Charred Cabbage With Miso Beans, Sundried Tomato and Frizzled Onions

Crispy charred cabbage smothered in umami-rich miso beans and sundried tomatoes, topped with jammy frizzled onions. This is the plant-based winter dinner that will silence every skeptic at your table. I literally want to eat this every single night in winter.

Unleash the Umami Bomb

This recipe layers umami at every single step, and that is not an accident.

It starts with the kombu. Do not skip the kombu. Also called sugar kelp, kombu is an ingredient in the Slow Food Ark of Taste and a genuine game-changer for plant-based cooking. Think of it as nature's MSG. The natural glutamates enhance flavor and add deep savory richness without any seaweed or fishy taste. Then comes the white miso, another powerhouse of fermented umami, and the sundried tomatoes, concentrated and intensely savory. Finally, the cabbage. Roasted on a preheated dark sheet pan at high heat, it chars and caramelizes in a way that sends the exact same signals to your brain that eating meat does. The result is a deeply satisfying meal you can serve to the biggest carnivore in your life, and they will ask for seconds.

The Star: Flor de Mayo Beans

For this recipe you want a bean that holds its shape through the simmer, gives off a rich, creamy broth, and has enough character to carry the miso and sundried tomato sauce. Our Flor de Mayo Beans do all of that beautifully.

Beloved by cooks in Central Mexico for their rich flavor and pretty purplish-pink pattern, Flor de Mayo beans, also known as media oreja for their ear-like shape, have been a staple of northern Mexican cooking for thousands of years. They are small, tender, and delicate in flavor, and they produce one of the most velvety bean broths you will ever taste. That broth is not a byproduct here. It is the foundation of the miso sauce, and it is extraordinary.

Non-GMO, never sprayed with glyphosate, and grown without synthetic fertilizers. This is a bean with a story and a flavor worth knowing.

Other great choices for this recipe include Southwest Gold, Tiger Eye, Bayo, or Mayacoba, any bean that holds its shape and gives off a good broth will work beautifully.

A Note on the Sheet Pan Hack

The secret to truly charred cabbage at home is a preheated dark sheet pan. Put the pan in the oven while it heats to 425°F, then carefully lay the oiled, seasoned cabbage wedges directly onto the screaming hot surface. That instant contact is what gives you the deep char and caramelization that makes this dish so extraordinary. Pull the oven rack out slightly to place the cabbage, but keep the pan inside. Be careful, and use tongs. It is worth it.

*A Note On Our Recipes:

Every recipe here was developed and tested using farm-fresh beans from Foodocracy and Primary Beans. Older beans, anything past a year in your pantry or beans from other sources may need more coaxing. Give them a soak and add extra cooking time, and they'll get there eventually.

CHARRED CABBAGE WITH MISO BEANS AND FRIZZLED ONIONS

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

• Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Whatsapp

Servings

3-4

Crispy charred cabbage is smothered in delicious umami rich miso beans and sun dried tomatoes then topped with jammy frizzled onions. It's the perfect meal for cozy winter evenings.

Author:

Lisa Riznikove

Ingredients

FOR THE BEANS

• 1 Cup rinsed and picked over Flor de Mayo

  Add To Cart
• 4 inch strip of kombu
  Add To Cart
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE ONIONS

• 1 medium red onion sliced very thin (I suggest using a mandoline)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper

CHARRED CABBAGE

• 1 large cabbage cut into wedges

• olive oil
• salt and pepper

MISO BEANS

• Reserved cooked beans and their liquid
• 2 tablespoons butter (or vegan butter alternative of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 2 shallots minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons sundried tomatoes
• juice of half lemon

View Cart (0) Checkout

Directions

1. Cook the beans. Place the beans into a pressure cooker or a thick bottom bottom pot on the stove with the kombu, thyme, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes, or 90 minutes on stovetop. (You can cook the beans a day ahead and keep them in the refrigerator in their cooking liquid.)

2. Make the frizzled onions. Heat olive oil and butter (or all olive oil) in a small skillet. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes without stirring too much. You want them somewhere between caramelized and burnt so watch carefully and adjust the heat as needed. Remove from the pan with tongs and set aside.

3. Roast the Cabbage: Preheat a dark sheet pan on the center rack in a 425 degree oven. Brush the cabbage with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using tongs, carefully arrange the cabbage directly on the hot sheet pan in a single layer. I do this by pulling the rack out slightly but leaving the sheet pan inside the oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage and roast for another 15-20 minutes.

4. While the cabbage is cooking make the miso breans: Melt butter in a small dutch oven or sauce pan. Add the shallots, garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook until the shallots are soft and just starting to brown. Add the miso.

5. Remove the thyme from the beans and stir in the kombu breaking it up with your spoon. If it isn't falling apart, take it out and dice it and add back into the pot. Strain the beans reserving the cooking liquid.

6. Pour 2 cups of bean broth into the miso mixture. Stir until the miso is fully incorporated then add the beans. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer without stirring.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens but still resembles a thick soup. If it is too thick add more bean broth or water.

7. Assemble shallow bowls with beans on the bottom then cabbage, adding a spoonful of beans on top of each plate followed by frizzled onions. Finally add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Recipe Note

I suggest serving with a loaf of crusty bread to soak up all of the delicious bean broth. Irish whisky cocktail is optional :-)

Every recipe here was developed and tested using farm-fresh beans from Foodocracy and Primary Beans. Older beans, anything past a year in your pantry, or beans from other sources may need more coaxing. Give them a soak and add extra cooking time, and they'll get there eventually.