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15-Minute Charred Cabbage with Spicy Red Pepper Butter Beans

We grew up hating cabbage! But when you cook it like this, everything changes. The secret is getting the cabbage really hot so it chars on the outside while becoming melt-in-your-mouth tender in the middle. Served over creamy, pesto-infused butter beans with blistered farm tomatoes, this is a super comforting dish of goodness that might just make you fall back in love with cabbage!

Takes 15 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients
 

  • ½ head Savoy Pointed, or Sweetheart Cabbage (cut into 2 thick wedges, core left intact)
  • 2 tins x 400g Butter Beans or Cannellini Beans (drained)
  • 150 g Farm fresh cherry tomatoes
  • 3 - 4 tbsp The Happy Pear Spicy Red Pepper Pesto
  • 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 100 ml oat milk or milk of choice
  • 1 small handful Fresh farm coriander coarsely chopped
  • ½ Fresh lemon

Instructions
 

  • Sear the Cabbage (3–4 mins): Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the cabbage wedges with a pinch of salt. Place them cut-side down, press firmly with a spatula, and sear for 3–4 minutes on both open side until deeply charred and caramelized on the bottom.
  • Steam to Tender Core (3–4 mins): Flip the cabbage wedges so they are on their back (the outside facing part). Immediately pour 4 tablespoons (approx. 60ml) of water directly into the hot pan around the cabbage. Cover immediately with a tight-fitting lid or baking tray to trap the steam. Lower the heat to medium and steam for 3–4 minutes until a knife slides effortlessly through the core.
  • Rest & Glaze: Remove the cabbage transfer them to a warm plate, and set aside while you build the beans.
  • Deglaze & Cook the Beans (3 mins): Keep the pan on medium heat. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and let them blister in the pan juices for 1 minute. Add 3 tbsp of Spicy Red Pepper Pesto, the drained butter beans, 100ml of oat milk), and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the rich, caramelized cabbage drippings stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  • Simmer & Assemble: Simmer for 2 minutes, gently mashing a few butter beans with your spoon to thicken the sauce into a rich, glossy gravy. Taste and season this sauce so it is to your liking.
  • Serve and enjoy - Spoon the creamy beans and blistered tomatoes into shallow serving bowls, nestle the warm charred cabbage wedge on top, and finish with a generous scatter of fresh farm coriander.
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