These simple bowls are packed with so much flavor, texture, and nutrition! I’m a big fan of using both plant and animal protein in recipes because ONE, it’s a great way to save money and stretch your meat, and TWO, you’re getting lots of nutrient-dense complete protein. Cabbage, carrots and sausage get roasted on one sheet pan until tender and charred. Serve it over a bed of warm mustardy lentils drizzled with a simple vinaigrette. Salty cheese, crunchy nuts, and fresh herbs on top are essential!
Ingredient highlight
Lentils! My favorite small but mighty pulse! They are packed full of protein, fiber, , iron, zinc, potassium, and B vitamins. One half cup of uncooked lentils (or about 1 ¼ cup cooked) contains 24g of protein.
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 1 small head cabbage, (green or purple, about 1.5 lbs), sliced into ½-1-inch thick wedges*
- 2-3 carrots (about 8 oz), cut into small ½-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2-4 sausage links or ground bulk sausage (8-12 oz)**
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Grated or chopped cheddar cheese (or use feta)
- Chopped toasted nuts (walnuts or almonds)
- Chopped parsley
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- *This is a lot of cabbage, use less if you'd like. Also, I love the presentation of the cabbage wedges and I find you get a more tender, juicy cabbage when roasted in wedges. You could just roughly chop the cabbage into pieces and toss with the carrots if you’d prefer.
- **Using raw sausage is best here. You can add it whole to the baking sheet or remove the casing and scatter the meat in big chunks on the baking sheet. If using pre-cooked sausage, keep it whole and remove it after 15 minutes or until they are browned. Since they are pre-cooked, they can get overcooked and dry if baked too long.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F or 425F convection. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add cabbage wedges and carrots to the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil mostly over the cabbage and a little bit over the carrots. Sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Rub the oil and salt all over each cabbage wedge, then toss the carrots to coat.
- Arrange the cabbage wedges and carrots evenly on the baking sheet. Nestle the sausage between the veggies (see note on sausage). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cabbage is beginning to char and sausage is browned.
- Meanwhile, in a medium pot, add the lentils and fill with enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through (time to cook can vary, use your judgment). Drain and transfer back to the pot. Stir in the dijon, vinegar, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until combined. Cover and set aside.
- In a jar with a lid, add all of the dressing ingredients and shake vigorously to combine.
- Assemble your bowls! Add warm lentils, roasted veg, and sausage to your bowl. Top with cheese, nuts, herbs, and drizzle generously with the dressing.
- Eating tips! Use a fork and a sharp knife to cut up the cabbage, then mix everything together. I also like to break the sausage into smaller pieces so I get more sausage bites.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Toast nuts, for topping
- Cut 1 small head cabbage into ½-1-inch thick wedges
- Chop 2-3 carrots (about 8 oz) into small ½-inch pieces
- Cook the lentils + season them
- Grate/chop your cheese, nuts, and herbs
- Make the dressing
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the sausage all together or use a vegetarian sausage alternative. You can top with a fried egg to add more protein.
- Chopped cauliflower can be used in place of carrots (chop it small).
- (You could really use any combination of veggies here!)
- If you don’t want to cook lentils, easily subwith two cans of drained beans. Just warm them up in the microwave and toss with the vinegar, mustard, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Sausage, cabbage, and carrots: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Lentils: up to 7 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.
- Dressing: up to 7 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This bowl is best served warm, so warm up the components in the microwave and assemble your bowls. Don’t skimp on the toppings or dressing!
- Leftover lentils can be added to salads, bowls, or pasta.
- Leftover veggies and sausage can be added to just about anything. You could chop them up and make a quesadilla or taco, add them to scrambled eggs, or stir into soup.
I have loved Natalies recipes so far. But this Charred Cabbage recipe was not a favorite. Maybe we had too much cabbage.
Hi Sharon, thanks so much for the feedback. Sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe. It is a very simple one and, you’re right, it IS a lot of cabbage! I made a note in the recipe to let everyone know they can cut back on the cabbage amount. Appreciate your input!