adds some texture to the sauce. If you do not have a shallot, feel free to use a finely diced yellow onion (I do not recommend using red onions as a substitute).
- Butter: To make this recipe whole30 or paleo, feel free to use ghee. The melted butter adds a wonderful rich flavor to the dish.
- Chicken Stock: to make this recipe vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock in its place.
- White wine vinegar: adds a little acidity to the sauce. If you do not have white wine vinegar, feel free to use an equal amount of red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juice in its place.
What Type Of Cabbage Is Best To Use
I often get confused by the variety of cabbage in the grocery store and over time have learned that they are actually very different and can not be used interchangeably. I have tried making this recipe with a few different varieties of cabbage, and while green cabbage definitely results in the best dish, savoy cabbage can also be used. I would not recommend using purple cabbage (also known as red cabbage) or napa cabbage as the texture and flavor won’t work as well in this recipe.
How To Prep And Cut The Cabbage Before Cooking
Start by removing the tough outer leaves from the entire head of cabbage. Use a cutting board and a sharp knife to cut the cabbage head in half so that it is easier to see the stem. One of the most important parts of this recipe is ensuring that the stem remains attached to the thick slices so that they hold together when cooked. Rinse the thick wedges under water quickly before cooking them.
How To Make Braised Cabbage
- In a large skillet or cast iron pan add a little bit of olive oil or avocado oil and heat it on medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the cabbage wedges in a single layer and sear them for 5 to 6 minutes per side until they are golden brown in color and have crispy edges. Set the slices of cabbage aside on a plate.
- Add the shallots, garlic plus kosher salt and black pepper to the pan and then stir in the chicken broth and vinegar. Use a wooden soon to get any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the crispy roasted cabbage steaks to the pan, spoon the sauce over and transfer the pan to the preheated oven for a cooking time of 1 hour.
- While the cabbage roasts, make the gremolata. In a small bowl combine the parsley, walnuts, mint, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir together and set aside.
- The wedges of cabbage are done cooking when they are very tender. Spoon some of the braising liquid over the cabbage before serving the cabbage slices with the gremolata overtop
You can find more detailed step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below.
What Is Gremolata
What To Serve With This Braised Cabbage
This Braised Cabbage is an incredibly versatile side dish that can be served alongside a variety of different mains dishes. I like serving it with roast chicken, steak, fish or pork, but you will be amazed at how the rich flavor of the roasted cabbage side dish will transform the meal from something simple, to a restaurant quality meal.
Can I Make This Braised Cabbage In Advance?
Absolutely! You can make the entire dish up to 2 days in advance. I recommend storing the roasted cabbage in the pan it was cooked in, covered in aluminum foil, and storing the gremolata separately in an airtight container. Before serving place the pan in the oven and cook it on medium-low heat (350 degrees f or so) until the cabbage is just warmed through. If you find that there is only a small amount of liquid left at the bottom of the pan, I would suggest adding a splash of chicken stock to help to loosen the sauce and make it easier to spoon.
What About Leftovers
Leftover braised cabbage will last for up to 4 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container. The leftover cabbage can be reheated in the microwave, or in the oven on medium heat until just warmed through or alternatively it is also delicious eaten at room temperature.
Here are a few more side dishes that you might enjoy:
- The Best Cauliflower Mash
- Roasted Red Cabbage with Mint, Hazelnuts and Orange Balsamic Glaze
- Caramelized Leek, Fennel & Onion Gratin
- Hasselback Butternut Squash
- Roasted Pumpkin with Honey, Thyme & Pecans
- Green Bean Salad with Pickled Shallots
- Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Braised Cabbage with Gremolata
Ingredients
Braised Cabbage
- 1 green cabbage
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot ⅓ cup finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Mint & Walnut Gremolata
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup chopped mint
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- Cut the cabbage into 6 wedges ensuring the core remains intact in each as thats what will hold the wedges together
- Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet on medium high heat
- Add the quartered cabbage and sear for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown and then flip and sear on the other flat side for another 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the pan and set aside on a plate
- Add the butter and shallots and saute for 4 minutes before stirring in the salt, pepper and garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes and then add in the vinegar and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer before arranging the cabbage pieces in the pan. Spoon some of the sauce over each of the cabbage pieces. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven to cook for 1 hour.
- While the cabbage is cooking make the gremolata. In a bowl combine the parsley, walnuts, mint, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir together and set aside.
- After 1 hour the cabbage should be very tender. Remove from the oven and right before serving spoon the gremolata overtop.
I love roasted cabbage and parsley and wanted this recipe to be an home run. Unfortunately, this turned out nothing like the images suggest. The 1 1/2 cups of broth is so much that the cabbage is swimming in soup. Between the liquid and the instruction to cover the pan, the cabbage ends up totally soggy. Any crispiness that was there from the initial braise is long gone. The flavors were good, but it would’ve been much better actually roasted instead of boiled/steamed like what happened with the large amount of liquid and the covered pan. If I were to do it again, I would have hardly any liquid and not cover the pan.
This food is so delicious. I love enjoy it at dinner.
I noticed on the chicken stock there is not a measurement. Can you let me know if this is a cup, teaspoon, tablespoon etc.
Thank you so much for pointing that out! It’s 1 1/2 cups. I have just updated the recipe.