Creamy Roasted Red Cabbage Salad

I love raw cabbage salads, but roasting the cabbage completely changes it.

The edges get browned and slightly crispy, the cabbage softens without turning mushy, and the flavor gets much sweeter. Then I toss the whole thing with a creamy beet and cashew dressing, which makes this much more delicious and it’s definitely not your basic side salad.

You can eat this roasted cabbage salad on its own. I usually turn it into a meal with crispy tofu, toasted nuts, and a couple of slices of sourdough. It works really well warm, but I’ve also eaten the leftovers cold from the fridge and had zero complaints!

I use red cabbage here, although regular green cabbage works perfectly well too.

Why Roast Cabbage for a Salad?

Roasting cabbage is very different from eating it raw. Raw cabbage is crunchy and quite sharp. Once roasted, it softens and becomes more savory, while the thinner pieces around the edges start to caramelize and crisp.

For this recipe, I slice it fairly thinly rather than roasting big cabbage wedges. That gives you much more surface area for browning and also makes it easier to coat every piece with the creamy dressing afterward.

It’s also an easy way to use an entire cabbage without causing digestive troubles if you’re sensitive to cruciferous veggies.

Ingredients for Roasted Cabbage Salad

This makes around 4 generous side servings, or you can turn it into 2 to 3 larger meals by adding tofu, beans, bread, or another protein source.

Red cabbage

1 large red cabbage, about 2–2.5 lb / 900 g–1.1 kg

You may also see this called purple cabbage. Green cabbage works too. The final salad obviously won’t have quite the same color, but the roasting method is the same.

Olive oil

2–3 tablespoons / 30–45 ml

You need enough oil to lightly coat the cabbage without drowning it. If your cabbage is particularly large, you may need the full 3 tablespoons.

Cooked beet

1/2 large beet, about 3 oz / 85 g

You can boil or roast the beet. This gets mixed into the salad in addition to the beet that goes into the dressing, so you get some actual pieces of beet as well as the creamy sauce.

Creamy beet dressing

About 1 cup / 260 g

I use my creamy cashew beet dressing for this. It’s made with cashews, cooked beet, lemon, Dijon mustard, garlic, nutritional yeast, and chili.

I’m sharing the full dressing as a separate recipe because it’s useful for way more than just this salad. You can use it in grain bowls, sandwiches, wraps, roasted vegetables, or as a dip.

Salt and black pepper

To taste! Season the cabbage before roasting, then taste again after adding the dressing.

How to Make Roasted Cabbage Salad

Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.

Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage.

Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the cabbage into thin strips.

Add the sliced cabbage to a large baking sheet. If your cabbage is very large, use two trays. Giving the cabbage some space helps it roast instead of steaming.

Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, season generously with salt and black pepper, and toss until evenly coated.

Spread the cabbage into an even layer.

Roast for around 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.

You want the cabbage soft with plenty of browned edges. Some of the very thin pieces may get crispy, which is exactly what I want here.

While the cabbage roasts, chop the cooked beet into small pieces.

Once the cabbage is ready, transfer it to a large bowl.

Add the chopped beet and approximately 1 cup / 260 g creamy beet dressing.

Toss really well until the cabbage is coated.

Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Serve warm or allow it to cool slightly before adding your toppings.

The Secret To Addictive Cabbage!

If you put an entire large cabbage onto one small baking tray, you’ll still cook it, but you won’t get nearly as much browning. The cabbage releases water as it cooks. If it’s piled on top of itself, that moisture gets trapped and the cabbage mostly steams. If your tray looks extremely crowded, split it between two trays.

You don’t need every single piece lying perfectly flat, but you should be able to see some of the baking sheet between the cabbage.

Can I Use Green Cabbage Instead?

Absolutely! Regular green cabbage is probably the easiest substitute and you can use the same amount.

You could also use Savoy cabbage, although it cooks a little faster because the leaves are thinner and softer.

The beet dressing will turn lighter-colored cabbage slightly pink once everything is mixed together, which is actually quite pretty.

How Thin Should I Slice the Cabbage?

