Roasted Cabbage Salad with Maple Miso Dressing
This Roasted Cabbage Salad is topped with an easy and creamy maple miso dressing, which helps load this bowl with flavor. Fresh, easy to make and packed with nutrients.
Inevitably, once the holidays are over, I’m always craving veggies in bowls like this. Everything gets put on a baking tray then it’s a matter of cooking it in the oven. Blend up the dressing and you are ready to go. Simple meals like this are everything!
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Cabbage Salad
- Affordable nutrition. One thing I love to emphasize in my meals are fiber rich foods, and you don’t have to spend a lot to reap in their benefit. This bowl is loaded with some of the cheapest including chickpeas and cabbage. More foods like this can be helpful in lowering your risk for a variety of chronic diseases (think things like colon cancer and heart disease) especially since they are loaded with antioxidants and fiber.
- A good balance of textures. Roasting the cabbage helps to make it easier to chew and digest, while roasting the chickpeas helps to firm them up and add a crispy texture to our meal.
- Easy to customize. If there is an item in this bowl that is not to your liking, just change it up. There are a number of substitutes I have listed below, but use this bowl in general as a guide for building an easy and nutrient rich meal.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: I chose chickpeas because they are easy to roast along with the cabbage. Feel free to swap for a different bean or lentil for this also. Do note the cook time for these items will change. If you need more protein, serve with a higher protein option like tofu instead.
- Cabbage: I used a mix of 2 different cabbages, but you can stick to just one color based on your own preference. This also works with shredded brussels sprouts.
- Shallots: Feel free to swap with some sliced red onion instead.
- Seasonings: I used a mix of thyme, ginger powder, garlic powder, and fennel seeds. Feel free to change up the amount or type of seasonings you use based on your own preferences.
- Cilantro: If not a fan of cilantro, just swap for parsley.
- Scallions: You can change this up for freshly minced chives if preferred.
- Fresno pepper: Only include if you like the spice. You can also swap for some thinly sliced jalapeno pepper if fresno is not available.
- Sesame Oil: I like the flavor to toasted sesame oil. Feel free to swap with chili oil or a neutral oil of your choice.
- Sesame Seeds: I used toasted sesame seeds. Feel free to swap with some finely minced nuts or seeds of your choice like pistachios, almonds or pepitas.
- Miso Paste: Use either white or yellow miso paste.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: For a similar tang, you can use freshly squeezed lime juice instead.
- Maple Syrup: This can be swapped for any of your favorite liquid sweeteners. I also like making this with agave syrup.
How to Make Roasted Cabbage Salad
Preheat the oven to 425F and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Place the chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
Transfer the chickpeas to one tray along with 1 tbsp oil and a generous pinch of salt. Roast in the oven on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the tray to cool for 10 minutes. Add the thyme and toss the chickpeas to coat. Return the tray to the oven to roast for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
To a separate tray add the cabbage, shallots, garlic powder, ginger, fennel seeds and a generous pinch of salt. Drizzle with the remaining oil (use more if needed) then toss to coat. Spread the cabbage into a single layer on the tray then roast in the oven until charred around the edges for 25-30 minutes, tossing half way.
In a small mixing bowl, add the scallions, cilantro, pepper, sesame seeds, sesame oil, a pinch of salt and maple syrup. Toss together and set aside.
For the dressing, add the miso, tamari, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic to a small blender cup and blend until smooth.
To assemble, pile a generous serving of the cabbage into a bowl or over rice. Top with some chickpeas and the herby salad. Drizzle with a spoon or two of the dressing then enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Remove the spice. If you are very sensitive to spicy foods, you can remove the seeds of the fresno pepper to help reduce the spiciness of the dish. You can also feel free to omit the fresno pepper entirely.
- For really crispy chickpeas. First tip, roast the chickpeas on the bottom rack of the oven. Second tip, after the initial roast, allow the tray of chickpeas to cool for 10 minutes then give them a toss in your seasonings and return to the oven to allow them to finish roasting. Let the chickpeas cool again and they should be crispy!
- When roasting, spread out your vegetables in a single layer. This will prevent vegetables from steaming on top of each other and ensure that they roast and brown evenly when cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are dealing with a sesame allergy, make the following swaps to make this allergy friendly. Swap the sesame oil for a sesame-free chili oil, extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil of your preference. You can also swap the toasted sesame seeds for finely chopped pistachios, almonds, or pepitas. Alternatively, you can also leave the sesame seeds out entirely.
