Roasted Cabbage with Creamy Capsicum Dip

Roasted cabbage with creamy capsicum dip is a perfect main for a light weeknight dinner or goes great as beautiful centre piece for a sharing spread. This dish ticks all the boxes. It’s crispy, flavourful, easy to put together and looks absolutely stunning. Cabbage wedges are rubbed with a simple spiced olive oil marinade and roasted until tender and caramelised. Warm out of the pan, it is served on top of a scrumptious capsicum yoghurt sauce with a harissa and chilli oil. Which will make your tastebuds tingle for sure.

From time to time we all struggle and find it a challenging to come up with something different for everyone to eat. Specially when it has to be both delicious and nutritious. Being a vegetarian we love experimenting with different vegetable and different ways to cook it. Roasted is one of my favourite methods. As for me roasting vegetables always elevates them to a whole new level as it brings out their best flavours. These roasted cabbage wedges are a perfect example of this.

Why I love this Dish?

When we look at cabbage we all just think of coleslaw or stir fries? But no. Cabbage can be more than coleslaw. They can make a stunning side or a main dish, whether you use Savoy, Red, green or white cabbage.

Roasting cabbage brings out a natural sweetness in the cabbage. And I love how the core melt-in-your-mouth, while the edges stay wonderfully crispy. Roasting gives the cabbage a sweet and nutty touch, adds different textures, changes their flavour, makes it succulent and brings out the best in the cabbage.

The moment you put that perfectly roasted cabbage on top of the creamy capsicum yoghurt your mouth starts watering instantly. This is one of my favourite ways to enjoy this winter vegetable.

The creamy yoghurt based sauce has a very alluring aroma from the peppers and mustard. It also pairs beautifully with the flavours from the olive oil, harissa, mint and dill.

How to Cut Cabbage into Wedges?

Cabbage is a leafy green or purple biennial plant that’s high in nutritional benefits like sulphur and Vitamin C. Cabbage comes in several colours and variety, like savoy, spring greens, green, red and white. You’ll know the difference by colour and texture. In todays recipe I am using Savoy cabbage – It has crimped and curly leaves, a mild taste, and a tender touch.

Before cutting, it’s important to prepare the cabbage. Remove the outer damaged and loose leaves of the head and rinse it throughly with water.

Three easy steps to cut the cabbage into wedges:

1. Trim the outer leaves and excess stem from a head of cabbage and wash with water.
2. After drying, stand the cabbage on its stem end on a cutting board and cut it in half.
3. Lay each half of cabbage on its cut side and cut it into two to four wedges, making sure each cut goes through the core, in order for the leaves to be held together.

What you will need to make Roasted Cabbage with Creamy Capsicum Dip

• Savoy or White cabbage: I used a medium whole savoy cabbage. This recipes works very well with green, white or red cabbage also.
• Olive oil: I love to use olive oil i my cooking! It works perfectly for making the marinate for the cabbage before roasting and for drizzling in the end.
• Spices: I used the following spices to season the cabbage: sumac, garlic powder, harisa paste, aleppo chilli or red pepper flakes, mustard powder, cumin, salt and black pepper. You can substitute spices with your favourite ones.
• Capsicum :Slightly bitter in taste and crunchy in texture .. after boiling they have a sweet aftertaste which works perfectly with the roasted cabbage
• Greek Style Yoghurt or thick yoghurt: the creaminess and thickness of the greek yoghurt works well the peppers.
• Spices : Grainy mustard, yellow mustard powder, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
• Lemon: Balance the dressing with a little bit of lemon juice.

You will find the exact quantities of the ingredients in the recipe card below.

How to make Roasted Cabbage with Creamy Capsicum Dip

• Cut: Cut the cabbage as instructed above in half using a large sharp knife and a cutting board. Be careful not to slip. Cut it then into 4 to 6 wedges depending on the size.
• Coat: In a medium mixing bowl, mix the olive oil with the spices. Season with salt and pepper. Brush or dip each cabbage in the marinade and coat both the cut sides.
• Roast : Take a medium to large skillet and oil it. Arrange wedges in single layer in skillet, cut side down. Add ¼ cup of water and cook uncovered over medium heat, until the water has evaporated and the wedges are well browned (12-15 minutes). Flip wedges to second cut side, add 2-3 tbsp of water to the pan, and cook, covered, until wedges are tender and second side is well browned, 3-4 minutes longer. Evenly scatter butter among the wedges and cook uncovered, until butter is melted and bubbling about 1 minute. Continue to cook and baste the wedges with the melted butter, until fragrant. Place the wedges on a chopping board and let them rest for 5 min. Squeeze lemon juice on top of each wedge.

