Struggling to get flavorful, crispy roasted cabbage at home? This hearty Roasted Red Cabbage Salad with Chickpeas and creamy Tahini Dressing nails it! Roast both at 450°F for caramelized edges and epic texture. Loaded with crunchy chickpeas, walnuts, feta, and green olives, this beaut doubles as a filling make ahead lunch or show-stopping side dish. Packed with plant protein and 11g fiber, you'll crave this on repeat! Done in under an hour.
I'm in love with a...cabage.
Whenever we eat out and there's an intriguing charred roasted cabbage dish on the menu, I'm all about it. It's such an under-rated cruciferous veg, ya know?!
Roasting it in a super duper toasty oven until it's all sweet and caramelized forms the most scrumptious foundation for this salad (psst don't miss my epic roasted cabbage side dish!).
Add tangy feta, fresh parsley, and spiced chickpeas all wrapped up in a creamy, punchy tahini dressing and it's pure salad bliss.
Like my 30-min chicken and green cabbage salad, this recipe proves that salads can and should be SO exciting to eat. Prepare to be converted!
Notes from recipe testing
- It was clear when I tested this recipe that a) putting the cabbage directly onto the [hot!] baking sheet and b) roasting it at a high temp are the key to perfectly golden cabbage that's roasted vs steamed. Since chickpeas are cooking in the oven with cabbage, we're roasting longer than we would with cabbage alone.
- I developed this recipe with a creamy, tangy tahini dressing with white wine vinegar and a smidge of Dijon that complements the subtle sweetness of the cabbage SO well. I used more sweetener in the first test I did but found it didn't even need it!
- I thought half a cup of parsley with do it for fresh herbiness but I ended up doubling it after taste testing. It's my secret weapon for flavor and gorgeous green color, so don't skip it!
Let's make it
If you're a novice when it comes to roasting cabbage, this is your sign! You're going to have a new favorite vegetable, I'm telling you.
P.S. The dietitian in me is not mad that the cabbage in this salad boasts plenty of vitamin K and C, too. This salad is a nutrition powerhouse, just how I like it!
Pretty please holler in the comments if you make this one!
Print
Roasted Red Cabbage Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing (450°F)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Struggling to get flavorful, crispy roasted cabbage at home? This hearty Roasted Red Cabbage Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing nails it! Roast both at 450°F for caramelized edges and epic texture. Loaded with crunchy chickpeas, walnuts, feta, and green olives, this beaut doubles as a filling make ahead lunch or show-stopping side dish. Packed with plant protein and 11g fiber, you'll crave this on repeat! Done in under an hour.
Recipe makes about 5.5 cups depending on the size of your cabbage.
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium head red cabbage, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 2 lb)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (or ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, this has a little kick, omit for no heat)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and well-dried with kitchen towel
- 2 tsp sumac*
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup feta in brine, crumbled
- ¼ cup castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp well-stirred tahini
- 1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- good pinch black pepper
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Have one rack in middle of the oven and one below. Place an extra large sheet pan in the oven to warm up and have another standard baking sheet ready.
- Place chopped cabbage in your largest mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, garlic powder, and Aleppo pepper. Toss to combine. Carefully remove hot baking sheet from oven and add cabbage, spreading into an even layer with as little overlap as possible. Roast for 20 minutes.
- To the same bowl, add well-dried chickpeas. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp kosher salt, and sumac. Toss to combine. Spread onto the standard baking sheet and place in oven below cabbage (which has been cooking for ~5 minutes). Keep bowl handy for later.
- Once 20 minutes is up, toss cabbage and shake chickpeas then cook for another 15 min. Toss again then evenly sprinkle walnuts on pan with chickpeas. Cook 5 more minutes. The cabbage is done when many pieces look caramelized and browned per photos (you can always roast longer!).
- Meanwhile, make dressing. In same big mixing bowl, whisk tahini, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, salt and pepper until smooth. Whisk in water.
- Add cooked cabbage, chickpeas and walnuts, parsley, olives and feta to big bowl with dressing. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (I like a bit more salt). Serve warm! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Equipment
Notes
*If you don't have sumac, I recommend you get some LOL (I put it on salad, avocado toast, roasted potatoes, veggies, everything!) but you can omit or sub some paprika and lemon zest.;
Larissa says
This is DIVINE. Your recipes are so reliably good. So much thanks to you for fueling me and my family with not only nutritious food, but also DELICIOUS food. I can’t tell you how many of your recipes are on repeat in my house. 🤩
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Wow thank you SO much Larissa, "Reliably good" is the hugest compliment; I can't tell you how much that means. You have to let me know what other recipes are your fave! XO
david says
Just the guidance I needed - had some leftover roasted chickpeas already, some cabbage in the fridge, and wanted something to bring it together. I paired it with roasted chicken breast cutlets with ras el hanout sprinkled over them. Delicious - very versatile dressing!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Oh yum that sounds delish and nice you already had so many of the ingredients! I so appreciate the review, David!
Faith Ralphs says
5 stars!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yay so glad you liked it!!
Faith Ralphs says
My husband and I loved this! We ate so much cabbage easily. I don’t like olives or parsley, and didn’t use feta, and it was still so good with just the cabbage, chickpeas, walnuts and dressing. The cabbage is so beautiful, this recipe will make me buy purple cabbage more often!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
You made my day, Faith! Love that it was so delish without the add-ins. Could you do me a favor and leave a star rating with your comment? It helps others find my recipes. Thanks a million!
Carey Rayment says
Hi
Don’t understand your rack positioning
3 racks total in oven ?
Pls explain
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Just two! One in middle (with cabbage) and one below (with chickpeas).
Carey Rayment says
Thanks
So the cabbage at the top is in the oven for a total amount of time? ( plus…? )
20 min PLUS time for chick peas
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Total cook time is 40 minutes. Put in cabbage for 20 (chickpeas go in right after), toss, cook another 15, add walnuts, cook another 5.