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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Recipes, Salads + Soups, Special Diets, Vegetables, Vegetarian · December 21, 2022

Baked Cabbage Salad with Winter Romesco

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I have been making a lot of baked salads this winter (it’s my calling!) but this baked cabbage salad with winter romesco has a special place in my heart. First, it has my two favorite vegetables, savoy cabbage and delicata squash, both thinly sliced and made to be the absolute perfect texture for a baked salad. Second, this salad makes a “winter romesco” – which is a riff on traditional romesco, where we opt out of the tomatoes, add in a bit of cooked onion and sage, and really lean into the warm, zippy, spicy flavors of the sauce.

The other thing to love about baked salads is how easy and efficient they are. This is one of my ultimate weeknight meals because while the cabbage and squash are roasting, you can use that time to make the romesco, the crunchy toppings, and prep your toast. It’s a quick meal that ends up feeling luxurious, plus it’s great for leftovers. What’s not to love? I hope by now I have you all on Team Baked Salad for life 😉

Table of contents

  • Ingredients you’ll need for this cabbage baked salad
  • Let’s talk about why I use cabbage and delicata squash in this recipe
  • How to prepare the cabbage and delicata squash in this baked salad
  • How to make the winter romesco sauce
  • What is romesco, and how is this sauce different?
  • How to bring this whole recipe together
  • Looking for ingredient substitutions?
  • More of my favorite salad recipes

Ingredients you’ll need for this cabbage baked salad

  • 1 small savoy cabbage
  • 1 medium delicata squash
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 cup fresh sage
  • 1/4 cup pecan halves
  • 2 tbsp pepitas
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, from the jar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp each Diamond Crystal kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta
  • 2 slices thick sourdough bread

Let’s talk about why I use cabbage and delicata squash in this recipe

Both of these vegetables do a fantastic job of cooking down in the oven to a texture that is both soft, but has some bite to it. Cabbage gets crispy on some pieces and holds its structure, which I love, and since you can eat the skin of delicata squash, I love that that yields another layer of textural interest to the salad. You can absolutely sub these out for other options (see the substitutions list below), but these are my favorite vegetables for this baked cabbage salad!

How to prepare the cabbage and delicata squash in this baked salad

This recipe is all about timing, so it makes sense to start with the roasted vegetables first. That way you can make the sauce while everything is baking!

So set the oven to 400°F. Then remove the core from the cabbage and thinly slice it. Scatter on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil, and season with a small amount of salt and pepper.
Cut the delicata squash in half and remove the seeds. Thinly slice into half-moon pieces. Scatter on an unlined baking sheet and toss with salt and pepper.
Roast the cabbage and the squash in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until some cabbage pieces are browned and crisp and the squash is roasted and browning on the bottom!

How to make the winter romesco sauce

Make the sauce (and the toppings!) while the cabbage is roasting. This will make it so that everything is done at the same time for this baked cabbage salad.

In the dry pan, add the pecans and pepitas and cook until they are toasted and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set half in a bowl for the topping, and half in a small blender.


Put 1-2 tbsp of oil in the pan and let it come to temperature. Add half of the garlic and let it “fry” quickly, getting brown and crispy. Repeat this process with half the sage leaves, frying until they are crispy. Remove and add to the toppings bowl.


Then cook the onion for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the remaining garlic and sage, cooking until the garlic is soft and the sage is aromatic, another 2-3 minutes.
Blend all of this with the roasted red peppers, red wine vinegar, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and season with salt, pepper and vinegar as needed!

What is romesco, and how is this sauce different?

Romesco is a tomato-based sauce that is traditionally eaten with seafood. It originates from Tarragona, the Spanish region of Catalonia. It’s typically made from tomatoes, garlic, nuts like pine nuts or almonds, and bell peppers. Occasionally thickeners are added, such as stale bread, but this varies from recipe to recipe and region to region. Most romescos are rich and red in color, and I definitely took a few liberties when developing this one, but it still yields a similar result.

This romesco is red pepper based, because in winter tomatoes aren’t that widely available. I added sage for hearty winter aromatics, as well as an onion for thickness, instead of the traditional bread. Another layer of flavor here comes from pecans and pepitas as the nut based, as opposed to almonds.

There are many changes, but it makes this sauce an easy winter staple!

How to bring this whole recipe together

Season the toppings bowl with a pinch of salt, and roughly chop up the ingredients.
When the cabbage is out of the oven, dress it with the romesco sauce right on the pan (add as much or as little as you prefer!) Pour in the delicata squash and mix again.


To serve, pile the salad on top of a toasted piece of sourdough with a thick smear of ricotta. Add the roasted pepitas topping and serve!

Looking for ingredient substitutions?

The best part of this recipe is it is highly customizable and substitutable! Here are a few of my best subs and replacements for ingredients:

  • Cabbage – can be replaced with kale, broccolini, or swiss chard.
  • Delicata squash – can be replaced with almost any of her squash cousins, just remember to thinly slice them!
  • Roasted red peppers – I don’t love replacing these, but if you are in a pinch, sun-dried tomatoes will work 🙂
  • Red wine vinegar – can be subbed for sherry or balsamic vinegar
  • Any of the nuts and seeds can be subbed with similar nuts or seeds! Think sunflower seeds, pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.
  • Don’t like ricotta? You can sub it for cottage cheese, or cashew cream if you are plant-based!