Making the Yoghurt Sauce

• Capsicum Yoghurt: In a mixing bowl combine the greek yoghurt, boiled capsicum, grainy mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Mix well to obtain a smooth consistency. Add little lemon juice if the yoghurt is a very creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water.
• Assembling: Once the cabbage is roasted, spread the yoghurt dip on a serving platter, add the cabbage wedges on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle chopped pistachios. Add few dollops of harissa paste and drizzle some chilli oil. Garnish with dill and mint leaves. Enjoy!

Note : You can also roast the cabbage in the oven. Arrange the coated wedges on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated (200ºC) oven for 30-35 minutes. Turn the wedges over after 15 minutes. If the cabbage start to blacken, cover it with aluminum foil.

Helpful Tips And Tricks to Make Roasted Cabbage with Capsicum Yoghurt:

• Cabbage: You can also use green, white or sweetheart cabbage for this recipe. I have tried it with the purple cabbage but didn’t find the colour appealing after it being roasted.
• Cut the cabbage into evenly sized 1 inch thick slices. This will help the slices to roast evenly. Cut the cabbage in half down the middle, from the top to bottom. Place the cut half on the chopping board and then cut into slices.
• Don’t use too big a cabbage. They can be too dense inside and steam rather than roast when placed in the oven. It’s better to choose two smaller cabbages than one large one.
• Keep the stem in tact when cutting the cabbage. This will make it easier to flip the cabbage when you’re roasting it so the leaves don’t fall apart.
• Vegan : To make it vegan use plant based butter and yoghurt.

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Roasted Cabbage with Creamy Capsicum Dip

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

• 1 medium head of Savoy or green Cabbage
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)
• 1.5  tbsp sumac
• 1 tsp harissa paste
• 1 tsp aleppo flakes
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
• ½ lemon 

For the Capsicum Yoghurt Sauce

• 1 .5 cup greek style yoghurt
• 1 medium green pepper, finely chopped and boiled
• 1 tsp grainy mustard
• ½ tsp yellow mustard powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp dried mint leaves 
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp Himalayan salt

For topping :

• 1 tbsp harrisa paste
• 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped
• drizzle of olive oil 
• drizzle of chilli oil
• 1 sprigs fresh dill 
• ¼ tsp dried mint

method

1. Halve cabbage through core. Cut each half into 2 -3 approximately 2 1/2-inch wedges through core, leaving core intact (you should have 4-6 wedges).
2. In a mixing bowl add the olive oil, sumac, harissa paste, aleppo flakes, mustard powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Brush each wedge with the spiced oil on both the cut sides. 
3. Put a 10" skillet on medium heat. Drizzle with 1.5 tbsp of olive oil. Arrange wedges in single layer in skillet, cut side down. Add 1/4 cup of water and cook over medium heat, uncovered, until water has evaporated and wedges are well browned,10-12 minutes.
4. Flip wedges to other cut side, add 2 more tablespoons water to pan, and cook, covered, until wedges are tender and the other side is well browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. 
5. Evenly scatter butter 1 tbsp of butter among wedges and cook, uncovered, until butter is melted and bubbling, about 1 minute.  Continue to cook, using large spoon halfway through cooking to baste wedges with melted butter  until fragrant, about 1 minute.Transfer to a cutting board and let cool 5 minutes (this will allow the cabbage to soften further). Squeeze lemon juice on top of each wedge. 

For the Yoghurt Sauce

1. Cook the chopped peppers, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender.
2. Drain and let them cool completely. 
3. In a mixing bowl add the greek yoghurt, cooled peppers, grainy mustard, mustard powder, dried oregano, dried mint, onion powder,  garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well . Keep refrigerated. 

Assemble

1. Spread the capsicum  yoghurt  on the serving platter. Arrange cabbage wedges on top of the yoghurt. Add dollops of harissa paste. Drizzle with olive oil. Scatter chopped pistachios over cabbage, then sprinkle dill and mint. Drizzle a little chilli oil over everything to finish. Enjoy!!

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!