Once I started roasting vegetables, whether on the grill or in the oven, it became my preference. Roasting brings out natural sweetness while keeping crispness and sometimes adding a little char. In the winter, I’m not really in the mood for cold veggies, so I didn’t see why slaw had to be cold. I like cooked cabbage, but the trick for a cooked slaw is to keep it slightly crisp, and roasting can do that for you.
This slaw can be eaten warm or cold, as long as you stick to a dressing with no fats that will congeal on chilling. That means that bacon/bacon fat—which would be great in a warm slaw—might not work with cold leftovers. My dressing here only uses fruit juices for the acid, so it’s not as tart as a vinegar based dressing. As far as uses go, it would be good as a side dish or on any sandwich where you would use a traditional cold slaw. You can see it below on a fried fish sandwich with my Everything Sauce.
Mine is a simple slaw of cabbage and carrots, but you could add bits of any vegetable or fruit that would not become watery or mushy.
Roasted Slaw
Preheat oven to 400º; line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups cabbage, sliced or coarsely grated—1 small head
- 2 carrots, grated
- Extra-virgin olive oil for roasting—enough to drizzle over all on the sheet pan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon mashed roasted garlic
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, with zest if you have the actual lime in hand
- I tablespoon honey—you really have to taste to see how sweet you want it
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
- Spread the shredded cabbage and carrots on the baking sheet. It will be about 1/2″ thick, but you will toss it halfway through the roasting. Drizzle with olive oil—I think I used at least 1/4 cup. Sprinkle with kosher salt and coarse black pepper.
- Roast for about 20 minutes, then lightly toss with tongs to expose more of the vegetables to charring. Roast for another 15 minutes or until it reaches your desired doneness. Lift the parchment paper and pour the vegetables into a large bowl.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients—garlic, orange juice, lime juice, honey, and olive oil—until emulsified. Pour over the vegetables and toss. Add more salt to taste.
- Serve warm or cold or both.
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