Red Cabbage Salad
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This simple red cabbage salad makes a side dish that is crunchy, fresh, and incredibly healthy. It goes with everything and feeds an army.
It’s also ready in 10 minutes and economical. What’s not to love?
If you’ve already tried my low-calorie cabbage soup or delicious cabbage salad with apples, you’d know my fondness for the humble superfood red cabbage.
And I love it for so many reasons. It’s economical, flavourful, it helps promote a healthy gut, boost your immunity, fight inflammation. Seriously, cabbages contain a ridiculous amount of HEALTH BENEFITS.
But my favorite thing about red cabbage isn’t just the nutrition, I LOVE it because it makes big salads full of color, flavor, and crunchy texture!
And today, I really wanted the red cabbage to be the star. So I threw together a no-frills salad that makes a bright and versatile side dish, great for making ahead and meal prep.
The dressing is SO simple, it doesn’t contain any mayo, but it has the perfect amount of acidity and sweetness to soften the peppery flavor of the red cabbage.
It’s also a breeze to assemble: shred the cabbage, pour the dressing over and toss to combine. That’s it!
Make a big batch, it keeps well for days, and it’s easy to customize with your fav plant-based protein, meat or cheese. Let’s do this!
List of the ingredients
- Red cabbage
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder (optional)
- Salt & pepper
How to make cabbage salad
(Note: this is a quick description, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
How to cut cabbage
First things first, you’ll need to shred, or thinly slice, your big red cabbage. Make sure you use a sharp knife and a cutting board. For more thinly sliced cabbage, you can use a mandolin. Let’s start!
- Remove and discard any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage.
- Cut the cabbage in half through the core.
- Then cut each half so to get four wedges. Next, slice off the white inner core.
- Now, we use about half cabbage for this salad, so you’ll need only two wedges.
- Place each wedge cut-side-down on the cutting board and thinly slice it using your dominant hand and a sharp knife.
- Add the sliced cabbage to a large salad bowl.
- Make the salad dressing by mixing the dressing ingredients until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined.
- For best flavor and texture, let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Done!
Recipe notes
Red cabbage salad ingredients
Red cabbage: Also called purple cabbage. I would recommend shredding the red cabbage yourself for the best texture and flavor, but if you’re pressed for time, go for 6 cups of store bought shredded cabbage instead.
Extra virgin olive oil: My favourite oil for flavor and nutrition.
Lemon juice and red wine vinegar: To add acidity and tangy flavor. You can use cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
Honey or maple syrup: Instead of using granulated sugar like in regular cabbage slaw recipes, I’m using honey to lightly sweeten the cabbage and to soften its peppery flavor. Maple syrup works instead of honey if you keep it vegan. Feel free to adjust depending on how sweet you like it.
Dijon mustard: For extra flavor.
Garlic powder: I add a touch of garlic powder for a subtle garlic flavor, but I leave it optional. Although I love fresh raw garlic, I find its flavor too sharp when combined with the peppery red cabbage. But huge garlic lovers are welcome to add some if they wish! : )
Salt & pepper: To bring all of the flavors together. Make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning to you liking before serving.
Red cabbage salad variations
This red cabbage salad is simple and delicious as is, but it also pairs well with many different add-ins if you wish to jazz it up! Below a few ideas:
- Mix the veggies: I’ve made this with just red cabbage, but you can mix it up with green cabbage, shredded carrots, diced cucumber for extra color and nutrition.
- Extra protein: hard boiled eggs, chickpeas and puy lentils are my favs, but shredded roasted chicken works great too if you don’t keep it meatless.
- Nuts & seeds: for some extra crunch you can use whatever nuts you have on hand, from walnuts to roasted peanuts, of you can sprinkle sesame seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds. Get creative!
Storage tips
Red cabbage salad leftovers keep wells in the fridge for about 2-3 days, stored in an airtight container. If you plan it to make it ahead, I would recommend keeping the shredded cabbage and the dressing in separate containers, so they will be ready to use for up to 5 days. Assemble the salad and toss with the dressing when required.
Quick salad recipes you’ll love!
Check out all of my vegan salads here and sensational holiday salads. Below a few of my favs:
- Salad with grapes
- Moroccan carrot salad
- Arugula pear salad
- Beetroot salad
- Winter salad
- Artichoke salad
- Celery and parmesan salad
- Grapefruit salad
- Orange salad
- Beetroot orange salad
If you make this red caggabe salad or you have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Red Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups shredded red cabbage (approximately ½ lb cabbage)
Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Slice the cabbage: Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and cut the cabbage in half through the core. Then cut each half into two segments and slice off the white core. Next, place the flat edge of the cabbage on a cutting board and finely slice each segments using a sharp knife. You can also use a mandolin. Place the shredded cabbage in a large salad bowl.
- Make the dressing: Place the salad dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake well until emulsified.
- Assemble: Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving, so the flavors mingle together. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking before serving, you might also want to add another touch of honey for extra sweetness.
