BBQ Whole-Roasted Cabbage with Tempeh

A show-stopping dish that could not be more simple, and gives you time to set the table or prepare sides while it cooks. The flavors of earthy cabbage, savory tempeh and aromatic shallots blend with the barbecue sauce to create a main course as deli… — A show-stopping dish that could not be more simple, and gives you time to set the table or prepare sides while it cooks. The flavors of earthy cabbage, savory tempeh and aromatic shallots blend with the barbecue sauce to create a main course as delicious as it is dramatic. (Photo source: Alec Tilly)

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes |

Ingredients

1 whole green cabbage

2 cups vegetable stock

1 package soy tempeh

5 tablespoons oil, divided

2 shallots

3 cups bottled barbecue sauce plus extra, for serving (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

Cilantro, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 415F.

Cut out the cabbage core (creating a cavity large enough to fill with the tempeh, about 4-5 inches across and 2 inches deep). Rinse inside and out, then cut a thin slice off the top of the cabbage so that the whole head can be stuffed without rolling.

Place the cabbage in an oven-safe dish (preferably a cast-iron pan) with the cavity facing up, season liberally with salt and pepper, and pour the vegetable stock over the cabbage. Cover the entire pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven to steam for 1 hour.

While the cabbage is cooking, peel and thinly slice the shallots. Sauté the shallots over medium-high heat in a medium pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Cook them for about 10 minutes, until nicely caramelized, and then set aside in a bowl.

Cut the block of tempeh into strips. Turn the burner back up to medium-high, add another tablespoon of oil to the stovetop pan, followed by the the tempeh. Sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Once seared, pour the first cup of barbecue sauce into the pan with the tempeh, add the cooked shallots back into the pan, and stir to coat. Turn off the heat.

After the cabbage has cooked for an hour, remove it from the oven and carefully remove the tinfoil. Pour out all but 1/2” of the veggie stock (reserving it for another use).

Spoon one half cup of the barbecue sauce into the space inside the cabbage, followed by the tempeh-shallot mixture. Pour another half cup of the barbecue sauce over the top, followed by the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Use a spoon, brush, or baster to make sure the sides of the cabbage get coated in the oil and sauce—it will form a glaze on the cabbage.

Return to the oven, uncovered. Now you’re cooking the cabbage until it is glazed on the outside and tender on the inside, about another hour. Every 20 minutes, brush the cabbage with another 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce—we’re basting our cabbage like a turkey! Once the cabbage is easy to pierce with a fork, all the way through, it is done.

Carve into four big wedges, each topped with the tempeh. Spoon over the roasting sauce from the pan, extra barbecue sauce, and a scatter of cilantro, if desired.

Zero-waste tips

The cabbage core can be used in soup, slaw, or pickles! Think of it like a broccoli stem — it doesn’t need to be thrown out.
Save those shallot skins and ends to start (or add to) a vegetable scrap bag in your freezer. Once full, use these odds and ends to make vegetable stock (for your next whole-roasted cabbage!).
Reuse the bottle of barbecue sauce as a salad dressing container, a makeshift water bottle, or even as a vessel for flowers.
Save the excess vegetable broth you drain off for another sauce or stock.