Why You Should Reach For Red Cabbage Over Green When It Comes To Roasting

Cabbage is a real wonder vegetable. Roasted, its leaves caramelize beautifully, each bite balancing tenderness and toothsome with earthy herbaceousness. And when you make roasted cabbage wedges, you can experiment endlessly with toppings, sauces, and seasonings. It's also a fairly easy dish to whip up — but, what if it could be even more effortless? And what if the results could somehow be even tastier? Both outcomes are within reach with one simple yet perhaps unexpected switch: Use red cabbage instead of green.

This is one of the key tips for upping your roasted cabbage game. You can get crispier, even more caramelized leaves with even less heat if you use red cabbage, plus it also boasts some intriguing flavors that green cabbage doesn't, like a spicy peppery quality. The difference in texture and cooking temperature and time is due to the fact that red cabbage has a lower water content to it, and is more dense. Red cabbage will roast up beautifully in about 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, while green cabbage may take closer to 25 to 30 minutes in order to cook off its moisture. One of the most common mistakes when roasting vegetables is to not account for water content when setting time and temperature — cabbage is a moister veggie and benefits from a slightly lower heat so the water cooks off evenly and doesn't make the leaves mushy. With less moisture, red cabbage makes it even easier to avoid that issue.

Fun fact: Red cabbage is even more nutrition-packed than green cabbage, too. It has significantly more vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron – another great reason to reach for it next time you want to make the veggie. To get the most of switching to red, remember a few other pointers on making the best cabbage in the oven. Importantly, aim to undercook, not overcook, it. Keep checking it as it roasts to make sure the leaves are crisped, not burned. Chop the cabbage into big pieces, keeping the core intact, in order to end up with nice wedges you can cover with various toppings. And skip parchment paper, as it's direct contact with the hot metal of a sheet pan that will really nail that crispy finish.

For extra flavor, use lemon juice for brightness and your favorite high-quality olive oil for savoriness. Roasting cabbage with bacon unlocks even more richness with a touch of saltiness. From there, roasted red cabbage will work well in so many iterations. Play up the bright lemon juice with the heat of garlic, or drizzle on tahini and add fresh feta, parsley, roasted chick peas, and chopped pistachios and dates. You could add blistered, smashed cherry tomatoes with basil, onions, peppers, and black olives; or lean into Asian flavors with soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, or gochujang with fried garlic crisps and chives. With the beautiful base of roasted red cabbage, you can't go wrong.