Easy Garlicky Cabbage Steaks (2024)

Roasting vegetables brings out their best flavors. And when you add a little garlic, you have the perfect side dish. These crispy roasted cabbage steaks are a perfect example and one of my favorite vegan recipes.

Serve this as a great side dish to a main entree, or have it topped with a soft poached egg for lunch. You can also slice up leftover cabbage and add it to many soups. And it's ideal for a side dish to your St. Patrick's Day dinner. For more Irish ideas, go check out thisIrish vegetarian recipespost.

by Susan Pridmore

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Want to make this cabbage steak recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

With millions of recipes literally at our fingertips, it's tempting to think you need to complicate things with at least 15 ingredients to get a great-tasting dish. And I've done it.

But I'm simplifying my life and my cooking. Simply roasting vegetable side dishes like these cabbage steaks,citrus roasted carrots,roasted Brussels sprouts, androasted peppersis a great way to do it without losing flavor. I can also transform them from a side dish to a vegetable main dish by adding legumes (beans), grains, or a fried egg.

🥬 Is Cabbage Nutritious?

Most of us associate the healthiest vegetables with the depth of their color. For example, dark green leafy vegetables like kale have more nutrients than iceberg lettuce. So, I assumed cabbage wasn't all that powerful.

But I was wrong. Turns out cabbage is a great way to get nutrition! And it's low carb. Here are some nutrition facts I unearthed in my research.

Nutrition Facts

1. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable belonging to the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. These vegetables are among the healthiest we can eat thanks to their potent mix of nutrients, such as:
   • Rich in Vitamins K and B6 and folate,
   • High in fiber,
   • Calcium powerhouse
   • Powerful antioxidants, and
   • Packed with Vitamin C.
2. Because of the above nutrients, the mighty cabbage may contribute the following benefits to our bodies:
   • Help keep inflammation in check,
   • Assist in protecting our bones,
   • Improve digestion,
   • Lower blood pressure, and
   • Help lower cholesterol levels.
3. Ideal food for keto or low-carb diets as well as vegan and vegetarian. Consider this data for 1 cup of chopped cabbage:
   • Calories: 22
   • Net Carbs: 2.9 (Net carbs calculations don't include fiber.)

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

• Very simple recipe.
• Only 4 ingredients plus salt and black pepper.
• Low-carb side dish.
• Lots of uses in addition to being a great side dish.
• Flexible recipe with lots of variations and multiple cooking methods.

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📝 How to Make Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks

Detailed instructions for this simple recipe are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!

Step 1

Prep the cabbage. Remove any wilted or discolored outer leaves from the head of cabbage. Next, slice it into steaks.

There are at least 2 ways to slice a head of cabbage into steaks. Both work fine, but I find the flat discs easier to flip over halfway through the roasting process.

• The first method requires you to slice the cabbage head into 1 inch thick flat discs (pictured above).
• The second method creates wedges. Slice the cabbage in half, and lay each cabbage half on its flat end. Next, cut each half into wedges that are 1 ½ inch thick at the thickest end.

Arrange the thick slices on the prepared baking sheet and brush their tops with olive oil and garlic paste. Lightly sprinkle with fennel seed, salt and black pepper. Carefully flip over and repeat.

Step 2

Roast. Roast the cabbage slices in a 400˚F oven for a total of 45 minutes, flipping them once halfway through roasting.

Step 3

Serve. Sprinkle any last toppings over the cabbage slices and serve warm.

🎯 Top Tip for Slicing Cabbage Steaks

Make sure the cabbage steak slices are thick enough to flip. They should be 1 inch thick and no more than 1 ½ inches thick. If they're too thin, they fall apart more easily.

🔥 Make CRISPY Roasted Cabbage Steaks

Only the cabbage steak surface directly in contact with the baking sheet will crisp up. The remaining cabbage "meat" will be tender.

1. Don't move the cabbage steaks while they roast in the oven's high-heat environment, except to flip them once.
2. Arrange the steaks in a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Getting the surfaces of the cabbage slices to crisp if you live in a humid area will be more difficult. Pre-salting the cabbage slices may help. To do this, arrange the cabbage steaks on the parchment paper, lightly salt, and let sit for 30 minutes. Use a paper towel to dab up any moisture on the cabbage, and then make the recipe as directed.
4. Preheating the baking sheet also crisps the cabbage steaks faster.

💡 Ideas for Variations

• Use red cabbage in place of green cabbage and make red cabbage steaks.
• Swap out the fennel seed for dried thyme, onion powder, chili powder, or taco seasoning.
• Add a little ginger paste to the garlic for a slightly Asian twist.
• Use garlic butter in place of olive oil and garlic paste.
• Substitute 1 tablespoon (or more) of garlic powder for the garlic paste. Adjust to your own garlic preferences.

🧊 What's the Best Way to Store Roasted Cabbage Steaks?

Storing leftovers:Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 - 7 days. The crispy texture of the outer leaves will soften by the next day. Rewarm any leftovers in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.

Freezing leftovers:I have yet to freeze leftovers since there are many ways to use them. But you can freeze leftover roasted cabbage in freezer-safe containers or freezer plastic bags that seal. The crispy texture will soften. Thaw in the refrigerator.

👩‍🍳 Uses for Leftover Roasted Cabbage Steaks

Roasted cabbage steaks are so good you might not have leftovers. But if you do, here are some ways to use them.

• Add to casseroles, soups, or stews, such as this vegetarian Irish stew.
• Make colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes).
• Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the tops of the steaks and reheat in the oven.
• Chop and add to scrambled eggs with some grated Parmesan cheese.
• Make a roasted cabbage salad with Caesar dressing or lemon vinaigrette. Or toss the salad with apples!

🌱 Other Veggie Steaks!

Cauliflower is the obvious steak choice. And I have a few recipes on the blog you might try. Thiscauliflower steak recipeexplains how to create steaks from a cauliflower head, using a few different methods.

Or make thesepesto cauliflower steakstopped with pesto and buttery, crispy breadcrumbs.

In fall and winter, my go-to steaks are butternut squash steaks for a main dish.

❤️ More Cabbage Recipes I Love

I'm a cabbage lover. Here are some ways I love to use it:

• Shredded green or red cabbage on a tostada like thisBlack Bean and Avocado Tostada topped with Cabbage Salad. It's an easy-to-make lunch or dinner that comes together quickly.
• Braised cabbage is one of my family's favorite recipes, as in this French Braised Cabbage. Shredded cabbage is simmered in vegetable stock with white wine, cream, mustard, and caraway seeds.
• I also makehomemade sauerkraut, which can improve gut health.