Glazed Roasted Cabbage with Toasted Walnuts
The (easiest) Thanksgiving recipe you didn't know you needed.
Hello, friends! I’m in your inbox a few days early today because I have another Thanksgiving recipe for you - I know many of us are finalizing our menus, so if you’re in need of a simple side with big payoff, I’ve got a good one for you. But first, a little backstory…
Last November, I had dinner at Silvia, a gem of a restaurant in Woodstock, NY. Silvia does a lot of things right: beautiful decor and ambience, a seasonally inspired menu, and a great drinks. It’s elevated without feeling stuffy, and the food is creative and memorable. When we were there, the only fully plant-based entree on the menu was the smoked savoy cabbage with butter beans, sauerkraut and parsley oil. Yes, it looked good, but a head of cabbage for dinner? I love me some veggies, but girl, no. Talk to me when you can throw some pasta in there.
Sensing my hesitation, the waiter assured me it was his favorite thing on the menu, so I took my chances and ordered it. When it came out, I knew immediately I had made the right choice - I was stunned at how satisfying and flavorful it was, liking it more and more with each bite. To date, it’s one of the best restaurant meals I’ve had, and vowed then to never dismiss cabbage again.
While this cabbage is simpler and less entree-like than my meal at Silvia, I wanted to replicate the smoky, addictively umami-filled flavor notes that I had that night. When you roast cabbage at high heat, not only does it impart great color and flavor, the insides become tender and supple, while the edges get a lacy-crispiness to them. Adding even more depth is a simple marinade that you’ll rub all over the surface of the cabbage before roasting, and right before serving, a generous sprinkle of chopped toasted walnuts adds richness and crunch. This is the perfect side for your holiday table, or upgrade it to entree-status with the addition of white beans*, like they do at Silvia.
*To do this, I’d take cooked white beans (cannellini, butter or gigante beans would be my picks) and gently warm them in a pot with a splash of vegetable broth. Once warmed, I’d drizzle them with a high quality olive oil and season with salt, pepper and maybe a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice.