Charred Cabbage in Spiced Tomatoes With Tahini
Updated February 2, 2026
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Ready In
- 1 hr
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Ingredients
For the cabbage
½ medium green (or red) cabbage (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), divided
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (or ½ of a 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand)
1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
2 medium shallots, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper or Urfa biber (or about ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
For the Lemon Tahini Sauce (see Tip)
¼ cup well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 garlic clove, grated or crushed with a press
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
For Serving
½ cup fresh cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley) leaves and tender stems, chopped
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
29 grams carbs; 288 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 741 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 14 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Prepare the Cabbage:
- Step 1
Cut the cabbage half lengthwise through the core to get four wedges.
- Step 2
Heat a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan for which you have a lid over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the cabbage, cut sides down, and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Using tongs, move the wedges back and forth gently to ensure they’re evenly coated in the oil, and cook until browned on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully flip, sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and cook until browned on the other side, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the wedges to a plate. Take the pan off the heat to cool for 5 to 10 minutes (do some prep or cleanup in the meantime).
- Step 3
Stir the maple syrup into the canned tomatoes. Set aside.
- Step 4
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, tossing frequently, until they are aromatic and darker in color, 1 minute. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until the shallots starts to soften. Add the paprika, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg and Aleppo pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. If needed, add a drizzle of oil if things seem dry.
- Step 5
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in the tomato mixture with all the juices, stir, and carefully nestle the wedges back into the pan. Cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender and the tomatoes have thickened a bit, 8 to 10 minutes, opening the lid once to check if the tomatoes are drying up (if so, add a few splashes of water).
Make the tahini sauce while the cabbage is simmering:
- Step 6
In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, whisking as you go. It will get stiff at first but eventually will become creamy yet pourable. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt as desired.
To serve:
- Step 7
Serve the cabbage straight from the pan. Top with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon some tahini sauce generously on top and serve more on the side.
You can make the tahini sauce up to 1 week in advance.
To make this a full meal, stir in 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a glug of extra virgin olive oil after adding the cabbage wedges to the tomato sauce. Simmer for 12 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.
Private Notes
Comments
This is my favorite recipe from the big vegan flavor cookbook! I make it with the chickpeas so it's more filling (have also done white beans but chickpeas are better for texture), and it is SO good. Do yourself a favor and double the tahini sauce because you'll want to pour it on other things in your fridge. Also, I recommend using lower-acid canned tomatoes like cento or bianco dinapli, as it does make a difference.
Exquisite flavor balances, a keeper. For long covid folk who can’t stand and stir long, this breaks up nicely into 3 dishes and a brisk trot for the mis en place. 1. Find all those spices and measure them into a small dish, set aside. 2. Make the tahini lemon sauce. It’s easy and now you’re committed but could still crash. I added more lemon juice. 3. Make the tomato sauce. I doubled it and its spices with a can of Mutti whole cherry tomatoes and added 1 cup TVP for protein, plus its water. You’re really committed now but you could crash and the sauces are still good for pasta etc. 4. Do the sheetpan method for cabbage. I slice a whole cabbage into 6 or 8 north- south slices, bake at 400 with EVOO, S &P.
I doubled the cabbage as one pound is very little, and I used a mild cabbage. I left the other ingredients unchanged and it was absolutely delicious. Next time I might increase the tomatoes, too. This is going in rotation for a big bang for the buck recipe.
Came out a lot saucier than the photos looked but this was insanely good. Definitely recommend adding the garbanzos and I would personally skip the maple syrup in the tomatoes, it was a bit too sweet for my liking but my husband liked it.
really really good! the charred cabbage alone was worth it... such a tasty and complex way to eat it. We added some super firm tofu which soaked up the sauce well.
@Karen Thank you for doing this! I have ME and always have to revise recipes into steps. I'd also suggest: making tahini sauce days ahead; using frozen -ahead cubes of lemon juice. (When friends say "How can I help?" I say 'Buy a bag of citrus, juice and zest it all, freeze into ice cubes for me.')