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Fall-Apart Caramelized Cabbage

4.6

(244)

FallApart Caramelized Cabbage recipe Bon Appetit
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

This is one of the easiest, most delicious ways to cook down a whole head of cabbage until it's falling-apart tender. If the spiced tomato paste has reduced and the pan starts getting dry and dark before the cabbage is ready, just add a splash of water to loosen and let it keep going.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

¼

cup double-concentrated tomato paste

3

garlic cloves, finely grated

tsp. ground coriander

tsp. ground cumin

1

tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1

medium head of green or savoy cabbage (about 2 lb. total)

½

cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

3

Tbsp. chopped dill, parsley, or cilantro

Full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°. Mix tomato paste, garlic, coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

    Step 2

    Cut cabbage in half through core. Cut each half through core into 4 wedges.

    Step 3

    Heat ¼ cup oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if needed, add cabbage to pan cut side down and season with salt. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cabbage to a plate.

    Step 4

    Pour remaining ¼ cup oil into skillet. Add spiced tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tomato paste begins to split and slightly darken, 2–3 minutes. Pour in enough water to come halfway up sides of pan (about 1½ cups), season with salt, and bring to a simmer. Nestle cabbage wedges back into skillet (they should have shrunk while browning; a bit of overlap is okay). Transfer cabbage to oven and bake, uncovered and turning wedges halfway through, until very tender, liquid is mostly evaporated, and cabbage is caramelized around the edges, 40–50 minutes.

    Step 5

    Scatter dill over cabbage. Serve with yogurt alongside.

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Reviews (244)

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  • Loved this! It was easier to make than I anticipated and the flavor was fantastic. I served it with chicken sausage and made 4 meals out of it. Warning though, while it looks very hearty, it was deceivingly light. I was hungry again after a very short amount of time, which is unusual. I'll absolutely make it again and just plan to add another side.

    • roseemoji

    • Pittsburgh, PA

    • 2/26/2020

  • I would not have imagined that cabbage could taste this good. Will definitely make again, and soon. I cut the cumin down significantly, because I don’t like when it’s the predominant flavor, and it was still terrific.

    • Anonymous

    • Maryland

    • 2/27/2020

  • pretty delicious and quite simple to make! i would appreciate a lil more 'complexity' for this one, though.

    • niccsux

    • Singapore

    • 3/1/2020

  • Don’t know where I went wrong but did not like this recipe. It was bland and had very little flavor

    • Anonymous

    • New Jersey

    • 3/2/2020

  • I thought this was really tasty. It really needs some crusty bread to soak up the olive oil-tomato sauce at the bottom of the skillet. I will make this again

    • melissahdavis

    • Birmingham, AL

    • 3/3/2020

  • Took 30 extra minutes and a switch to 400 degrees to get cabbage tender and sauce reduced, and then it was very bland. Had to add a lemon and a LOT of sour cream to make this worth eating.

    • Anonymous

    • Virginia

    • 3/4/2020

  • So, so so good. Making it again tonight. Had a dish like this at Fauna in Valle de Guadalupe and have been dreaming of it ever since. This technique gives you the perfect combo of caramelized and tender. Mmmm. Using mole in it tonight instead of the tomato paste combo

    • Anonymous

    • San Francisco

    • 3/4/2020