Charred Cabbage with Crispy Chickpeas + Herb Tahini Sauce
Cabbage is the unsung hero of the vegetable world, in my opinion. I really feel like it doesn’t get the love it deserves - it’s incredibly versatile, relatively inexpensive and it lasts for a LONG time in your fridge. What’s not to love?!
The day that I discovered roasting and charring cabbage, my life changed for the better. When you cook cabbage at a high heat, it turns into a crispy, sweet, caramelized vegetable that holds up its sturdiness while bursting with flavour. I often just chop it up and roast it until crispy, but for this charred cabbage with crispy chickpeas + herb tahini sauce, I tried a new technique: the beautiful purple cabbage gets cut into wedges, cooked in a cast-iron pan on high heat and basted in butter. Topped with chickpeas that get nice and crispy in the air fryer, the result is a tender and flavourful dish that is perfect alongside eggs, salmon or any other protein you love. You could also chop it up and throw it in a salad! Also, the lemon herb tahini sauce drizzled on top just brings this dish over the top. Hope you love it!
Charred Cabbage with Crispy Chickpeas + Herb Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
1 small head purple cabbage, cut in half, and then each half in quarters
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter (regular or vegan)
Sea salt + black pepper
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed + dried very well
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Fresh herbs, for garnish
For the herb tahini sauce:
⅓ cup smooth tahini
Juice of ½ a lemon
Handful of parsley leaves
Handful of cilantro leaves
1 small clove garlic
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
Sea salt + black pepper
Water to thin
Method
Heat oil in a large cast iron pan over medium high. Once pan is hot, add your cabbage wedges along with lots of sea salt + black pepper and cook on one side for 6-8 minutes, covering the pan halfway through to help cook the wedges through. Flip each wedge once they’re nice and browned on one side, then cook another 6-8 minutes on the other side, covering halfway through. When the cabbage pieces are charred on the outside and tender on the inside, turn heat to low and add your butter. Let it melt around the cabbage and coat each piece. Remove cabbage from heat.
Meanwhile, add your chickpeas to a medium sized bowl (make sure they are very dry). Add 1 tbsp olive oil, plus your garlic + onion powders and about 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Add black pepper and any other spices you like. Stir to coat, then place on the tray of your air fryer and air fry at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes (or oven for 25-30 minutes) until browned and crispy. Watch them closely as they can burn quickly! Remove.
Make your tahini sauce by blending all ingredients together until smooth, starting with 1/3 cup of water and making sure you add at least 1/4 tsp of salt. Add more water as needed to reach your desired consistency - I like it thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as desired.
To serve, place the cabbage wedges on a plate and sprinkle the crispy chickpeas overtop. Drizzle with herb tahini sauce and top with herbs of choice (I used parsley and chives). Enjoy!
Serves 2
