Cabbage Steaks Recipe with Green Chermoula and Toasted Walnuts
This cabbage steak recipe has a sharp, lemony flavor with a kick of spice from the red pepper in the Chermoula sauce. It's filling enough for a vegetarian or vegan main dish but equally amazing as a side to chicken, beef, or fish.
Get ready: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush the foil with olive oil and set aside.
Prepare the cabbage: Peel off any damaged outer leaves and trim the stem, but leave the core intact. Set the stem side down and cut 1-inch thick slices top to bottom through the core. You should end up with 6 to 7 cabbage steaks.
Season the cabbage: Place each cabbage steak on the prepared baking sheet. Brush each side with olive oil, and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Roast: Place the sheetpan in the oven and roast the cabbage steaks for 25 minutes. Carefully, flip them over and roast for another 10 minutes until the cabbage is firm, but fork tender. A few outer peels might come loose when you flip it, that’s Ok. Just roll with it.
Make the chermoula: While the cabbage roasts make the chermoula. To the bowl of a food processor, add the parsley, cilantro, garlic, coriander, red pepper flakes, paprika, ginger, salt, zest of one lemon, juice of half a lemon, and the extra virgin olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is combined, but you should still see some texture.
Taste and Adjust Seasoning: Taste it. If you’re satisfied with the flavor, transfer the chermoula into a pourable container. If you think it’s too lemony, add a pinch of salt and 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil, and pulse again. If you think it needs more lemon, go ahead and squeeze in the other half. Two to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice is the sweet spot for me. If you think it's too thick, add more olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Toast the nuts: Set a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped walnuts. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Set aside.
Assemble and serve: When the cabbage is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and transfer the cabbage steaks to a platter. Pour the chermoula over the steaks (you may not use all of it) and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Enjoy!
To Reheat: You can reheat this in an oiled skillet over medium heat or zap it in the microwave until it's warmed through. If you plan to meal prep this, I would keep the chermoula in the fridge, reheat your cabbage steaks as needed then top with chermoula and nuts as needed. I tend to store toasted nuts in a jar on my countertop, so I always have them available to top my salads or vegetable dishes.