Easy Cabbage Salad

This cabbage salad makes a nice accompaniment to a variety of main dishes. It has a tangy flavor and is rich in fiber, making it a healthy addition to your diet.

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Do you have cabbage in your salads? Or do you prefer it only as a side dish? I love cabbage as a side dish until my mother-in-law introduced me to cabbage salad.

This has now become one of our family favorites. The best part is that it has a long shelf life, so it can be made ahead of time, and leftovers can be kept in the fridge without the cabbage getting limp.

Do you know that this is one of the best veggies to eat if you are on a diet? It’s such an absolute filler!! It’s high in fiber and low in fat and calories, yet packed with so much nutrition.

Why make this salad?

• Cabbage is high in vitamin C and helps stimulate the immune system. This bright and healthy salad makes a great side dish to any meal. It adds crunch to the menu for an everyday meal or for a summer potluck.
• Dressed with toasted sunflower seeds, sweet cranberries, and raisins takes less than 5 minutes to make and can be stored in the fridge.
• I used a knife to cut the cabbage into thin shreds, but you can also use a mandoline or food processor to shred the cabbage.
• This is an everyday salad that gets ready in just a few minutes.
• It works perfectly as a side dish to any main course, be it fish, chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, or pork. It is also a great salad to serve as a filling with tacos.
• The best thing about this salad is that you can make it ahead of time and chill it in the fridge. Make-ahead means the carrots absorb so much more flavor and take the raw bite out of the carrots.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Cabbage – Today, I am using both green and purple cabbage. The purple cabbage has a slight bitterness to it that tastes lovely. Do you know that this is one of the best veggies to eat if you are on a diet? It’s such an absolute filler!! It’s high in fiber and low in fat and calories yet packed with so much nutrition.
• Carrot – honestly, I just add a little carrot to break the color of light green and purple. I think it just brightens up the salad. You can omit, but I highly recommend it. Sliced red bell peppers are also a great addition for color.
• Seeds – I love the combination of toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds with cabbage, but you can also use other nuts, such as chopped pecans and walnuts. Toasted almonds with cranberries are a classic combination, too.
• Dried fruits – dried unsweetened cranberries and raisins are the perfect addition to add natural sweetness and tartness to this salad.
• Olive Oil -Use good-quality olive oil; in fact, I prefer cold-pressed olive oil. You can also use avocado oil.
• Optional ingredients
  • Sliced onions – Spanish red onion is another wonderful, pungent, and sweet flavor to add to cabbage. Make sure to thinly slice it. In fact, sprinkle with salt and let it drain before adding it to the cabbage.
  • Green onions or scallions are a wonderful addition with sesame oil and sliced stem ginger to give this salad an Asian twist.

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Step-by-step: Easy cabbage salad recipe

• Dressing – In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, and garlic powder. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Close the lid and give the jar a good shake. Or use a whisk to ensure everything is well combined. Set aside

• Fruits – In a medium bowl, combine the raisins and cranberries. Pour one cup of hot water over them. Leave to soften for 10 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
• Toast – In a saute pan over medium heat, toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Shake the pan often to prevent them from getting burnt. Set aside

• Veggies – Chop the green and purple cabbage as thinly as you can. Thinly sliced the carrot too.
  Pro tip – I used a knife and cutting board, but you can also use a food processor with the shredding attachment, which is quick and easy.

• Assemble – In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrot, parsley, drained fruit, toasted seeds, and shaved Parmesan cheese. Pour the salad dressing. Toss well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Serve or store – This salad can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Variations

• Asian salad dressing – Use rice vinegar instead of lime juice, and add two teaspoons of sesame oil and two tablespoons of soy sauce to the dressing. Garnish with some toasted sesame seeds along with the other seeds.
• Orange cabbage salad – Substitute half the lemon juice in the recipe with orange juice.
• Creamy cabbage salad – Add ¼ cup of mayonnaise, sour cream, or Greek yogurt to make a creamier salad dressing similar to coleslaw. A little Dijon mustard is a great addition too.

More salad recipes

• Easy Beet Salad, carrot salad
• Cherry Tomato Salad, Tomato Mozzarella Salad
• Avocado Salad
• Chickpeas Salad
• Easy Celery Salad, Easy Cabbage Salad
• Carrot Zucchini Fritters
• Oven-Baked Carrot Sticks

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