and red onion, dates, pistachios, parsley, argula, aleppo pepper…
Have I won the longest recipe title ever award? Least boring at least? This Charred Cabbage and Cauliflower Salad with ALL those other things – and more – is absolutely anything but boring and holy heck is it delicious.
As I sit here eating my third bowl of this salad I’m trying to figure out how to explain to you just how good it is. I am aware it sounds (and looks) like a bit of a hot mess, but it is one of the most delicious messes I’ve ever eaten.
I’ve been wanting to make some kind of charred cabbage dish since I had one at a restaurant recently that was just ok. The cabbage was incredibly good, but the rest of the dish was pretty heavy and blah. My version had to be better, obviously, and it had to include ALL the flavours and textures. I think I’ve achieved it. Crunchy pistachios, sweet dates, salty feta, herbs and spice all doused in a garlicky, lemony sauce. I am very, very satisfied. I hope you will be too.
Charred Cabbage and Cauliflower salad, the details.
I admit there are a few steps to this recipe, but it’s really incredibly simple. You’re going to chop up some cabbage and cauliflower, season it up and throw it in a hot oven. Then you’ll make a little onion & chickpea mixture, give it a little smoky seasoning and add it into the oven. You’re going to let those veggies get a good, dark roast on. Some of the pieces are even going to look pretty burnt. This is a good thing. You want this. The reason they look burnt is because they are, in fact, a little burnt, but we’re going to call it “charred” and it will sound fancier and be more readily accepted by those you’re serving it to.
While all that good stuff roasts away we’re going to make a little sauce of yogurt, tahini, lemon, honey & garlic. This sauce is a version of the sauce I make for my falafel recipe and it’s so good I could drink it.
When the veggies come out of the oven we’re going to add in a whole bunch of good things to them… pistachios, dates, feta cheese, parsley, arugula… and then we’ll top it all off with the dressing and some Aleppo pepper for heat.
Tips, tricks, substitutions
- Cabbage – I use regular green cabbage for this because I like how sturdy it is. Savoy would be pretty good too though because I bet those ruffly edges would char pretty darn nicely.
- Pistachios – roasted and salted. You can sub in any other nut though. Almonds would be fab.
- Aleppo Pepper – aleppo pepper is a middle eastern spice that’s only moderately spicy and a little bit fruity. If you can’t find it and want to substitute something else you can just use a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Dates – I chop up dried dates in this recipe, but you can use another dried fruit if that’s what you have. Apricots, raisins or cranberries would be good.
- Charring the veggies – I roast pretty much all my veggies quickly, at 450 degrees. I might even venture hotter for this dish as long as you keep an eye on it. If the veggies aren’t sufficiently charred with the recommended cooking time in this recipe just pop the pan under a very hot broiler for a couple of minutes.
- Leftovers – This salad is best warm and fresh. I am sitting here writing this eating a bowl of it from the fridge and it’s still pretty darn delicious. I stored the salad and the dressing separately and then gave the salad a quick zap in the microwave before eating.
FAQs?
It’s a pretty unique flavour but in this dish I’m mostly using it for a bit of heat so I’d just use a bit of red pepper flakes instead. In other dishes I’d suggest combining sweet paprika with a bit of cayenne.
Recipe-ish…
Let me know what you think!
Charred Cabbage and Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas, Feta and Tahini Yogurt
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 5 cups green cabbage chopped
- 4 cups cauliflower cut into small pieces (1/2”-1”)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
- 1/3 cup red onion sliced
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup arugula
- 3 Tbsp feta cheese crumbled
- 3 Tbsp dates diced small
- 3 Tbsp parsley chopped
- 3 Tbsp roasted salted pistachios
- Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
For the dressing:
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 a small garlic clove minced
- 2-3 tsp water
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Combine the cabbage, cauliflower and 2 Tbsp olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with S&P and spread evenly.
- Place in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, give the mixture a stir, return to the oven and roast 5 minutes more.
- Combine the chickpeas, onion and smoked paprika in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Mix well.
- Add the chickpea mixture to the baking sheet, mix all together and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
- To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add 2-3 tsp water to thin, if needed and season with salt.
- If at this point the vegetables are browned and a little charred, remove from the oven. If not, place the baking sheet under the broiler for a couple of minutes until there are some dark, charred pieces.
- Remove the pan from the oven and add all to a serving bowl.
- Add in the arugula, feta, dates, parsley & pistachios. Sprinkle over a big pinch of Aleppo pepper and mix.
- Drizzle the dressing over all.
If you like this warm Charred Cabbage & Cauliflower Salad Recipe please go try my Recipe for Tahini Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Feta. It’s equally delicious and super satisfying.