More of my favorite salad recipes

This might be my current fixation, but I have tons of other warm salads on the blog! Here are a few of my favorites:

Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa
When hot salad season starts (and yes, it's a thing) this Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa is the only one I want. All the vegetables are roasted in the oven, and the quinoa is toasted to a crispy perfection. It's the perfect balance of flavors and a great way to pack vegetables into your meal.
Check out this recipe
Brussel Sprout Salad with Anchovy Tahini & Za’atar Chickpeas
Another addition to warm-salad season is this brussels sprout salad dream. It's kind of like a caesar salad's younger, hotter (sorry caesar!) sister. It's easy to make, creamy and delicious, and of course, baked.
Check out this recipe
Sautéed Kale Salad with Ricotta Salata
This warm salad takes sweet balsamic sautéed kale & greens and pairs it perfectly with a roasted red pepper chickpea mash, add in some jammy shallots and ricotta salata and it's exactly what I eat when I want an excuse to pile a mountain of vegetables on a plate. It might not be the prettiest warm salad, but it is definitely one of the most fulfilling.
Check out this recipe

And that’s it for this baked cabbage salad with winter romesco! Don’t forget the ricotta toast, of course 😉

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.

Baked Cabbage Salad with Winter Romesco

5 from 1 vote
This salad is comforting, wholesome and filling. Paired with bits of crispy garlic, sage and nuts, creamy ricotta and bright romesco, it's a salad I'll have on repeat all winter. If you're cooking to make this salad a meal, this recipe will work for about 2 servings. If you're looking to use it as a side dish, it's fit to serve about 4!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:30 minutes mins
Total Time:45 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American, Fusion, Mediterranean
Keyword: baked, cabbage, delicata squash, romesco, salad
Servings: 2 meal-sized salads

Equipment

  • 2 half sheet pans
  • 1 skillet or pan
  • 1 small blender

Ingredients

  • 1 small savoy cabbage
  • 1 medium delicata squash
  • 2 tbsp olive oil plus more as needed
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 cup fresh sage
  • 1/4 cup pecan halves
  • 2 tbsp pepitas
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers from the jar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp each Diamond Crystal kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta
  • 2 slices thick sourdough bread

Instructions

  • Set the oven to 400°F.
  • Remove the core from the cabbage and thinly slice it. Scatter on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil, and season with a small amount of salt and pepper.
  • Cut the delicata squash in half and remove the seeds. Thinly slice into half-moon pieces. Scatter on an unlined baking sheet and toss with salt and pepper.
  • Roast the cabbage and the squash in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until some cabbage pieces are browned and crisp and the squash is roasted and browning on the bottom.
  • While the vegetables are roasting, thinly slice the onion and the garlic cloves. Remove the sage leaves from their stems and set aside.
  • Put a pan on medium heat. In the dry pan, add the pecans and pepitas and cook until they are toasted and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set half in a bowl for the topping, and half in a small blender.
  • Put 1-2 tbsp of oil in the pan and let it come to temperature. Add half of the garlic and let it "fry" quickly, getting brown and crispy. This will take about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and add to the bowl for the topping. Repeat this process with half the sage leaves, frying until they are crispy. Remove and add to the toppings bowl.
  • Keep the pan on medium heat and add the onion. Add more olive oil if needed. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the remaining garlic and sage, cooking until the garlic is soft and the sage is aromatic, another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the cooked onion mixture into the small blender. Add in the roasted red peppers, red wine vinegar, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and season with salt, pepper and vinegar as needed.
  • Season the toppings bowl with a pinch of salt, and roughly chop up the ingredients.
  • When the cabbage is out of the oven, dress it with the romesco sauce right on the pan (add as much or as little as you prefer!) Pour in the delicata squash and mix again.
  • To serve, pile the salad on top of a toasted piece of sourdough with a thick smear of ricotta. Add the roasted pepitas topping and serve!

Posted In: Recipes, Salads + Soups, Special Diets, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. mini says

    December 23, 2022 at 12:44 am

    What’s a possible substitute for the savoy cabbage? I love it, but can’t find it where I’m living now.

    • Justine says

      December 23, 2022 at 12:44 am

      Normal cabbage will do!

  2. Kayla says

    December 24, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    This salad is so delicious! I omitted pecans because I have a nut allergy, but everything else was amazing! I wouldn’t never thought to try a combo like this, but I’m glad I did. That romesco sauce would be amazing used on chicken and fish. Love it!!

  3. Kari says

    December 28, 2022 at 5:04 pm

    5 stars
    I saw this on TikTok! I made it and my whole family loved it. Even my teenagers who “DO NOT LIKE SQUASH”. I substituted green cabbage and acorn squash because it is what I had on hand and it worked great. I’d never roasted squash without oil, but it definitely gives it a firmer texture in the salad. Would definitely make again! Thank you so much!!

    • Justine says

      December 31, 2022 at 11:44 am

      I’m so thrilled you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating and review!

  4. Alyssa Willis says

    January 3, 2023 at 1:19 am

    This was so yummy for a relatively simple winter dinner. Served along with lemon chicken for the full meal

    • Justine says

      January 3, 2023 at 1:20 am

      I’m so thrilled you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment <3

  5. Jordan says

    January 10, 2023 at 10:53 pm

    I used honey nut squash and cashews instead of pecans because it’s what I had! Also goat cheese on the bread. It was delicious, especially the dressing.

  6. Emily b. (Em.wok) says

    January 11, 2023 at 4:04 pm

    Just here to say that this salad is AMAZING.
    You are so relatable as a person (NOT a character), not only do I love you voice overs and how real they are, your recipes are sublime. And I can’t wait to make ALL OF THEM!!!!

    The recipe is very forgiving, I only had walnuts and pepitas, red onion, and added some rosemary since I was low on sage!

    Thank you Justine, you da best baby!

    • Justine says

      January 13, 2023 at 1:22 am

      Aw ILY BB!!

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