Cabbage has never needed much dressing up to earn its place at the table. Long before anyone thought to call a vegetable “on-trend,” cabbage was feeding people through winters when little else grew. It kept in a cool store for months, it fed a family for the cost of almost nothing, and it turned up in kitchens from Eastern Europe to the Cape. These cabbage steaks are built on that same practicality, just cooked a little harder and finished a little better.
We cut the cabbage into thick slabs rather than the usual wedges, so more surface area hits the heat and catches proper colour. Roasted hard, the outer leaves go dark and crisp while the core stays tender enough to eat with a fork. Once it comes out of the oven, we finish it with chilli, a good squeeze of lemon, and a generous drizzle of Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil poured on raw, right at the end.
Below is the full recipe, along with our tips for getting a proper char and a few ways to serve it once it’s out of the oven.
Cabbage Steaks
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220C. You want it properly hot, not just warm, for real char.
- Trim any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage, then stand it on its base and cut down through the core into thick steaks, about 3cm each. The core holds each steak together, so don't cut it away.
- Lay the steaks on a large baking tray. Brush both sides generously with the roasting oil, then scatter over the garlic, chilli flakes, salt and pepper.
- Roast for 30-35 minutes, turning once carefully halfway through, until the edges are dark and charred and a knife slides easily into the core.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Squeeze the lemon over while the steaks are still hot.
- Finish with a generous drizzle of the extra Wilson's Extra Virgin Olive Oil, poured on raw, and scatter over the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
We Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Our Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil does two jobs in this recipe. Brushed onto the cabbage before it goes into a hot oven, it helps the cut faces brown and char rather than dry out. Poured on raw once the steaks are out.
That second, raw drizzle is where the oil’s own flavour shows up. Heat mutes an olive oil’s peppery, grassy character fast, so the only way to really taste it is to add it after the cooking is done. Poured over hot, charred cabbage, it turns glossy almost instantly and carries the chilli and lemon through every bite.
Our Tips
Cut through the core — it’s what holds each steak together, so don’t trim it away before slicing.
Give the tray room — crowd the steaks and they’ll steam in their own moisture instead of catching colour. Use two trays if you need to.
Go hotter than feels right — 220°C is the minimum for real char. A cooler oven just dries the edges out without browning them.
Season before it roasts, oil after it’s out — salt and chilli can go on early, but save the good raw drizzle for the end so it stays bright.
Flip it once, carefully — the core holds the layers together, but a thin spatula makes turning easier without the steak falling apart.
Warm your plates — cabbage steaks lose their char and go floppy fast once they cool, so serve them straight from the tray.
How We Serve It
These cabbage steaks work well alongside anything off the braai, served next to grilled chops or boerewors. Crumbled feta scattered over the top adds a salty contrast that plays well against the char and the chilli.
For a full meal, we’ll serve them over a lentil or chickpea salad, so the charred edges and the raw oil drip down into whatever’s underneath. A dollop of plain yoghurt on the side cools things down if the chilli’s gone in generously.
It also holds up cold the next day, sliced into a lunch salad with whatever’s left in the fridge.
More Ways to Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Once you’ve got a bottle of Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the pantry, cabbage steaks are just one way in.
Weeknight pasta — it’s the whole point of our spaghetti with garlic and extra virgin olive oil, where the oil carries the whole dish.
Bread and dips — our olive oil dip with warm bread is little more than good oil, garlic and herbs, and it disappears fast at any table.
Other roast veg — the same hard-roast, raw-drizzle method works just as well on cauliflower, carrots or butternut.
Salad dressings — whisked with lemon and a little mustard, it turns a plain green salad into something worth eating on its own.
Even dessert — our extra virgin olive oil chocolate pots use it to round out dark chocolate with a peppery finish.
The Good Stuff About These Cabbage Steaks
Extra virgin is the top grade an olive oil can carry, which means it’s been extracted mechanically, without heat or chemical solvents, and it sits under a strict acidity threshold. That’s what gives a good extra virgin its peppery bite and grassy edge, next to a refined oil that tastes mostly of nothing. It’s also why the raw finish in this recipe matters so much — that character only really shows up when the oil isn’t cooked.
Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Halaal and Kosher certified, and suitable for vegan, vegetarian and Hindu diets. Store it in a cool, dark place and it holds its flavour for up to two years. It comes in 250ml, 500ml, 750ml, 1L and 5L bottles, so there’s a size for however often it lands in your kitchen.
A good bottle covers a lot more ground than one tray of cabbage.
Ways to Change It Up
Swap the chilli flakes for a drizzle of Wilson’s Peri-Peri Flavoured Oil — add it at the same point as the extra virgin, right at the end, for a different kind of heat.
Add crumbled feta — scattered over while the cabbage is still hot, it softens slightly and adds salt where the char needs it.
Try red cabbage — it roasts a little sweeter than green and turns a deep purple-black at the edges.
Swap the lemon for lime — a sharper, slightly different citrus note that works well if chilli’s gone in heavy.
Cook it on the braai — lay the steaks directly on a medium-hot grid instead of a tray, and watch them more closely since they’ll char faster.
Add toasted seeds — a scatter of toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds just before serving adds crunch against the soft core.
Questions You Might Have
What’s the best cabbage for cabbage steaks?
A plain green or white cabbage holds together best once it’s sliced into thick steaks. Savoy works too, but its looser leaves catch colour and dry out a little faster, so keep a closer eye on it in the oven.
Can I make cabbage steaks ahead of time?
You can slice the cabbage into steaks a few hours ahead and keep them wrapped in the fridge, but roast them fresh. They lose their char fast once cooked, so this isn’t a great make-ahead-and-reheat dish.
Why did my cabbage steaks turn soggy instead of charred?
Usually it’s a crowded tray or an oven that isn’t hot enough. Give the steaks space to release steam instead of trapping it, and make sure the oven’s properly up to temperature before they go in.
Is this recipe vegan?
Yes, as written it’s entirely plant-based, and Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil is suitable for vegan, vegetarian and Hindu diets too.
Can I cook cabbage steaks on the braai instead of the oven?
Yes. Lay them directly on a medium-hot grid and turn once. They’ll pick up a smokier char than the oven version, but watch them closely since the core can scorch before it softens through.
How do I store leftover cabbage steaks?
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in a hot oven rather than the microwave, so the edges crisp back up instead of going soft.
Where can I buy Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
It’s available to order directly from oliveoil.co.za and at leading retailers across South Africa.
Ready to Make This?
Cabbage does the quiet work in the oven — a good glug of Wilson’s finishes what the heat started.
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