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Miso-roasted cabbage with lemon and herbs
youryum.com/recipes/miso-roasted-cabbage-with-lemon-and-herbs · serves 4

Cabbage with browned edges and a sharp finish

Roast the cabbage hard enough to brown the cut faces, then brush on the miso so it stays savoury rather than burning.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • 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 1 June 2026
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Miso roasted cabbage wedges with lemon parsley and dill
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Prep
10 min
Cook
35 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Per serving
166kcal
Effort
Easy

Cabbage needs more heat than patience. If it goes into a low oven, it gives up water and turns soft all the way through before the edges have any colour. A hot tray and thick wedges do the opposite: the outside catches, the middle steams in its own leaves, and dinner gets something with a proper crust.

The miso goes on after the first roast. Put it on at the beginning and the sugars scorch before the cabbage is tender. Lemon, parsley and dill bring it back from deep and savoury to bright enough for the plate beside it.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Cabbage

Miso brush

Finish

Equipment

  • Large roasting tray
  • Small bowl
  • Pastry brush

Method

  1. Heat the tray

    Heat the oven to 220°C fan with the roasting tray inside. Cut the cabbage into wedges that stay attached at the core. Loose leaves burn before the centre cooks, while the core keeps each wedge together long enough to become tender.

  2. Oil the cut faces

    Mix the oil and salt, then rub it over every cut face of the cabbage. Take care around the edges; those thin leaves want only a film. Put the wedges cut-side down on the hot tray and roast for 20 minutes without turning.

    When you lift one, the underside should be dark gold and the top leaves should be beginning to wilt. Pale cabbage needs another five minutes before the next step.

    Hands brushing miso glaze over browned cabbage wedges on a roasting tray

  3. Mix the glaze

    Stir the miso, vinegar, maple syrup and water in a bowl until smooth. It should be loose enough to brush, not so thin that it runs straight off the cabbage. White miso is salty, so do not add extra salt to the glaze.

  4. Brush and finish roasting

    Turn the wedges onto their other cut faces and brush the browned sides with the miso mixture. Roast for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the glaze is bronzed and a knife goes through the thickest part with little resistance.

    If the leaves at the tips go black before the core softens, cover the tips loosely with foil. Do not lower the heat; that is how you lose the edge.

  5. Bring in the sharp things

    Lift the cabbage onto a platter. Add lemon zest, half the juice, parsley and dill over the hot wedges. Taste one from the centre. Add the remaining lemon only if the miso tastes heavy; the amount of juice a cabbage needs varies with its size and sweetness.

Cabbage wedges miso lemon parsley dill vinegar and oil before roasting
A short list, but the hot tray does the heavy lifting.

Why the cabbage stays in wedges

Cut cabbage into loose chunks and every leaf gets a different fate. The thin outer pieces char, the sheltered pieces sweat, and the core sits there raw. Wedges give you a built-in gradient: browned cut faces, tender leaves and a little resistance at the centre.

Do not trim the core away before roasting. You can remove the hardest bit at the table if it has not softened, but most of it becomes sweet and edible in the oven.

Miso after the first roast

Miso is fermented soybean paste, and the same sugars that make it taste round and savoury can burn on a hot tray. The first 20 minutes are for the cabbage. The last 10 are for the glaze. That division gives you proper browning underneath and a glossy, salty edge on top.

If the mixture is hard to spread, add water a teaspoon at a time. A thick lump of miso does not melt into the leaves; it sits there as a salty patch.

Nutrition

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

NutrientPer serving
Calories 166 kcal
Protein 5 g
Carbohydrate 18 g
Fibre 7 g
Fat 9 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use savoy cabbage?
Yes. Use a smaller head if possible and check it after 28 minutes because the leaves are thinner and soften sooner.
What can replace white miso?
A teaspoon of soy sauce mixed with a tablespoon of tahini gives salt and body, though it will not taste exactly the same. Use tamari for gluten-free cooking.
How do I know the cabbage is done?
A thin knife should enter the thickest part without forcing. The outer leaves should be browned, not wet, and the core should no longer feel crunchy.
Can I roast it ahead?
Roast it through the first stage, cool it, then refrigerate. Brush with miso and finish in a 220°C oven for 12 minutes when you are ready to eat.

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