This easy, simple, and nutritious vegan sheet pan dinner is perfect for lazy weeknights and slow Sundays. It's got cabbage, potatoes, and chickpeas, tossed in a mustard vinaigrette and dressed up with a creamy tarragon gravy. Serve with some rice or bread and you've got a dreamy and nourishing meal!
I feel very trendy right now (but like a couple years behind the trend because that's the type of person I am) sharing a sheet pan recipe.
I first made this recipe as a clean out the fridge deal. Threw a bunch of aging produce onto a sheet pan, dressed it with a quick vinaigrette, and baked it until everything was tender, toasty, and well caramelized. Added a creamy sauce + freshly baked biscuits and man... I was blown out of the water!
It was so simple to make, chop some veggies, throw things together, and wait. And in this waiting time the kitchen can be cleaned, grains can be cooked, gravies can be simmered, games of tug of war with the dog can be lost.
It was easy to see what the fuss about sheet pan dinners is. If they're that good as a throw together meal, can you imagine how much better as an actually planned out meal!
The real star to this meal isn't the gravy, nor even the potato. It's the roasted head of cabbage! If you've never had roasted cabbage before you're in for a treat.
There's nothing as delicious as cabbage roasted until tender and caramelized, with crispy almost-burnt edges and soft melt in your mouth centers. Paired with a mustardy vinaigrette and drowned in a tarragon cream and you've made it. Well made dinner anyway!
Ok, so let's get down to the nitty gritty (probably a terrible choice of words to describe cooking)!
The sheet pan:
There are only three main ingredients going onto our sheet pan: cabbage, potatoes, and chickpeas. I'll get to the dressing in a moment.
Choose a small head* of cabbage and cut it into ½-inch slices, then cut these into wedges. While you're at it, cut out the core. Because while it's pretty to look at and does hold the leaves together, it makes for rather unpleasantly toothsome and fibrous eating.
*If all you can find is a ginormous head of cabbage, that's fine, you can use half or ⅔ or whatever amount of it you need to fill your pan!
Next up we have our potatoes! Use fingerling potatoes, red skinned potatoes, or buttery yukon gold potatoes. Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters or larger potatoes into ½" to ¾" dice. We want the potatoes to turn soft and even a bit crispy in the time it takes the cabbage to cook.
Last we have the chickpeas! Give the cooked beans a rinse and you're good to go.
Spread all of the veggies and chickpeas out onto a half-sheet pan.
The dressing:
To encourage browning and caramelization of the veggies and chickpeas, we need to add oil. But even better than just adding oil is to infuse everything with seasoning, making the sheet pan delicious enough to eat plain!
Mustard pairs so wonderfully with all things brassica, being of that family itself (Mustard Roasted Cauliflower, anyone?). Choose a flavorful mustard like dijon or a zippy whole grain one. A spicy brown mustard would be delicious as well.
My simple vinaigrette is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar (which could be substituted for another mild vinegar you have on hand), a spicy mustard, garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper.
Smoked paprika and oregano add a bit of a smoky sausage-y vibe to our dish, seasoning the chickpeas and layering flavor.
Whisk all the ingredients of the dressing together and watch it turn creamy, easily emulsifying thanks to the mustard.
Pour the dressing over the ingredients in the sheet pan and use your hands to toss it all together to coat, then arrange in a single layer once more.
If you end up spilling over the sheet pan you can break out a second pan to keep the single layer and easy cooking.
Bake your sheet pan dinner for about 40-50 minutes, stirring halfway through. You want your potatoes to be beautifully tender and the cabbage to be soft with crispy bits.
While the sheet pan bakes, make the tarragon gravy:
This is an easy, creamy gravy that takes this recipe to the next level.
Blend cashews and broth together to make a savory cream. If you have a high-power blender this takes next to no time. If you have a regular blender you'll want to quickly soften your cashews by boiling in water for 10-15 minutes. You can also soak them in cold hour for a couple of hours to soften.
