Name: Roasted Cabbage Salad with Crispy Chickpeas & Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 large green cabbage (cut into wedges); 15 ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed well); 2 Tbsps avocado oil (or olive oil, divided); 1 medium pomegranate (arils removed); 2 tsps smoked paprika; 2 tsps cumin; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp chili flakes; sea salt (to taste ); black pepper (to taste ); freshly chopped parsley (optional); ¼ cup tahini; 3 Tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice; 3 tsps raw honey; 1 small garlic clove (grated); 2 –4 Tbsps warm water ((to thin)); ¼ tsp sea salt

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easy roasted cabbage salad with roasted chickpeas and pomegranate seeds.

This Roasted Cabbage Salad transforms humble cabbage into a caramelized, crispy delight paired with crunchy cumin-spiced chickpeas, a silky lemon-tahini dressing, and jewel-like pomegranate arils. Perfect for weeknight sides or holiday feasts, it’s vibrant, nutritious, and comes together in just 30 minutes!

easy roasted cabbage salad with roasted chickpeas, pomegranate seeds and tahini dressing.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Health Benefits Of This Eating Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
Variations And Substitutions
How To Make Roasted Cabbage Salad
Rachel’s Tips For The Best Results
What’s the easiest way to remove pomegranate seeds to use in this cabbage salad?
How To Serve Warm Cabbage Salad
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Cabbage Recipes You’ll Love
More Recipes You’ll Love
Roasted Cabbage Salad with Crispy Chickpeas & Lemon-Tahini Dressing Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage Tips

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If cabbage isn’t already a regular in your kitchen, this Roasted Cabbage Salad is about to change that.

Caramelized Deliciousness: Roasting cabbage completely transforms its flavor, turning those simple wedges into something golden and caramelized that tastes way more impressive than the actual effort involved.

Budget Friendly: Cabbage is one of the most budget-friendly vegetables you can buy and one of the most nutritious, loaded with fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants that support gut health and immunity.

Amazing Supporting Flavors: Pile on those roasted crispy cumin-spiced chickpeas, drizzle with a silky lemon-tahini dressing, and finish with pomegranate arils for a little balancing burst of sweetness in every bite.

Versatile: This cabbage salad recipe is one of those dishes that’s fit for a holiday celebration table, but simple enough to make anytime!

Did you know you can use cabbage in so many different ways? Whether you stir fry it like in this beef and cabbage recipe, use it in place of potatoes like we did in this cabbage hash brown, or make riced cabbage to use in place of traditional rice, the options are truly endless!

Health Benefits Of This Eating Cabbage Salad

There are several ingredients in this salad that make it not only taste amazing, but also offer nutritional benefits we can all use more of. Cabbage is a vegetable powerhouse, being 92% water and therefore low in calories, it also contains vitamin C, K, B6, and folate. It can help you maintain healthy weight goals, and reduce inflammation.

Then we add the crunchy chickpeas. Have you ever read about these little babies? Already packed full of protein, they also pack many extra nutritional punches like iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and fiber! There is really no drawback to incorporating these legumes into your diet! They help regulate blood sugar, control appetite, and aid in digestion, just to name a few benefits.

But what about the pomegranate seeds (also known as “arils”)? With vitamin K, B9, C, B5, and A, they help boost brain health, reduce oxidative damage in the body, and can help lower the risk of chronic diseases. I try to add them to everything when they’re in season!

Ingredients

These are the simple ingredients that make this roasted cabbage salad recipe perfect for an easy weeknight side dish or a holiday table.

Green Cabbage: You could technically use green or red cabbage in this salad…or a combination if you want to make it even more fancy.

Chickpeas: The chickpeas not only add a little bit of protein, but they add a lot of crunch and flavor since they are roasted and crispy on the outside.

Pomegranate seeds (arils): Despite some rumors, pomegranate seeds CAN be eaten – and they are good for you, too! So eat the entire aril with its seed…no spitting allowed!

Tahini: Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds, so you get a texture similar to a nut butter, and the flavor of sesame seeds all in one!

Seasonings: The seasonings in this dish, like the paprika, cumin, garlic, and chili flakes, all make this salad sing with flavor.

Oil: A high quality avocado oil is best for this dish since we are roasting at a high temperature. But if you only have extra virgin olive oil, that can also be used. The avocado oil I used here was Mariannes’s Classic Avocado Oil.

