In New Orleans and beyond, cabbages famously fly from floats during St. Patrick’s Day parades. Most of us already have a few reliable ways to cook them, and they’re good ones. But every now and then, it’s worth letting cabbage step out of its usual role and into something a little more unexpected.
This bold dish from Saba layers smoky, caramelized cabbage with nutty hazelnut muhammara and creamy tahini for a vibrant, flavor-packed plate.
Charred Cabbage with Hazelnut Muhammara and Tahini
Makes 4 plates (8 servings)
In a food processor, blend Matbucha, hazelnuts, Aleppo pepper and pomegranate molasses until nuts are finely chopped, pausing to scrape as needed. While still blending, stream in olive oil and process until smooth. Bring to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate up to four days or freeze in portions.
Matbucha
Makes 2 cups
- 3 red bell peppers
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons Aleppo pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 15-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
Broil or grill peppers over high heat, turning, until fully blackened (10–15 minutes or longer as needed). Cool, peel away charred skin (avoid rinsing), remove stems, seeds and membranes. Roughly chop and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide, high-sided pan or Dutch oven over medium-low. Cook onion and garlic until translucent, 5–6 minutes. Stir in salt and spices; toast until fragrant. Add vinegar and cook until thickened.
Reduce heat to low. Add tomatoes, sugar and peppers, using a spoon to roughly break apart the tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally. After 1 to 1½ hours, when the Matbucha is thick, dry and deeply concentrated in flavor, remove from heat and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Cool completely before blending into Muhammara.
Back to the Cabbage
In a deep pot just large enough to snugly hold the cabbage, combine water, ½ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons salt, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, jalapeño, star anise and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and simmer 10–15 minutes to infuse.
Trim tough outer cabbage leaves and halve lengthwise. Taste broth for seasoning, then carefully lower cabbage into pot. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 30 minutes. Rotate and continue cooking until knife-tender with slight resistance, 1 to 1½ hours total, checking every 5–10 minutes after the first hour.
Remove cabbage with a slotted spoon to a rimmed baking sheet; cool slightly. Strain and reserve broth if desired. Heat broiler with rack in upper-middle position.
Keeping stems intact, halve cabbage again lengthwise (quarters). Drain excess liquid and remove any leaves that fall away. Arrange wedges curved side down. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with remaining salt. Broil 10–12 minutes, rotating halfway, until deeply charred at the edges.
To serve, spread about ¼ cup Muhammara on each plate. Top with a cabbage wedge, drizzle with olive oil and 1 tablespoon tahini. Garnish with hazelnuts and microgreens.
PER SERVING: 190 calories, 14 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 110 mg sodium, 14 grams carbohydrate (9 grams net carbs), 5 grams fiber, 7 grams sugar (0 added sugar), 4 grams protein. GF, Low CARB, VEGAN, LOW SODIUM.
Find these recipes and more in “The Eat Fit Cookbook,” available for purchase at local retailers or online at . Be sure to use promo code ADVOCATE at checkout for 10% off.
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonprofit initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media. Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.