Charred Cabbage in Creamy Spinach Sauce
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This dairy-free Charred Cabbage in Creamy Spinach Sauce is the ultimate veggie side dish! When comfort food & veggies meet!
When you think of cabbage, comfort food might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But this Charred Cabbage in Creamy Spinach Sauce is exactly that. The cabbage is charred before being braised in a creamy spinach sauce until it is super tender. The sauce is beyond delicious. The cabbage melts in your mouth. It is everything you could want in a savory side dish!
Step One: Char the Cabbage
The most important thing to remember when it comes to the cabbage is that you want to keep the stem intact. This will ensure your wedges stay together throughout the cooking process. So, cut the cabbage from the stem up. First in half, and then cut that half in quarters.
Melt some vegan butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat – you want the skillet to be pretty hot. Place the cabbage wedges in the skillet, cut side down. Cook until charred (approx. 2-3 minutes), flip and char the other side. Lower the heat to medium low and use tongs to remove the cabbage from the skillet.
Step Two: Make the Creamy Spinach Sauce
Once the cabbage is out of the skillet, we can get started on the creamy sauce.
Add diced onion, garlic & a healthy pinch of pepper to the empty skillet and cook down for 2 minutes – if the skillet is too dry add a tiny bit of oil.
Pour in some non-dairy milk, non-dairy cream, vegan mozzarella and bouillon. Mix until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add some thawed, frozen spinach & lemon juice. Mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed and turn the heat off.
Step Three: Bake & Serve
Add the cabbage wedges back to the skillet. Spoon some of that glorious sauce over the wedges so it gets into all of those nooks and crannies.
Carefully cover the skillet with foil – the skillet will be super hot, so no need to wrap it super tight. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
And now, it is time to serve! Pull the skillet out of the oven, remove the foil and stare at this beauty. Top it with some fresh chives and spoon it onto plates. This would be amazing served with my Super Yummy Lentil Salad!
This cabbage is EVERYTHING! Creamy, comforting and so delicious!
Tips & Tricks
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you could also use a dutch oven.
My favorite vegan creamers for savory dishes are Trader Joe’s Heavy Whipping Cream or Ripple Creamer.
This is best made and served right away. The leftovers reheat well, but if you are making this for a party, I would make it right before serving.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Charred Cabbage in Creamy Spinach Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or sub oil
- 1/2 large head green cabbage quartered, see notes
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup non-dairy milk unsweetened, I used oat
- 1/2 cup non-dairy cream unsweetened, I used Trader Joe's
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella I used Trader Joe's
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base or sub another veggie bouillon
- 4 ounces frozen spinach thawed and dried
- lemon juice to taste, start with 1/2 lemon
- chives optional, for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place the cabbage wedges in the skillet, cut side down. Cook until charred (approx. 2-3 minutes), flip and char the other side. Lower the heat to medium low and use tongs to remove the cabbage from the skillet.
- Add the onion, garlic & a healthy pinch of pepper to the empty skillet and cook down for 2 minutes – if the skillet is too dry add a tiny bit of oil.
- Pour in the milk, cream, mozzarella and bouillon. Mix until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the spinach and lemon juice and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Turn the heat off.
- Add the cabbage back to the skillet and spoon some sauce over the wedges. Carefully cover with foil and place in the oven (on the center rack) for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, top with chives and serve.
Video
Notes
- Cut a whole cabbage in half (cutting through the stem so the halves stays intact). Then quarter the half, again, keeping the stem intact.
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you could also use a dutch oven.
- My favorite vegan creamers for savory dishes are Trader Joe’s Heavy Whipping Cream or Ripple Creamer.
I haven’t made a lot of recipes with cabbage but this one was a hit. Delicious flavors! I made it exactly like the recipe and it came out perfect. Even my non vegan husband liked it.
Thanks so much Audrey! So glad you loved it!