Now we're going to thicken the gravy with a roux, or a cooked flour and oil/butter mixture. Heat some vegan butter or olive oil in a pot and add the flour (use a gluten free all purpose flour or a starch like arrowroot to keep gluten free). Cook a few minutes until it smells a bit toasty, though this won't happen as much with starches as it does with wheat flour.
Slowly stream in the cream while whisking so that the gravy stays smooth, and once it's all added let it come to a simmer and watch it thicken. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and tarragon to season it. If the gravy gets too thick, thin it with water or a splash of broth.
Serve with a grain or bread:
The first time I made this sheet pan dinner I served it with some quick homemade biscuits. This pairs so well with the gravy and makes for a delectable dinner.
This time I served it with a brown rice and wild rice blend, and the nutty flavor chewiness of the whole grains went so well with the buttery potatoes, tender cabbage, chewy chickpeas and creamy gravy.
This would also go well with a quinoa, couscous or orzo, grains like farro or freekah. I'd also pair it with crusty sourdough or a baguette. Or forgo the side completely and serve as is!
Keep in mind if you're going for a gluten free meal that you'll want to keep the side gluten free.
I hope you guys enjoy this easy sheet pan dinner! I can't wait to play with more variations on this easy dinner theme!
If you make these vegan cabbage, potato, and chickpea sheet pan dinner, leave a comment below and rate the recipe on the recipe card. And please share your photos with me on Instagram, tag @thecuriouschickpea and #thecuriouschickpea. I love seeing your recreations!
WANT MORE DELICIOUS VEGAN RECIPES?
SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER & FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, AND PINTEREST!
Vegan Cabbage, Potato, and Chickpea Sheet Pan Dinner
An easy and nourishing vegan sheet pan dinner made with cabbage, potatoes, and chickpeas and served with a tarragon cream gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 small head cabbage (~1 ½ - 2 lbs)
- 1 lb potatoes, fingerling, red, or yukon gold
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (15oz can), drained and rinsed
Mustard Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
Tarragon Cream Gravy
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoon flour (gluten free or all purpose)
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 ºF.
- Cut your cabbage into ½" thick slices, then cut into wedges and remove the core. Cut your potatoes into half or quarters if using fingerling, or cubed to about ½ to ¾-inch pieces if red skinned or yukon gold. No need to peel. Arrange cabbage, potatoes, and chickpeas on a half sheet pan.
- In a bowl or liquid measuring cup whisk together all of the mustard vinaigrette ingredients. Pour over the sheet pan and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on the sheet pan. Bake for 35-50 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cabbage is tender and starting to crisp around the edges.
- Make the gravy: if not using a high powered blender, boil the cashews in water for 10-15 minutes to soften. Drain before using. If using a powerful blender skip this step. Blend the cashews and vegetable broth together until creamy and smooth.
- In a pot heat the vegan butter or olive oil over medium low and add the flour. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the flour is a bit toasty smelling and a shade darker (if using a starch or gluten free blend it may not change color). Slowly pour in the cashew cream while whisking to make a smooth gravy.
- Turn the heat up to medium and bring to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper, tarragon, and thyme. Simmer until the gravy has thickened. Cover and set aside.
- Serve the sheet pan dinner hot from the oven over your choice of grain or bread. Drizzle over the gravy and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 26gSodium: 972mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 10gSugar: 9gProtein: 13g
Nutrition is calculated automatically so should be used as an estimate.
I found this recipe on Pinterest last night. It is delicious beyond measure and we made a few mistakes. I bought Cashews that were roasted and salty and I didn't use rice or anything to go with it. My husband and I wolfed it down and now I am looking for more recipes by her.
Hi Jan! Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe! ☺️
I used my veggies on hand, and roasted them with your vinaigrette. Very delish!
I made wild rice blend, a pot of pinto beans, salad, and homemade vegan ranch. Super Yum
I’ve just fallen in love with this easy and nutritious vegan sheet pan dinner. The potatoes indeed look so beautifully tender and the cabbage is so soft and crispy. Plus, the tarragon gravy is such a great accompaniment. Perfect dinner for those days when you don’t wanna spend time cooking. I’d like to know how it’d taste when served with brown rice or quinoa.
