Here's a super simple and incredibly tasty method to slow-cook an entire cabbage until it's wonderfully tender and practically falling apart.
These caramelized cabbage wedges are perfect as a meal on its own or served as a side dish with pork dishes, turkey or cod fish.
Caramelized Cabbage Wedges
This blog is all about cooking from scratch with fresh, wholesome ingredients. I believe that creating flavorful, satisfying meals doesn’t have to be complicated.
These Caramelized Cabbage Wedges are a perfect example—tender roasted cabbage paired with a rich tomato-based sauce, smoky spices, and sweet onions. Cooking healthier meals is all about making real food taste amazing with just a few pantry staples!
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Why You'll Love Caramelized Cabbage
- Minimal Ingredients. The process of caramelizing the vegetables generates a naturally sweet and indulgent flavor, eliminating the need for additional brown sugar.
- Plant-Centric. Unlike the more conventional fried cabbage with bacon, this vegetarian recipe maximizes the inherent flavors of caramelized veggies.
- Adaptable. Enjoy this dish as a side with your St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas feast or as a convenient addition to any day's meal lineup.
Ingredients
- Cabbage - opt for a medium-sized green cabbage. Alternatively, a medium head of savoy cabbage can be used as a substitute.
- Onion - choose a medium-sized yellow onion, or you can substitute with a white onion.
- Olive oil - utilize a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil or your preferred cooking oil.
- Garlic - mince 3 larger cloves of garlic for use in the recipe.
- Cumin - ground cumin offers excellent flavor. You can also use cardamom or grated nutmeg for aroma and different flavor profile.
- Red pepper flakes - If you're sensitive to spice, skip this ingredient and use ground black pepper as an alternative.
- Salt - opt for kosher salt and adjust according to taste preferences after cooking the cabbage.
- Fresh dill - excellent with cabbage dishes. You can also use fresh rosemary sprigs, oregano or thyme here.
- Sour cream, parmesan - for serving.
- Tomato paste - from the tube, opt for dark rich red color paste of a high quality (we love Italian brands).
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
📋 Brown sugar - although it is optional, you can add 1-2 tablespoons when adding the spices and tomato paste.
How To Make Caramelized Cabbage
- Preheat the Oven: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350°F (175°C).
- Prep the Cabbage: Cut the cabbage in half through the core, then cut each half into 3 wedges, keeping some of the core intact to hold the wedges together. You should have 6 wedges. Season the wedges lightly with salt.
- Sear the Cabbage: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large, ovenproof skillet (cast iron works great) over medium-high heat.
- Sear 3 cabbage wedges until browned and slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil and cabbage.
- Sauté onion and spices: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet. Add the sliced onion and cook for about 3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and brown sugar (if using). Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it darkens and thickens.
- Add liquid and simmer: Pour in water or broth, stirring well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
- Return the cabbage wedges to the skillet, allowing them to overlap slightly if needed.
- Bake and caramelize: Transfer the skillet to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 40-50 minutes. The cabbage should soften and caramelize, while the liquid reduces by about half.
- Serve with fresh dill, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, and a sprinkle of Parmesan for extra richness. These caramelized cabbage wedges pair perfectly with pork ribs or your favorite protein!
- I also have a similar dish on this blog, try Braised Cabbage next!
Tips
- Despite initially seeming like a lot, the cabbage will significantly reduce in volume while cooking.
- Saute the cabbage and onions over medium-high heat to achieve proper caramelization.
- For added texture, consider incorporating nuts or seeds towards the end of the cooking process.
- To create a complete meal, include cooked proteins like ground chicken or shrimp towards the end or cook them separately.
If you notice that the tomato paste has thickened too much and the pan is drying out or turning dark before the cabbage reaches its desired tenderness, pour in a bit of water to loosen it up, allowing the cooking process to continue smoothly.
Serving Suggestions
- As a main with other vegetables or grains: I like to serve it with pork fried rice, yellow rice or garlic mashed potatoes.
- As a side dish: with corned beef or lamb stew to baked chicken breasts or oven-roasted pork tenderloin.
- Utilize juices from cooking as a tasty sauce: Prepare a white wine sauce, and incorporate the caramelized cabbage mixture. Serve this flavorful sauce over turkey, chicken, pork, or baked cod for an added depth of taste.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Once you're done, allow any remaining portions to cool and place them in an airtight container along with any leftover sauce. You can store the caramelized cabbage in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. To reheat the cooked cabbage, I suggest gently warming it in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- To Freeze. I don't recommend freezing this dish due to flavor loss and texture change.
More Satisfying Dinner Recipes
- Old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole
- Fried Cabbage With Bacon
- Roasted Cabbage Steaks
- Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Dinner
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Recipe Card
Caramelized Cabbage Recipe
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium head green cabbage, about 2 pounds
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, about 8 ounces, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
- ¼ cup tomato paste, from the tube
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon fine sea or table salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cups water or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For Serving
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup sour cream, or Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon parmesan, grated
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
- Cut the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half through the core, then cut each half into 3 wedges, making sure that each wedge retains some core to hold it together, so that you have 6 wedges. Season with salt.
- Cook the cabbage. In a large, ovenproof, high-sided skillet (cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoon butter. Add 3 wedges of cabbage to the skillet and sear until the cabbage is well browned and slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the cabbage to a plate, and then repeat with another 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining cabbage, transferring the cabbage to the plate once browned.
- Saute onion with spices and tomato paste. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, ground cumin, paprika, and black pepper, (brown sugar if using). Saute for 30 seconds until the aroma comes out.
- Add ¼ cup tomato paste into the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until tomato paste starts to darken.
- Add water and simmer. Stir in water, stir through and let it come to a boil. Taste for seasoning, if needed add more salt.
- Return the cabbage to the skillet, some corners can overlap which is fine.
- Bake and caramelize the cabbage in the oven. Place the pan into the oven, without the lid. And bake for 40-50 minutes.
- The cabbage will soften and half of the liquid should evaporate. Serve with fresh dill, sour cream, and optional parmesan.
NOTES
- To Store. Once you're done, allow any remaining portions to cool and place them in an airtight container along with any leftover sauce. You can store the caramelized cabbage in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. To reheat the cooked cabbage, I suggest gently warming it in a skillet over medium-low heat.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Caramelized Cabbage: FAQs
Yes, caramelized cabbage can be prepared in advance. While sautéed green cabbage is optimal when served immediately after cooking, it retains its delicious flavor when reheated later.
I recommend gently warming the cooked cabbage in a skillet over medium-low heat for reheating.
Regarding cabbage varieties, sturdy types like green, Savoy, or purple cabbage work well for caramelizing.
I steer clear of more delicate types, such as napa cabbage, as they usually have shorter cooking times than onions and can become overly limp during caramelization.
Other Cabbage Recipes
For all recipes, hop on to our Recipe Index collection.
This recipe was inspired by Washington Post.
Gwendolyn Mathews
thanks for the recipes, can't wait to try them!!!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you!