Charred Cabbage with Apples and Toasted Walnut Sauce

This recipe comes to us from Naturally Nourished Cookbook: Healthy, Delicious Meals Made with Everyday Ingredients, by Sarah Britton. It’s surprised many a tester who would not usually be a fan of vegan recipes; it feels hearty, rich and unusually spiced. The walnut sauce is worth publishing all on its own; I imagine it delicious with arugula and pears, or even dolloped on roast vegetables. But when paired with the charred cabbage, it is substantial enough to be a meal in itself. Sometimes I like to add more lemon juice to the apple mixture and let the sour juices really work their way into the apples as a pleasing, acidic counterpoint.

Directions

Make the Toasted Walnut sauce first, so that it is ready to spoon over the cabbage while still warm.

Spread the walnuts in a single layer in a dry skillet, or in an oven on a baking tray at 350° F. Toast them until they are golden and fragrant, watching them carefully so they do not burn. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Add the toasted walnuts, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup to a blender. Blend on high speed, adding up to 1 cup of water to thin the dressing as needed. You are looking for the consistency of melted ice cream.
Season with several pinches of sea salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

For the Charred Cabbage and Apples
Remove theoutermost leaves from the cabbage, especially if they feel loose or dirtied.
Cut the cabbage into 6 wedges, leaving the base stem intact so that the leaves stay together.

In a large skillet, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer and stir in the salt until it dissolves.

Lay the cabbage wedges in the simmering water, cover, and steam them until tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid, place the cabbage on a plate, and discard the water from the skillet.

Put the skillet back on the stove and melt the coconut oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, put the cabbage back into the skillet, uncovered and undisturbed, until a good char has developed, about 5 minutes.

Turn the wedges to brown them on the other side, and cook as before for 5 minutes more.
While the cabbage is cooking, dice the apple into small cubes. In a small bowl, toss the apples with some minced parsley and lemon juice.
To serve, place a wedge or two of cabbage on a plate, add the apple, and drizzle the Toasted Walnut sauce over the top. Garnish with flaky sea salt and extra parsley. To make this a more substantial meal, serve it on a bed of wild rice.

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