Eva, thank you so much for sharing this idea. Such treasure. Really in the mood for something like this. Lucky me, I have all the ingredients at home. All of your tips will surely help me a lot. I’m so happy to have stumbled across your awesome blog. Look forward to your new recipes.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so happy you enjoyed the sheet pan dinner! It's such a tasty and versatile recipe, isn't it 🙂
Shelter-in-Recipe! Just whipped this up for lunch with tortilla chips. Subbed red onion slices for the potatoes and subbed BBQ sauce for the gravy, may do tahini on top next time with pita for a more middle eastern version.
Everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Tried this as an impromptu part of Easter dinner. We didn’t have chickpeas (ran out in my Coronavirus pantry), but it was still great. We had it over couscous. The whole family loved it - especially the gravy - and couldn’t stop raving. Thanks so much!
Thank you Eva for providing this recipe! You have helped me develop a deeper appreciation for the humble head of cabbage, thanks to the marinade recipe. I just bought my second head of cabbage within two weeks for this recipe… that’s never happened before! Hope you and your loved ones are staying well during these COVID times.
Good recipe! The gravy was delicious - I debated about making it, but I think it was my favorite part and would be yummy on just about anything (oooo...maybe even as a pizza sauce with prosciutto and arugula on top!).
I agree with Sarah, love the gravy it would make a great sauce for anything!
Absolutely delicious! Everything balanced perfectly and this was my first attempt at any kind of cashew cream based anything (I am new to the plant based life style, but I am loving it)! Thank you for the recipe!
Although this looks like a good winter dish (it's hot here), we had local potatoes and cabbage and decided to make it. We ended up grilling the cabbage/potatoes/chickpeas to keep our kitchen cooler and it came out beautifully. My wife was practically drinking the gravy and the smell of the mustard was divine. Thanks so much.
I found this while trying to find recipes to use up the vegetables I got in my CSA. It was delicious. Didn't have tarragon, so I made a thyme and mushroom cream gravy. My meat-eater husband woofed it down! A big hit! So delicious!
Love this, everything was so tasty, especially the gravy!
Hi there... I don't have cashews, but have either pecans or almonds. Would either of these be an adequate substitute?
I would use almonds! They don't get as smooth when blended as cashews, and if you have whole almonds you will get flecks of brown in the cream from the skin–but this is only a visual problem. Pecans have a stronger flavor that may compete a bit too much with the other flavors.
This is the best dish I’ve ever cooked and I’m not even vegan. I cooked this for myself and my vegan fiancee and this dish absolutely blew me away. I didn’t have tarragon so I used basil and the gravy still came out great.
Out of the oven I though the Dijon would be too much for them AND I had to use cornstarch and sage instead of cashews and tarragon for the gravy, but my kids (and I) loved this with biscuits. The gravy made a lot, so I'll freeze it for next time. This is really a tasty and easy recipe that is, as we say, restaurant quality 🙂 Thank you!
I've made this dish tonight and WOW! Simple to make but nevertheless delicious. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Was looking for a good vegan main dish that used cabbage, and this one really fit the bill. Terrific combination of easy to make and very tasty. Really liked the layering of flavors with the mustard vinaigrette and the delicious cashew based gravy. Our daughter is vegan so always looking for new recipes to keep our menu interesting.
Thanks very much, will definitely make again!
We have a nut allergy so can’t use cashews. Any alternatives?
For nut free try hulled sunflower seeds (raw, unroasted). If other nuts are ok with the allergy then you can try slivered almonds or macadamia nuts.
This is delicious and easy!!! My husband wanted to lick his plate clean! I will make again often.
We do have a vitamix, but still soaked cashews in boiled water while prepping veggies.
Love that!! I'm so glad you both enjoyed it!
Insanity!!!! One of the best things I have ever eaten!!!! The gravy is so good I want to drink it. Thank you!!
I'm thrilled to hear that! Thanks Tanya 🙂
Can't wait to try this but I don't have any tarragon, what other herb would work here?
Any Italian style herb! Basil, oregano, thyme, dill, or even leave the herbs out. You may want to use less if you use a stronger herb like thyme. I think other people have tried it with different herbs if you read through the comments 🙂