You'll never buy Ranch again.
Sometimes a new dish absolutely blows my mind with how incredibly delicious it is. This Grilled Cabbage with Creamy Parmesan Dressing managed to do that not once, but three times, and for three separate reasons: one, smoky grilled cabbage; two, homemade creamy Parmesan dressing; and three, toasted hazelnuts.
Grilled Cabbage
Growing up in Indiana, I ate cabbage in everything from sauerkraut to coleslaw to stir-fry. But I never knew you could throw it on a grill . . . or how delicious it is when you do!
The edges of the cabbage sizzle and char and get all crispy when they touch the grill, and the inner cabbage leaves soften just slightly and picks up that rich, smoky flavor. A bite is both tender and crunchy!
If you don’t have a grill, no worries! You can get nearly the same results (minus some of the smoke) using a grill pan or cast iron pan on your stove-top.
Homemade Creamy Dressing
That’s right. Creamy pale salad dressing that does not come from a plastic bottle. I will never buy Ranch again!
On a basic level, this dressing is only four ingredients—buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, and salt—whisked together. From there, you can add in whatever you want: garlic and parsley, diced jalapenos and crispy bacon bits, or, like I did for this recipe, Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper! It takes less than five minutes to whisk together, and it tastes MUCH better.
Freshly Toasted Hazelnuts
I always assumed I loved Ferrero Rocher and Nutella because they capitalize on that magical combo of nuts and chocolate.
I was wrong. It’s because of the toasted hazelnuts. They are so delicious that I literally had to hide them from myself when testing this recipe. And when I tried them with the creamy dressing on top of that crispy grilled cabbage . . . wow!
One word of warning, though: a toasty golden-brown hazelnut tastes amazing. An untoasted hazelnut, not so much. Don’t try to cheat and skip their 15-minute oven session—you will seriously regret it!
Whatever your Labor Day cookout plans are, make some extra space on your grill for this dish. Between the smoky crisp cabbage wedges, the luscious Parmesan dressing drizzled on top, and the shards of golden hazelnuts, you won’t be disappointed!
Enjoy!
Grilled Cabbage with Creamy Parmesan Dressing and Toasted Hazelnuts
(Serves 6)
For the Creamy Parmesan Dressing:
1 garlic clove, grated
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper
For the Grilled Cabbage:
½ cup raw hazelnuts (about 2 oz)
1 head savoy cabbage
2 tablespoons olive oil (or as you need)
Parmesan cheese, shaved
Special equipment: baking sheet, grill (optional)
Method
For the Creamy Parmesan Dressing:
In a small bowl, mash together grated garlic and kosher salt. Pour over the lemon juice and mix well, then let sit five minutes.
In a larger bowl, whisk together buttermilk and sour cream; add in garlic-lemon mixture and grated Parmesan cheese and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add in cracked black pepper to taste—you need something to cut through the richness of the dairy, so don’t be shy with it! Taste to check seasoning, and add more lemon juice or salt (or black pepper) if needed.
For Grilled Cabbage:
For the hazelnuts, preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, shaking the sheet to toss halfway through. When the nuts are thoroughly toasted, they should be light golden on the inside (break one open to check).
Remove from the oven and, to remove the skins, roll the warm hazelnuts between towels (or your hands). Place skinned hazelnuts in a plastic bag and lightly crush with the bottom of a glass jar (you want a variety of different sized pieces). Set aside.
For the cabbage, cut the head in half vertically, slicing through the core. Cut each half lengthwise into three thinner wedges. Drizzle with olive oil on all sides and season with kosher salt.
Preheat a grill (or a grill or cast iron pan if you’re working indoors) to medium heat. Grill cabbage 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip and grill another 4-5 minutes, or until nicely charred on both sides. The cabbage should be crispy on the outside and crisp-tender in the middle. Don’t let it turn to mush! You want it to retain some texture and bite in the middle. Remove and let cool slightly.
To serve, arrange warm cabbage wedges on a serving platter and drizzle with creamy Parmesan dressing. Sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts and top with shaved Parmesan and more freshly cracked black dressing.
Originally posted September 3, 2020.