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Variations And Substitutions

Cabbage Swap: I mentioned above that you could use red or green cabbage. But if you’re not a fan, try switching the cabbage out for Brussels sprouts. You can use this roasted Brussels sprouts recipe for inspiration.

Chickpeas Substitute: You could use any type of bean you like in this recipe, however each bean will have a slightly different texture after roasting, so test a few out and see which one you like best.

No Tahini: You can substitute the tahini with sunbutter or a nut butter you like. You can also create a different dressing entirely. A maple dijon mustard vinaigrette like we used on our chopped chicken salad, would be nice, or even a balsamic vinaigrette.

Swap out the pomegranate seeds: You could use chopped tart cherries, dried cranberries (make sure there is no sugar added), or fresh raspberries instead.

How To Make Roasted Cabbage Salad

Preheat your oven to 425°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

cut and seasoned cabbage on a baking sheet.

Step 1. Brush your cabbage wedges with half the oil on all sides. Sprinkle cabbage wedges with sea salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Arrange them on one of the prepared baking sheets.

seasoned chickpeas on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Step 2. Pat the chickpeas until they are very dry using paper towels; this is key for crispiness. Toss your dried chickpeas with remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil, cumin, garlic powder, chili flakes, and sea salt to taste. Spread your seasoned chickpeas on the second baking sheet.

roasted cabbage and chickpeas on two separate parchment lined baking sheets.

Step 3. Roast the cabbage for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through. You want golden edges and caramelized browning. At the same time, roast the chickpeas for 20–25 minutes, shaking halfway.

the roasted cabbage and chickpeas in a bowl.

Step 4. Arrange your roasted cabbage as shown in a large serving dish and sprinkle your crispy chickpeas over top.

roasted cabbage salad topped with pomegranate arils and drizzled with tahini dressing.

Step 5. In a small bowl, whisk tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and sea salt. Add warm water 1 tbsp at a time until smooth and pourable. The texture should be creamy but drizzle-able.

Drizzle with your lemon-tahini dressing over the roasted cabbage salad and top with pomegranate arils and fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Love, Rachel

Rachel’s Tips For The Best Results

Make sure the chickpeas are completely dry before trying to roast them in order to get that super crispy outside.
Be sure that the cabbage and/or chickpeas that you’re roasting are in a single layer with some space between them on the roasting pan so they can caramelize and not steam.
Be sure to cut the cabbage slices approximately the same size and thickness so they all cook at the same rate.
Wait to add the dressing to this salad right before serving.
Use a sharp chef’s knife for easy chopping.
These unbleached parchment paper sheets can save you from having to scrub pans.

Roasted cabbage salad topped with roasted chickpeas pomegranate seeds and tahini dressing.

What’s the easiest way to remove pomegranate seeds to use in this cabbage salad?

I recommend the “wooden spoon smack trick”. Here’s how to do it:

Before cutting, score the skin lightly in sections first (like you’re quartering it but not cutting all the way through). This makes the halves open more cleanly and the arils release even easier.

Cut the pomegranate in half across the middle (not top to bottom).
Hold one half cut-side down over a large bowl.
Whack the back of it firmly and repeatedly with a wooden spoon.
The arils fall right out into the bowl in seconds. Done.

This is the most satisfying method and works incredibly fast! Most people are shocked how quickly they all fall.

The wooden spoon method is the one that tends to go viral for a reason! It genuinely works like magic the first time you try it!

And did you know pomegranate seeds are in season from September through January, making them the perfect addition to your holiday side dishes?

How To Serve Warm Cabbage Salad

Arrange the roasted cabbage on a large serving dish after you remove it from the oven. Then sprinkle with the roasted chickpeas, the pomegranate seeds, and drizzle with the lemon tahini dressing. This cabbage side dish is best served immediately, warm or at room temp, after assembling and adding the dressing.

This warm cabbage salad is best served alongside other warm seasonal dishes such as this roasted beets and butternut squash side dish, our easy honey mustard pork loin, or this cranberry chicken skillet recipe.

closeup image of roasted cabbage salad with p9omegranate seeds, chickpeas and dressing.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

This roasted cabbage salad is best eaten immediately so you get all that crispy goodness from the roasted cabbage and chickpeas. But the leftovers are actually really great too and will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Recipe FAQs

What is a good dressing for cabbage salad?

Since this cabbage salad is warm, I love the lemon tahini dressing we used, made with clean, natural ingredients that melt in and around the cabbage and chickpeas.