Roasted Cabbage w/ Garlic
♪ These are a few ♫ of my fav-o-rite ♪♩ things. (cue Julie Andrews)
- Cabbage
- Garlic
- Pepper & Salt
St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t come soon enough in this household, and sadly, that’s about the only time of year we think to make cabbage. Until now.
This roasted cabbage with garlic and olive oil tastes sweet like caramelized onions and is full of crunchy garlicky goodness. Bonus: It literally takes only 10 minutes to prepare.
It seems like green cabbage is on sale at my grocery store, like, *ALL* the time. It’s super cheap, but I didn’t know of any use for it besides making cole slaw and celebrating my heritage, which, according to The History Channel, is not particularly Irish anyway (who knew!?).
Anyway, I received a bottle of F. Oliver’s French Accent Tarragon infused olive oil for Christmas and I hadn’t tried it yet, and then I saw a picture of roasted cabbage wedges on Pinterest and was all like, eureka! You’re going to love those crunchy burnt bits, I promise.
The Diabetes Connection
By now it’s common knowledge that a low fat, low carb, and high fiber diet is helpful in controlling diabetes. That’s a given. But cruciferous vegetables in particular (think broccoli and cauliflower, in addition to cabbage) are notorious for being rich in antioxidants, having anti-inflammatory properties, and being loaded with health-promoting phytonutrients.
A recent study has shown that eating vegetables like cabbage can lower blood sugar while also having a protective role in preventing Type 2 diabetes in the first place. Another study has demonstrated that, in addition to lowering fasting blood glucose levels, diabetes related complications can also be alleviated.
If you’ve ever suffered from peripheral neuropathy, as I have, this is very good news indeed. For those unfamiliar with peripheral neuropathy, it is the annoying and sometimes painful tingling or “pins and needle” feeling that diabetics sometimes experience in their hands and feet due to nerve damage caused by chronically high blood sugar. I experienced this feeling for years, but after I switched to a predominantly plant-based diet, it gradually went away (it took almost a year).
Just look at that crunchy garlicky goodness!
Roasted Cabbage with Garlic
- 1 large head green cabbage (cut into 1″ thick slices)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (I ♡ F. Oliver’s French Accent Tarragon)
- 2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
- Salt & Pepper
- Preheat oven to 400° degrees
- Pull off a couple of the thin outer layers of the cabbage (they will just burn to a crisp anyway).
- Cut cabbage head into 1” thick rings.
- Coat both sides with olive oil and place on to a cookie sheet.
- Spread some minced garlic on each cabbage ring.
- Grind some salt and fresh ground pepper on top.
- Cook for 30 minutes. Take them out, flip them over, and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped parsley if you want it to look all fancy.
Alternative Roasted Cabbage Flavors
- You could squeeze the juice of one lemon or lime on each to brighten it up a bit.
- A sprinkle of dried marjoram tastes nice, too.
- Drizzle a little bit of honey on top before baking.
- After roasting, sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top.
- Curry? Yes, please!
Feeling the love? If you make this roasted cabbage recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #ContraryCook on Instagram or Twitter…I’d love to connect with you! If you’re into Pinterest, the image below would make for an awesome pin (wink, wink).
Oohhh, cabbage heaven! And vegan too. Perfect!
Thank you for this, Michael, I’ll definitely be making this very soon. <3
Thanks, Nicole! It’s so simple I can’t even believe it! I <3 all of the caramelized and burnt bits the best. P.S. I'm a huge fan of your vegetarian/vegan travel blog!