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Miso-roasted cabbage with crispy chickpeas
youryum.com/recipes/miso-roasted-cabbage-with-crispy-chickpeas · serves 4

Soft cabbage, crunchy chickpeas, one hot tray

The chickpeas roast beside the cabbage but finish with a separate blast of heat, so they stay crisp while the cabbage turns tender.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten free
  • Dairy free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 2 June 2026
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Miso roasted cabbage with crispy chickpeas and sesame
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Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Per serving
298kcal
Effort
Easy

There are two jobs in this tray. Cabbage wants time and steam inside its leaves. Chickpeas want dry heat and space. Put them in a crowded tin and the beans soften while the cabbage steams; give each enough room and you get a proper contrast.

The trick is to roast the chickpeas while the cabbage gets tender, then pull the wedges out and let the beans have ten minutes alone. Miso glaze goes on the cabbage at the end. It is a meal with a spoonful of yogurt or a piece of bread, but it also knows how to behave as a side dish.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Tray

Miso finish

To serve

Equipment

  • Large roasting tray
  • Small bowl
  • Tea towel

Method

  1. Dry the chickpeas

    Heat the oven to 220°C fan with a large tray inside. Tip the chickpeas onto a tea towel and rub them dry. A few skins will loosen; remove the skins that come away easily, but do not spend ten minutes chasing every one. Surface water is the enemy of crispness.

  2. Start the cabbage and beans

    Cut the cabbage through the core into wedges. Toss it with two tablespoons of oil and half the salt. Toss the chickpeas with the remaining oil, salt and cumin. Put everything on the hot tray in a single layer, leaving a clear patch around each cabbage wedge.

    Roast for 25 minutes. Turn the chickpeas once. Do not turn the cabbage yet; its first cut face needs uninterrupted contact with the metal.

    Hands spreading dried chickpeas beside cabbage wedges on a hot roasting tray

  3. Make the brush

    Mix the miso, vinegar, maple syrup and water until smooth. The glaze should fall from a brush in a slow ribbon. Stir in no sesame yet; the seeds go on at the end so they toast without disappearing into the paste.

  4. Let the chickpeas finish alone

    Remove the cabbage when the undersides are deeply browned and a knife is starting to enter the core. Push the chickpeas into the centre of the tray and roast them for another 10 minutes. Shake the tray once. They should sound dry when they roll.

    Brush the cabbage with miso and return it to the tray for the final five minutes, just long enough to set the glaze.

  5. Keep the crunch on top

    Scatter sesame seeds and spring onions over the cabbage and chickpeas. Add lemon at the table, not on the tray; a squeeze of juice over the chickpeas turns their crisp shells chewy within minutes.

What's in it

Nutrition, buying and storage notes for the ingredients this recipe leans on.

Chickpeas 8.9 g protein
Cabbage chickpeas miso cumin sesame lemon and spring onions ready for roasting
Dry chickpeas are the small detail that makes the texture work.

The tray has to breathe

Steam is useful for the inside of a cabbage wedge and disastrous for a chickpea. That is why the pieces should not touch. If the beans are tucked under the cabbage, they absorb the cabbage water and come out soft. Spread them around the edges where hot air can reach them.

A heavy metal tray is worth using here. Glass heats more slowly and leaves the first side of the cabbage pale.

A crisp chickpea is a timing problem

Canned chickpeas contain enough moisture that 25 minutes gives them colour but not a lasting crunch. The extra ten minutes after the cabbage leaves lets their skins dry out without overcooking the vegetable. They will soften a little once dressed, so serve them immediately after scattering them over the top.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 298 kcal
Protein 11 g
Carbohydrate 39 g
Fibre 12 g
Fat 11 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use dried chickpeas?
Yes, but cook them until tender and cool them completely before drying and roasting. About 500 g cooked chickpeas replaces the two tins.
Why are my chickpeas still soft?
They were probably wet or crowded. Dry them thoroughly, use a hot tray and leave space between them so moisture can escape.
Can I make this without miso?
Use one tablespoon of tahini, one teaspoon of soy sauce and a little maple syrup. It will be less fermented but still gives the cabbage a savoury coating.
Is this good cold?
The cabbage is good warm or at room temperature. Keep the chickpeas separate and add them shortly before eating so they retain some crunch.

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