Yes! Allow the roasted cabbage and chickpeas to cool completely before storing. Store the roasted cabbage, herb salad and dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the cooled chickpeas in a container with a loose fitting lid at room temperature on your counter for up to 3 days. If the chickpeas lose their crispy texture, you can roast them at 400F for 5-10 minutes and then allow them to cool again to regain their crispy texture.
This can happen for a number of reasons. First, make sure you dry your chickpeas off well with a kitchen towel. This will prevent your chickpeas from steaming in the oven due to the excess moisture. Avoid using too much oil. I find if the chickpeas are sitting in a lot of excess oil in the pan as they cool they tend to be softer in texture and don’t fully crisp up. And speaking of oil, I find that my chickpeas come out the most crunchy if I initially roast the chickpeas with just oil and salt and add the seasonings in the last 10 minutes of roasting. Lastly, let your chickpeas properly cool. Your chickpeas will continue to crisp up when they come out of the oven. Let them cool completely before enjoying to maximize on their crispy texture.
How to Increase the Protein in this Meal
This salad is a complete meal as served. However, you may wish to increase the protein here to make this more filling or satisfying based on your specific nutrient needs. Here are some easy ways to add some additional protein:
- Add a serving of baked tofu
- Swap the chickpeas for roasted lentils
- Replace the rice with farro or cooked quinoa
- Add a serving of pepitas or hemp hearts
More Veggie Bowls to Try
- Crispy Lemon Herb Tofu Patties
- Garlic Sage Toasted Quinoa Salad
- Balsamic Glaze Marinated Chickpea Salad
- Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Orange Miso Black Rice Salad
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
Roasted Cabbage Salad with Maple Miso Dressing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Roasted Cabbage Salad is topped with an easy and creamy maple miso dressing, which helps load this bowl with flavor. Fresh, easy to make and packed with nutrients.
Ingredients
Roasted Chickpeas and Cabbage
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- Kosher salt as needed
Sesame Herb Salad
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 1 fresno pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Maple Miso Dressing
- 1 tbsp white or yellow miso paste
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
For assembling: 3 cups cooked white Jasmine rice or quinoa
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Place the chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
- Transfer the chickpeas to one tray along with 1 tbsp oil and a generous pinch of salt. Roast in the oven on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the tray to cool for 10 minutes. Add the thyme and toss the chickpeas to coat. Return the tray to the oven to roast for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
- To a seperate tray add the cabbage, shallots, garlic powder, ginger, fennel seeds and a generous pinch of salt. Drizzle with the remaining oil (use more if needed) then toss to coat. Spread the cabbage into a single layer on the tray then roast in the oven until charred around the edges for 25-30 minutes, tossing half way.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the scallions, cilantro, pepper, sesame seeds, sesame oil, a pinch of salt and maple syrup. Toss together and set aside.
- For the dressing, add the miso, tamari, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic to a small blender cup and blend until smooth.
- To assemble, pile a generous serving of the cabbage into a bowl or over rice. Top with some chickpeas and the herby salad. Drizzle with a spoon or two of the dressing then enjoy.
Notes
Remove the spice. If you are very sensitive to spicy foods, you can remove the seeds of the fresno pepper to help reduce the spiciness of the dish. You can also feel free to omit the fresno pepper entirely.
For really crispy chickpeas. First tip, roast the chickpeas on the bottom rack of the oven. Second tip, after the initial roast, allow the tray of chickpeas to cool for 10 minutes then give them a toss in your seasonings and return to the oven to allow them to finish roasting. Let the chickpeas cool again and they should be crispy!
When roasting, spread out your vegetables in a single layer. This will prevent vegetables from steaming on top of each other and ensure that they roast and brown evenly when cooking.
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This is excellent. I am sometimes put off by recipes with so many steps, especially if they have a lot of ingredients. But, this is so straightforward, most ingredients are pantry items, and it’s easy to put it all together while the cabbage is roasting. And it adds so many layers of flavor! I’m not vegan, but we eat a lot of vegan dinners, and this one is going to be a forever favorite. (Also, it’s nice to have a roasted veggie meal where the dressing isn’t tahini based. I like tahini, but it gets a little boring after awhile.)
Best review to receive! Thank you so so much for making this, and glad this recipe was approachable! That is always the goal. 🙂