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Miso-roasted cabbage with tahini dressing
youryum.com/recipes/miso-roasted-cabbage-with-tahini-dressing · serves 4

Roasted cabbage with a creamy sesame dressing

The cabbage gets a salty miso crust; the tahini stays cold and lemony, so the finished plate has both depth and lift.

  • 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 4 June 2026
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Miso roasted cabbage wedges with tahini dressing and herbs
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Prep
12 min
Cook
35 min
Total
47 min
Serves
4
Per serving
236kcal
Effort
Easy

Tahini makes a good dressing for cabbage because it gives the vegetable somewhere soft to land. The roast edges are bitter and sweet, the centre is almost buttery, and the lemon tahini fills the gaps without turning the whole plate into sauce.

Keep the dressing cold while the cabbage roasts. Warm tahini thickens and becomes difficult to drizzle, while a cool dressing gives you a clean contrast against the hot wedges. This is generous enough for lunch with a tin of beans, but it still fits beside a roast chicken.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Cabbage

Miso glaze

Tahini dressing

Equipment

  • Large roasting tray
  • Small bowl
  • Whisk

Method

  1. Get the oven properly hot

    Heat the oven to 220°C fan with a large roasting tray inside. Cut the cabbage into wedges through the core. Rub both cut sides with oil and salt; keep the leafy outside mostly dry so it does not scorch before the centre changes. The hot tray is not optional. Cabbage placed on a cold tray starts by steaming, and the moisture sits between the leaves long enough to prevent a brown face. You want an immediate, even hiss when the wedge lands.

  2. Roast the first side

    Put the wedges cut-side down on the hot tray and roast for 20 minutes. They should release easily when the underside has browned. If they stick, wait another three minutes rather than tearing the caramelised face away.

    Hands whisking lemon tahini dressing beside browned cabbage wedges

  3. Whisk the tahini

    Put the tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a bowl. Whisk in the cold water one tablespoon at a time. It will seize and thicken first, then turn pale and loose. Stop when it falls from the whisk in a smooth ribbon. Add the herbs and set it aside.

  4. Glaze and cook through

    Mix the miso, lemon juice, maple syrup and water. Turn the cabbage and brush the browned faces with the mixture. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until a knife enters the core without a crunch and the glaze has taken on a darker shine.

  5. Plate with a gap

    Spoon the tahini over a platter rather than burying the cabbage in it. Put the hot wedges on top and add the remaining dressing in thin lines. The first spoonful should meet both sauce and browned cabbage; a lake of tahini hides the texture you worked for.

Cabbage miso tahini lemons garlic herbs and oil arranged for cooking
The dressing ingredients need no cooking, which keeps the plate bright.

The tahini seizes on purpose

When lemon hits tahini, the paste tightens and looks as though it has split. It has not. Keep whisking and add water gradually; the emulsion turns smooth and pale after a few spoonfuls. Adding all the water at once makes a thin dressing, but it does not give you the same creamy texture.

Cold water is easier to judge than warm water. Warmth loosens the sesame too quickly and leaves you chasing the thickness back with more tahini. That usually makes the finished sauce heavy. The bowl should leave a pale ribbon on the cabbage, not disappear underneath it like milk. Stop whisking when the dressing can sit on a spoon for a second before falling. If it runs immediately, add a teaspoon of tahini; if it clings in a lump, add water.

Do not cover the roasted faces

Cabbage has a lot of surface area and a little sauce goes a long way. Drizzle in lines or smear the dressing under the wedges, where it catches the leaves without softening every dark edge. The plate should still show the roast.

Nutrition

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

NutrientPer serving
Calories 236 kcal
Protein 6 g
Carbohydrate 21 g
Fibre 7 g
Fat 16 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use peanut butter instead of tahini?
You can, but it will be sweeter and more assertive. Use smooth unsweetened peanut butter and add extra lemon to keep the dressing sharp.
Why did my tahini turn thick?
Lemon causes tahini to seize before water loosens it. Whisk in water slowly rather than adding more oil.
Can I make the dressing ahead?
Yes. Refrigerate it for up to four days and whisk in a teaspoon of water before serving if it has tightened.
What protein goes with this?
Chickpeas, lentils, white beans or a fried egg all work. The lemon tahini is also good with leftover roast chicken.

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