The green cabbage can be a tough sell. The red cabbage has its enviable hue, the savoy its supple leaves, and the Nappa, well, as long as kimchi is a thing it has a place. But the green cabbage is often left in the dust. Perhaps it is their waxy, densely-packed leaves or their cumbersome size that keeps them on the shelves. Whatever the reason, it’s completely unjustified. The green cabbage is a nutrient-rich, easy to handle and endlessly versatile ingredient. And to prove it, I teamed up with the good people at Produce Made Simple to bring you four completely different green cabbage recipes all made from a single head.
Jump to RecipeDisclosure: This post is sponsored by Produce Made Simple
How many times have you sailed right by a head of green cabbage in the grocery store? Would it help if I said I used to do it constantly? Cabbages can be intimidating. For one thing, they are huge. I lived in a house populated by one other person and a grump of a cat who is unsurprisingly averse to cabbage. It would take us longer than a cabbage’s admittedly lengthy shelf life to get through the whole thing. Honestly, I think even a larger household would struggle to get through an entire head of green cabbage.
The second cabbage-related hurdle is versatility. Now, this article’s whole purpose to debunk the myth that green cabbage is good for slaws, the aptly named “cabbage rolls”, and nothing else. We will get to why this is woefully wrong later. But it is true that a lot of people struggle to find ways to work cabbage into their diet. And this struggle further exacerbates the issue of size.
Now, I do have a grocery store marginally close to my home that sells cabbages by the half or even quarter head, which is cool. But what isn’t cool is the halved green cabbage is almost always more expensive. Yes, you pay a premium to have a cabbage lopped in half. But in spite of the price difference, I used to go this route often. I figured the extra spend would spare myself any food-waste-related guilt.
It turns out, my money was not well spent. There are loads you can do with a single head of green cabbage and you’re not obligated to do it all at once. The cabbage is a hearty vegetable. It has a shelf life you wouldn’t believe. So, you make a Tangy Green Cabbage Slaw one night and then you pause for two nights before powering back with a Cider Braised Cabbage.
It is hard to think of another vegetable that can lend itself to so many methods of preparation and emerge so wholly different. A whole world of diverse flavors and textures live inside a green cabbage. It is this versatility that makes the cabbage so alluring. So, to celebrate the hidden strengths of this often forgotten vegetable, Produce Made Simple and I created four completely different recipes from the same head of cabbage. And yes, I did indeed only use one head.
Here on Rhubarb & Cod, I will be highlighting the salad end of things. First with a Tangy Green Cabbage Slaw with Cortland Apples. And then we’ll switch gears and tackle a Grilled Cabbage Wedge Salad with an Avocado Green Goddess Dressing and Spiced Pepitas.
If you’re curious to see what else I got out of this single head of greenery, check out the Produce Made Simple site. There you will find recipes for Cider Braised Cabbage with Bacon and Golden Raisins and a quartet of Firecracker Cauliflower Cabbage Wraps. The wraps are my personal favorite.
Okay, let’s talk slaw. This Tangy Green Cabbage Slaw features a creamy mayo-based dressing because, if we’re all honest with ourselves, it’s what we really want in a slaw. The dressing gets its complexity from sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and celery salt. So, while the mayo gives the dressing its body, it’s not the main focus.
The veg in this slaw gives the green cabbage some contrast. The sweet bell peppers serve as the perfect foil to the peppery flavor of the raw cabbage leaves. And the Ontario Cortland apples give the dish its high note. A bit of tang, a dose of acidity, and a different kind of crunch. The addition of fresh mint and tarragon further elevates these key players.
The Grilled Cabbage Wedge Salads offers a riff on two personal favorites. The retro Iceberg Wedge Salad and Grilled Romaine. If I’m honest, I prefer the flavor of caramelized green cabbage over the raw. The cabbage’s exposure to a screaming hot grill only enhances its natural charms. Under the heat, the cabbage takes on a sweet quality. And through quick grilling, you get an exterior of sweet, caramelized cabbage, while the interior of the wedge
The dressing for this salad is a mayo-free version of a green goddess dressing.
So, that’s half of what you need to know about these green cabbage recipes. Don’t just stand there, go get the other two recipes over on Produce Made Simple. I swear you’ll never look at a head of green cabbage the same way again.
Enjoy!
FollowTangy Green Cabbage Slaw with Cortland Apples
Ingredients
- 1/4 head green cabbage thinly sliced
- 1/2 orange bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 Cortland apple cut into thin wedges
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard heaping
- 3/4 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the cabbage, peppers and apple wedges in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk to combine the mayo, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and celery salt. Pour the mixture over the veg then sprinkle with the tarragon and mint. Toss to coat.
- Divide the slaw between four salad bowls and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. The slaw will keep for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Grilled Green Cabbage Wedges with Smoked Pepitas
Ingredients
- 1 cup pepitas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 tsp salt divided
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 scallions
- 1 avocado pitted
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 head green cabbage cut into four wedges
- 1/2 cup alfafa sprouts to finish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Place the pepitas in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk to combine the paprika, 1/2 tsp of the salt, ground coriander, cumin, and chili flakes. Add the spice mixture to the pepitas followed by the olive oil. Toss to coat.
- Transfer the dressed pepitas to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast the seeds for 13-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Take the seeds out of the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before transferring to a bowl.
- Place the garlic and scallions in a large food processor and blitz until the veg resembles mulch. Add the avocado, sour cream and the remaining salt and blitz until smooth. With the food processor set to low, stream in the lemon juice and blitz until a thick, glossy dressing forms. Transfer the dressing to a bowl and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Heat a large cast iron grill pan over high heat until smoking. Add the cabbage wedges and grill for roughly 2-3 minutes on either side or until grill marks are clearly visible.
- Transfer the wedges to a platter and spoon the dressing over top of each wedge. Add a sprinkling of the spiced pepitas and finish with a tuft of alfalfa sprouts. Serve immediately.
