Roasted Cabbage Caesar Salad With Chickpeas

Name: Roasted Cabbage Caesar Salad With Chickpeas
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, well drained, or 4 cups cooked chickpeas; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons more; 6 garlic cloves (1 peeled and 5 unpeeled); 1 lemon; Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper; 2 1/2 to 3 pounds green cabbage (about 1 medium head), cut into 8 wedges, core intact so that the wedges stay together (see Tip); 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoon capers, drained and finely chopped; Parmesan, shaved or grated, for serving; Handful of soft herbs, such as parsley or basil

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated March 8, 2022

Roasted Cabbage Caesar Salad With Chickpeas — Linda Pugliese for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Total Time: 35 minutes
Rating: 4(1,079)
Comments: Read comments

This is not your usual Caesar salad. It forgoes the lettuce for wedges of roasted cabbage and replaces the croutons with roasted chickpeas. The Caesar dressing is a cheater’s version, using store-bought mayonnaise instead of fresh egg yolks; roasted garlic adds creamy richness, while briny capers and lemon evoke traditional Caesar flavors. A hot oven and a heated sheet pan are your friends here — start heating as soon as you think about cooking this dish — ensuring that everything cooks quickly and evenly. The cabbage caramelizes on the outside while the interior retains crisp-tenderness, and the chickpeas become warm and creamy with just a bit of crunch. (If you want them crispier, roast for 10 to 15 minutes more.) To make this dish vegan, use plant-based mayonnaise and omit the Parmesan.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, well drained, or 4 cups cooked chickpeas
½cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons more
6garlic cloves (1 peeled and 5 unpeeled)
1lemon
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
2½ to 3pounds green cabbage (about 1 medium head), cut into 8 wedges, core intact so that the wedges stay together (see Tip)
½cup mayonnaise
2tablespoon capers, drained and finely chopped
Parmesan, shaved or grated, for serving
Handful of soft herbs, such as parsley or basil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 450 degrees, with one rack in the middle and one at the top. Place a sheet pan on the middle rack to heat.
Step 2
In a shallow tray that will fit the chickpeas snugly in a single layer, add the chickpeas and ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil. (A 9-by-13-inch pan works well here.) Grate the peeled clove of garlic into the chickpeas. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 2 to 3 thick strips of rind from the lemon into the chickpeas. Season with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and a good grind of black pepper, and stir. Place the chickpeas on the top rack of the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Step 3
Place the cabbage wedges on a plate and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, turning them to coat. Season with salt and black pepper. Take the hot sheet pan out of the oven and add the cabbage wedges, cut side down. Add the 5 unpeeled garlic cloves to the tray. Place on the middle rack and roast for 15 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, place the mayonnaise and capers into a small bowl. Cut the lemon, and squeeze the juice of one half into the bowl, and add 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk to combine. Taste and season with salt, if needed.
Step 5
After 15 minutes, remove the tray of cabbage from the oven, flip the cabbage wedges, then return to the oven. Roast for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the cabbage is golden and tender. The chickpeas should be crispy in parts and ready, too.
Step 6
Remove the tray of cabbage from the oven. (Remove the chickpeas from the oven or leave them there for a few more minutes to continue crisping while you finish the dressing.) Carefully remove the skin from the garlic, then smash them with the flat side of a knife until you have a paste. Add the garlic paste to the mayonnaise and capers, and stir. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, if needed.
Step 7
To serve, place two cabbage wedges on a plate. Top with chickpeas and some of the chickpea roasting oil. Top with Caesar dressing, Parmesan and herbs. Squeeze the other lemon half over the top and serve.

Tip

You can also use purple or savoy cabbage, but adjust time as savoy tends to cook faster.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,079 user ratings

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Comments

Patrick Cooley3 years ago

Amazing recipe! The roasted chickpeas make this recipe truly pop. I made also made a version of the 4x the lemon juice in the dressing and served over a bed of chopped basil & mint - also amazing

Nancy3 years ago

Cooking.NYT is such a font of good ideas and easy access that it spurs many more good ideas. I like the Caesar dressing and amped it up a bit with some parsley and chives. Next up for me is to dress the cabbage with the inestimable Tahini Ranch Dressing, which lends itself to all kinds of tinkering.

Ottonomous3 years ago

LOVED this! I doubled the capers and used a Meyer lemon, otherwise stuck to the recipe pretty closely. Really enjoying it!

Brian D3 months ago

I have made this recipe a couple times for crowds and even the folks who admit they don't love cabbage end up eating all of it! Roasting the cabbage really brings out the sweetness in the vegetable mixes nicely with the sauce and crispy chickpeas.

Meinmunich5 months ago

Divine. Was even better the next day.

Jersey Locavore6 months ago

I assume this recipe doesn't work well for leftovers. Any tips towards make-ahead or plan-over would be appreciated. I'll guess the prep work and dressing can be done ahead, but roasting the cabbage and peas - either as make-ahead or plan-over would be a disappointment.

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