This main-course salad, made by lightly charring cabbage strands under the broiler, is seasoned with a lemony dressing and smoke-infused hempseeds. The slight bitterness from charring amplifies all the savoury and sweet flavours of the dish. The hemp crumble, a healthier stand-in for bacon bits, tastes very similar to bacon bits and it may just become your new favourite salad and soup topper.
Evoke the smoke
Liquid smoke is nothing more than hardwood smoke that has been captured in condensation and collected. This liquid is further processed to remove any impurities and then bottled. It’s a great way to add a smoky presence to plant-based foods and dishes including tempeh, baked beans, chili, and veggie burgers. You’ll find it in the jarred-food section of most supermarkets.
This recipe was originally published in the February 2026 issue of alive magazine
Charred Cabbage Lentil Salad with Smoky Hemp Crumble
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) hempseeds
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup
- 1 1/2 lbs (750 g) red cabbage, core removed and cut into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) slices
- 2 cups (500 mL) shredded carrot
- 1 large red apple, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) grapeseed or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt, divided
- 2 tsp (10 mL) fennel seeds
- 1 cup (250 mL) fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp (10 mL) honey
- 1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
- 2 cups (500 mL) cooked French green or black lentils
Directions
01
To make hemp crumble, preheat oven to 250 F (120 C).
02
In bowl, stir together hempseeds, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Spread seasoned hempseeds out on a baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until darkened. Be careful not to burn hempseeds. Turn off oven and let seeds cool down in warm oven to crisp.
03
To make salad, set oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) from top and preheat oven’s broiler.
04
In bowl, toss cabbage, carrot, and apple with grapeseed or avocado oil and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt. Spread out on rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle fennel seeds over top. Broil until surface of cabbage is lightly charred, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Times will vary depending on your oven, so watch closely.
05
Once roasted, return to bowl and stir in parsley.
06
In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, and remaining 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt.
07
Divide cabbage mixture among serving plates and top with lentils. Drizzle on dressing and sprinkle with crisped hemp crumbles.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
