Charred Cabbage with Creamy Turkish Tarator and Pomegranate Molasses

Tarator is a Middle Eastern sauce that is delicious with meats, vegetables, and seafood — or just on its own dipped with pita! Recipes differ from country to country. In Lebanon and Syria, tarator refers to a sauce that contains tahini, while Turkish tarator refers to a walnut sauce. 

In this recipe, we are preparing a Turkish-inspired Tarator recipe — a creamy, sharp dip made with walnuts, garlic, lemon, vegetables and day-old bread (or breadcrumbs). It is served with wedges of smoky charred cabbage, toasted nuts, pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of tart pomegranate molasses and extra virgin olive oil. Find the recipe and printable recipe PDF below! 

 
 

Yield: 8 portions

Method

  1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F.

  2. Grease a sheet pan with the olive oil and lay the cabbage wedges on top.

  3. Roast for 10 minutes. Flip and roast for 5 more minutes. Remove and allow to cool in the pan.

  4. For the Tarator: Combine nuts, garlic, and bread into the container of a food processor. Puree on medium speed until combine.

  5. Add olive oil and lemon juice and continue pureeing until a smooth purée is achieved.

  6. Thin to a spoon-able consistency with water.

  7. Season with salt and pepper.

  8. To Assemble: Plate the cabbage with the tarator on top and drizzle with Pomegranate Molasses, nuts, and parsley leaves.

Ingredients

1 ea. approx. 2 lbs. green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Tarator

2 cups walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted

2 Tbsp. garlic, finely minced

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, finely minced

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3  cup water

1/3  cup lemon juice

2 tsp. salt

½  tsp. ground black pepper

 

½ cup pomegranate molasses

½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, slightly crushed

½ cup parsley leaves

This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service,
thanks to the generous support of the International Olive Council.