Why You Should Start Grilling Cabbage, According To Michael Symon - Exclusive

Yes, you should start grilling cabbage. Why? Besides the fact that it's delicious, root vegetables are completely underutilized when it comes to the backyard grill — and Michael Symon agrees. During Michael Symon's exclusive interview with Tasting Table at Mohegan Sun's Wine & Food Fest, the food connoisseur explains that the first step to a good grill is to make sure it's hot.

Sounds obvious, but the key is to "have it set up so one side's hot and the other side's basically off, so you have a place to get them to as they're cooking," Symon says. That way, if your vegetables vary in size, and some pieces of asparagus are ready faster than others, "you can get them off the heat and close the lid to finish them," he continues. This tactic prevents overcooking so that your barbecue grilling party doesn't go up in flames. Beyond your basic grilling vegetables — zucchini, peppers, carrots — you can actually throw some root vegetables, such as beets, cabbage, and lettuce, on the appliance as well.

"All root vegetables tend to be a little bit underrated. I love grilling celery root, beets, things like that," Michael Symon explains to Tasting Table. "They play very nicely to the grill," the "BBQ USA" host adds. If you grab a whole head of cabbage and cut it into quarters and char it on the grill, it's "fantastic," according to Symon. To enhance the greens' flavor, you can add some butter, chopped onion, garlic salt, and pepper (really, whatever you think will pair well).

"They grill a lot of the hardier greens in Europe, but cabbage works great because it holds up to it," Symon says. The "Symon's Dinners Cooking Out" star advises that you make a wedge salad with grilled cabbage, which will hopefully become more common. If you don't have quick access to a grill, try out a recipe for roasted cabbage wedges, which can be popped into the oven. They're healthy, they're simple, and they taste great. 

Romaine lettuce can also be a fun vegetable to grill and wedge in a chicken Caesar salad — just make sure you are double-checking the greens on the grill because it won't take them long to wilt and brown up!

For more information about the Sun Wine & Food Fest, visit Mohegan Sun's website. Keep up with Michael Symon's latest projects on his Instagram page.