I like it thin, but not paper-thin. A mandolin makes this very quick, although a sharp chef’s knife works perfectly well.

If your cabbage is sliced very thinly, start checking it around 15 minutes, because the edges can burn quickly.

If you cut thicker strips, it may need closer to 25 to 30 minutes.

What to Serve with Roasted Cabbage Salad

The cabbage and dressing make a great vegetable side on their own, but I usually build a meal around them.

Crispy tofu

This is probably my favorite option.

The cabbage is soft and creamy once dressed, so crispy tofu gives you both protein and a really nice texture contrast.

You can air fry or pan-fry cubed tofu while the cabbage is roasting.

Toasted nuts

Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds all work well.

Toast them before adding them. It takes a few extra minutes but makes a huge difference in flavor.

Sourdough

A couple of slices of toasted sourdough make this into a very easy lunch.

I especially like using the bread to scoop up any beet dressing left at the bottom of the bowl.

Chickpeas or lentils

If you don’t want tofu, roasted chickpeas or cooked lentils are another easy way to make this more substantial.

Grain bowls

Use the roasted cabbage salad as the vegetable portion of a bowl with quinoa, farro, brown rice, or another grain.

How to Add More Protein

The cabbage salad itself isn’t meant to be a high-protein meal, but it’s very easy to turn it into one.

Try adding:

• Crispy tofu
• Tempeh
• Roasted chickpeas
• Lentils
• Edamame
• Seitan
• Hemp seeds
• Pumpkin seeds

If I were making this for lunch, I’d probably do crispy tofu + toasted nuts + sourdough and call it a day.

Can I Make Roasted Cabbage Salad Ahead of Time?

Yes, although there are two ways to do it depending on the texture you want. If you know you’ll be serving it later, roast the cabbage and store it separately from the dressing. Then toss them together before serving. That keeps the browned cabbage edges slightly firmer.

If you don’t mind the cabbage becoming softer, you can also store the fully dressed salad. The flavor is still really good the next day.

How to Store Roasted Cabbage Salad

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for around 3 to 4 days.

The cabbage will soften once it has been mixed with the dressing, so don’t expect the crispy edges to stay crispy.

That doesn’t bother me because it turns into more of a creamy roasted vegetable salad.

You can eat leftovers:

• Cold
• At room temperature
• Lightly reheated

If reheating, I prefer warming it gently rather than getting it piping hot.

Can You Eat This Salad Cold?

Yes! It’s definitely good warm straight after roasting, but the flavors settle nicely after a few hours in the refrigerator too.

If you’re serving it cold, I especially recommend adding something crunchy right before eating, such as toasted walnuts or pumpkin seeds.

Roasted Cabbage Salad Variations

Fresh herbs

Parsley, dill, or cilantro can lighten up the richness of the cashew dressing.

Something sweet

A few pomegranate seeds, chopped apple, or dried cranberries work really well with cabbage and beet.

More acidity

If the finished salad feels too rich, squeeze a little fresh lemon over it before serving.

Adding crunch

Try toasted walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or even crispy roasted chickpeas.

Make it spicy

Add chili flakes or a little hot sauce.

The beet dressing already contains chilies, but you can easily increase the heat.

Rough Nutrition Breakdown

This will vary depending on the exact size of your cabbage, how much oil you use, and the consistency of your beet dressing!

Using approximately:

• 1 large red cabbage
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large cooked beet
• 260 g creamy cashew beet dressing

The full salad is roughly:

• Calories: 1,250-1,350 kcal
• Protein: 30-35 g
• Carbohydrates: 115-125 g
• Fiber: 30-35 g
• Fat: 75-85 g

Per serving, divided into 4

Approximately:

• Calories: 310-340 kcal
• Protein: 7-9 g
• Carbohydrates: 29-31 g
• Fiber: 7-9 g
• Fat: 19-21 g

This does not include tofu, bread, nuts, or other toppings.

The cashews and olive oil make this a fairly satisfying salad on its own, but adding a protein source turns it into a much more complete meal.