This is a really versatile salad that goes with pretty much any cuisine, including Middle Eastern, Asian, Southern, Mexican, South American and European. It’s my standard “go to” salad because I pretty much always have red cabbage in the fridge (because it lasts for weeks!).
Cabbage Salad
I know cabbage can have a reputation for being a really boring vegetable and I distinctly have memories from my childhood of picking through food to avoid eating even the tiniest piece of cabbage. However, once I grew out of my bratty-picky-eating-phase and left the nest to fend for myself, cabbage became a pantry staple (well, refrigerator staple). Every week, along with onions, garlic and potatoes, cabbage always makes its way into my shopping basket.
Why, you might ask? Because it stays fresh for ages and it’s so versatile! Just to clarify, I’m talking about ordinary cabbage – green/white and purple cabbage – not Chinese cabbage (which is versatile, but doesn’t stay fresh for as long). Cabbage usually lasts for around 3 weeks in my fridge. Sure the edges will get a bit dry but it’s an easy fix just to slice off a thin shaving.
“Refreshing, colourful and with a great crunch, this is a great standby salad because it goes with pretty much any cuisine.”
As for versatility, when you put your mind to it (as I am briefly doing as I write this post), it truly is amazing how many dishes and cuisines use cabbage. It’s in classic Chinese dishes (like Chow Mein), European salads like Sauerkraut, Mexican style salads, Middle Eastern salads, Portuguese soup, Okonokiyaki (Japanese pancake) – and of course, the classic coleslaw. And this is just scratching the surface!
This is one of the quick salads I make which is basically my “go to” salad for any meal. It is refreshing, crunchy and delightfully colourful, and takes minutes to put together. I honestly can say that I can’t think of a single dish that this wouldn’t go with. The only thing you might change up is the herb. I made this particular one with mint, but I will use any herb I have on hand or is leftover from the meal I am making.
“I made this as part of a multi-course Middle Eastern feast as a side salad and to stuff into wraps with grilled meat.”
I made this as part of an Arabian Feast menu which I’ll be sharing in the coming weeks (psst, it’s a 7 dish make ahead feast prepared in 1 hour!). It is absolutely fabulous to have as a side salad and also to use to stuff into wraps with the Lamb Koftas and Chicken Sharwama, plus of course it’s so bright that it perks up any spread. Here’s a little preview of the Feast.
1 Hour Arabian Feast Menu
To Nibble
-
Chargrilled Vegetable Platter (coming soon!)
For the Grill! (All stove 🙂 )
Because we must have Greens (and cater for Vegetarians)
-
Shredded Red Cabbage Carrot Salad (this recipe!)
I’ll be preparing a post rounding up the full menu and explaining how to prepare it in 1 hour, how to store it and what needs to be done on the day.
Don’t forget to pick up some cabbage today!! – Nagi
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Shredded Red Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups finely shredded red/purple cabbage
- 1 carrot , julienned
- Handful of mint leaves , roughly chopped
Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Combine Salad ingredients in a bowl.
- Add Dressing ingredients, then toss to combine.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Arabian dinner is a great idea! I am going to do this too. I’ll wait for the rest of your recipes! : )
Oh – I published them all! Can you see the links in the post??
This looks really healthy! Do you have any tips on shredding vegetables quickly? I tend to shy away from anything shredded because I think it takes too long to shred vegetables, but if you have any tips I’d love to try!
I would think you are pretty hand with the knife Sarah!! I just use make sure I start with a stack of cabbage around 2 inches / 4 cm thick, lay it flat then as I am moving the knife up and down to shred the cabbage, the tip of the knife stays on the cutting board (i.e. so you only move the handle end up and down). By doing this you can maintain better control of the knife and cut things finer 🙂
Thanks for the tip Nagi! I dice vegetables similarly but am not too fast at it. I’ll have to practice chopping a bit faster so I eat more shredded vegetables!
Hi Sarah,
I used a mandolin to shred the cabbage and carrot for this salad, so that’s another option for you 😊
Hi Sarah – I also hate shredding veggies but do use them a lot. My sister gave me this amazing electrical shredder I use all the time. It’s so easy to shred a TON of veggies (I use it for potatoes, yams, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, cabbage, fresh beets, etc.) And it’s very easy to clean the machine if you do it right after you’re done shredding – just take apart, rinse parts in cold water and place in drain to dry.
You can get a machine at any store that sells kitchen appliances: WalMart, Target, Sears, etc. Don’t go to high-end store like Macy’s unless you don’t mind paying more. You can also get one for great price online (I’d try Amazon first).
Hope this helps!
I really should pull out my shredder more often! I rarely bother 🙂 But I should because it will encourage me to eat more vegetables (because anything shredded is so much more delicious!) 🙂