AIP roasted cabbage wedges - foil-roasted cabbage with lemon, garlic, and bacon

Cabbage is the vegetable that sits in the crisper drawer the longest because nobody has a plan for it. Quartering it, wrapping it in foil with lemon and garlic, and roasting it until the edges char takes about as much effort as boiling water, and it turns the cheapest thing in the produce aisle into a side people reach for twice.

Cabbage is a real source of fiber and the glucosinolate compounds every cruciferous vegetable is known for, both tied to digestion doing its ordinary daily work without much help from you. It stays one honest plate of vegetables, dressed up by bacon and lemon rather than by anything complicated.

The bacon is doing real work here too, salt and smoke against the sweetness the cabbage gets once it chars, and using it well, as the thing that makes the whole plate worth eating rather than as a garnish, is its own quiet way of not wasting what an animal gave for the meal. Set the wedges out on a board and let the char and the lemon speak for themselves.

Ingredients

• 1 head cabbage, quartered
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

AIP note: Core AIP and elimination-compliant as written. Use sugar-free, additive-free bacon.

Method

Heat the oven to 400 F. Set each cabbage quarter on its own piece of foil, large enough to wrap into a packet.

Spoon the lemon juice over the cut faces of each wedge so it soaks into the layers. Press the minced garlic onto the wedges, scatter the crumbled bacon over the top, and finish with the sea salt.

Fold the foil up and over each wedge into a closed packet. Set the packets on a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, until the cabbage is tender all the way through and the edges have started to char.

Open the packets carefully, since the steam is hot. Serve the wedges in their juices.

Air fryer variation

Skip the foil. Set the seasoned wedges in the air fryer basket, cut side up, and cook at 375 F for about 15 minutes, until tender and browned at the edges. Add the crumbled bacon for the last few minutes so it crisps without burning.

*Adapted from autoimmunewellness.com*