Every September, I step up onto my soapbox to report for my self-appointed duty — one part desperate, one part cantankerous — to remind us that summer isn’t over yet. I beg us to put away the decorative gourds and pumpkin spice for just a tiny bit longer. It’s a slippery slope from “hooray, scarves!” and “look at that perfect rainbow of a tree!” to a very long winter where I forget what warmth feels like on my skin and I am beseeching us not to wish it away. Or, I struggle with change? Hm, it’s hard to tell!
These cabbage and halloumi skewers, like me, have their feet in both seasons: a heartier, warming vegetable but with flavors that still taste like weather warm enough to eat outside. If you haven’t grilled cabbage before, you’re in for a treat. Even on the most pathetic gas grill (i.e. mine), the thick leaves get a little sweet, a little smoky, and — as we’ve learned via this charred salt and vinegar cabbage, this roasted cabbage with walnuts and parmesan, and this crispy cabbage and cauliflower salad — the more char, the better. Thin slices of salty halloumi are threaded between the chunks of cabbage and they, too, taste astoundingly good grilled. The cheese was, in fact, designed for it. Finally, we make an herby, punchy mixture with garlic, lemon, capers, and red pepper and brush it all over and then my husband and I stand in the kitchen and wolf it all down and forget why we’d want to eat anything else for dinner.
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Big braiser news! In the 18 months since we launched the Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser, nothing has made me happier than seeing how many of you are cooking in it. It remains my forever, perfect pan — just the right size for weeknights, the right shape for sautéing, and the right depth for baking, roasting, and braising. Your number one request? More colors! And it’s finally happening. The Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser is now sold exclusively through Williams-Sonoma, which means that in addition to the original black, it comes in six! new! colors: Cranberry (bright red), Grenadine (deep red), Sage (light green), Basil (dark green), La Mer (dark blue-green), and Sapphire (dark blue). If you’re looking for inspiration for what to cook in your braiser, start here!
Cabbage and Halloumi Skewers
- 1 cup (1 ounce) packed fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, and mint
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 large lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon mild red pepper flakes
- 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 8-ounce package halloumi, at room temperature so it’s easier to slice
- 1 to 1 1/4 pound green cabbage, cut into 1-to-2-inch chunks
Assemble skewers: Cut halloumi block into 1/4-inch slices, then cut each slice in approximately 1-inch flat squares. If your halloumi is breaking a lot, you can soak the block in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to soften it slightly, making it easier to slice.
Thread chunks of cabbage and halloumi slices onto skewers, alternating the two for the length of the skewer. Brush skewers lightly with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Halve your zested lemon.
Grill the skewers: Heat your grill to a high temperature. Arrange the skewers across the grill and cook until lightly charred underneath, then turn the skewers to char the next side. Brush the just-grilled parts with the herb oil, continuing to turn the skewers until they’re charred on all sides and you’ve used all of the oil. You can put the lemon halves on the grill as well to grill them. Squeeze the lemon halves over the skewers and enjoy them as soon as possible.
No grill? You can arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and run them under your oven’s broiler, turning and brushing them as you would on the grill.
Previously
6 months ago: Simplest Brisket with Braised Onions
1 year ago: Napa Cabbage Wedge with Miso Dressing
2 years ago: Simple Eggplant Parmesan
3 years ago: Eggplant Involtini
4 years ago: Baked Farro with Summer Vegetables
5 years ago: Shaved Fennel and Crushed Olive Salad and Corn Coconut Soup
6 years ago: Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies
7 years ago: Foolproof Cacio e Pepe
8 years ago: Cheesecake Bars with All The Berries and Corn Chowder with Chile, Lime, and Cotija
9 years ago: Eggplant Parmesan Melts and Even More Perfect Blueberry Muffins
10 years ago: Angel Hair Pasta with Raw Tomato Sauce, Crispy Peach Cobbler, and Corn Chowder Salad
11 years ago: Strawberries and Cream with Graham Crumbles and Corn, Cheddar and Scallion Strata
12 years ago: Almond-Crisped Peaches, Key Lime Popsicles and Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
13 years ago: Mediterranean Baked Feta with Tomatoes, Leek, Chard, and Corn Flatbread and Vanilla Custards with Roasted Blueberries
14 years ago: Hazelnut Plum-Crumb Tart, Zucchini Fritters, and Naked Tomato Sauce
15 years ago: Eggplant Salad Toasts and Peach Shortbread
16 years ago: Grilled Eggplant and Olive Pizza and Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting
17 years ago: Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Kefta and Zucchini Kebabs and Dimply Plum Cake
18 years ago: Double Chocolate Torte and Spicy Soba Noodles with Shiitakes
19 years ago: Moules Frites and 44-Clove Garlic Soup
Well, this looks incredibly delicious! I’ll never be sad about another charred cabbage recipe. Thanks for including oven instructions for those of us whose tiny city apartments don’t have even the smallest balcony space.
yum! wish I had a grill. can I do it without one?
yum! wish I had a grill. can I do it without one? NVM, just saw note
Not me with a head of cabbage I need to do something with for dinner. I’m assuming the garlic goes into the dressing mixture as part of the “herbs”?
As a family evenly split between vegetarian and omnivore, that loves to grill and hates the idea of fake meat as the sole alternatives, this looks perfect.
Weird request, could a photo of what the cabbage looks like being chopped up be included? I’m struggling to visualise how to target the beast without ending up with tons of little bits (and coleslaw is not loved enough to use those up!)
And oops, wasn’t meant to hijack your comment by replying 😬
Here is a photo of the cabbage chopped, and here is one of the halloumi chopped. However, you’re looking for chunks more like this from the salt/vinegar cabbage recipe.
To your thoughts about the end of summer: YES AND EVER YES. I found myself in tears one September morning at my farmer’s market, when I kept taking “just one more peach” – and then everyone in line with me started crying too! (This is real; I live in rainy Seattle.). I must weep over the last peaches and tomatoes and corn; grit my teeth through my rage, and then resign myself (thanks in part to you!) to cooking something wonderful with apples and/or butternut squash. But still: ”RAGE, RAGE, against the dying of the light!!”
Made this last night. I don’t have a grill so I planned to broil it as suggested, however when I was threading the skewers even after soaking the halloumi in warm water it fell to pieces. I ended up throwing the cabbage and halloumi loose on a sheet pan and roasted it for 20 mins at 500. I broiled it a bit at the end, and it was delicious. The halloumi got a little dark, so in the future I’d add it maybe 10 mins into the bake time. Definitely making it again.
I made this as a sheet pan bake because no skewers nor grill. 20-30 mins at 450, then finished with a quick broil. It’s freakin amazing, full stop.