Hello, beautiful.
I have a secret to share with you about food photography.
Don’t eat all the food before you photograph it!
I’ve been there before. It usually involves Holly nog smoothies and Chocolate Cake Batter Smoothies.
Want to know another secret?
Photograph an easy subject, like fruit and veggies.
They do all the work for you. Run water over them before shooting and they glisten for the camera. Easy!
Not so easy?
Try taking pictures of a black bean dip. Then help me fix mine. I may hurl.
But let’s talk about the actual food for a minute. Can you believe this is the first time I’ve made a recipe with a red cabbage?
I’m guessing I’m probably not alone.
What the heck do I make with it?
Soup?
slaw?
more soup?
stew?
Being the planning-challenged gal that I am, I put this huge cabbage in the shopping cart and let it take up valuable refrigerator real estate for 1.5 weeks. Every time we opened the fridge a clunky, purple bowling ball would roll out at us.
Eric finally said, “Are you doing something with that thing or should I throw it in the woods?”
sigh.
It got so annoying, I just said, FINE I’LL EAT IT…and I hacked it up with a knife.
Only when you hack it up with a knife, it quadruples in volume.
DOH!
Keeping my 12 Days of Healthy Dinner Recipes in mind, I decided to turn this cabbage into a hearty salad after coming across this recipe for inspiration. To make it a meal, I added quinoa, a complete protein, to go along with it.
I really did not think this was going to taste good…
But I’ve been wrong before and I’ll be wrong again.
To make this salad, start by slicing your cabbage in half, through the stem. Now slice each half in half again to make quarters. Then, make 1/2 inch slices and roughly chop it all up. It doesn’t need to be precise or perfect!
Want to know the secret to eating a “raw” cabbage salad? You pour boiling water over top of it to lightly soften it. Then run cold water over it immediately after.
Now thinly slice a red pepper into strips and cut strips in half.
Shave a carrot with a peeler and chop a few celery sticks:
This is when I started to get excited about this meal. It’s just so vibrant!
Oh, add some finely chopped fresh herbs for a nice flavour. I used parsley.
I kinda flip-flopped on the salad dressing.
At first, I was going to make a vinaigrette, but I thought a salad this hearty and dense needed a thicker dressing. So I turned to my favourite Lightened-Up tahini-lemon dressing, thinking that it could be the perfect match…
I’ve been right before and I’ll be right again. :)
I’m convinced you could pour this dressing on a piece of cardboard and it would taste good! I know many of you also love this dressing because you write me about it and then we talk about how we can’t help but drink it with a straw. Or something like that.
When I made it, I almost forgot to add the nutritional yeast and kept tasting it thinking something was majorly off…it was thinner than usual and a bit too lemon-y. Once I added the nutritional yeast it thickened up and tasted just how I remembered….finger-licking good. If you don’t have nutritional yeast but still want to make it, I would suggest using less lemon juice and maybe not adding the bit of water. But yea, use the nooch if you can.
I made a half batch, but now I’m already wishing I made the full batch…
Mix it all up, add on some toasted sesame seeds (or hemp seeds), and you have yourself a killer, nutrient-packed salad.
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Over The Rainbow Cabbage Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing
Purple vegetables, such as this cabbage and others like eggplant and blueberries, contain anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are chemicals that protect body cells, decrease the spread of cancer cells, and more (source). Be sure to add some toasted sesame seeds (or hemp seeds would work) on top to compliment the salad nicely. I served it with fluffy garlic “buttery” quinoa, as a complete protein source.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- About 6-7 cups of roughly chopped red/purple cabbage (I used 1/4 of a large cabbage)
- 1 carrot, shaved with a peeler into 2-3 inch strips
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 handfuls of fresh parsley, chopped finely (or use other herb)
- Half a batch of Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing (or make the full batch and save for later)
- 3-4 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds (or use hemp, sunflower, etc)
- Salt & pepper, to taste ( I used Herbamare)
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Toast the seeds for about 8-10 minutes, watching closely. Remove and set aside.
2. Add several cups of water into a kettle and bring to a boil. Lightly rinse the cabbage and slice in half, through the stem. Slice each half, in half again and roughly chop. You’ll want about 6-7 cups.
3. Add chopped cabbage into a strainer in the sink and pour the boiling water over top. Quickly rinse with cold water. This helps soften the cabbage slightly. Roughly dry the cabbage with a hand towel.
4. In a large bowl, mix the chopped celery, pepper, cabbage, shaved carrot, and parsley.
5. Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. The salad tastes best when the dressing is mixed just before serving, so I suggest you portion out how much salad you will be eating for the meal and then add on your desired amount of dressing & mix well. Wrap up any leftover salad and place in the fridge and do the same with the leftover dressing.
Note: I wasn’t sure if I would like this salad so I didn’t make a crazy amount, but next time I would probably double the salad (and make the original dressing amount) to use up more of the cabbage. I had about 3/4 of the cabbage leftover!
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I served the salad with some “buttery” garlic quinoa. After cooking 1/2 cup of quinoa, I fluffed it with a fork, sprinkled on Herbamare and garlic powder, and then added a tablespoon or so of Earth Balance. It was to die for!
This meal made me feel so good…I was doing a happy dance in the kitchen. It was just the right mix of veggies, healthy fats, protein, and carbs to keep my energy buzzing along. Eric also really loved it too, even though he said he probably wouldn’t like it. I think we both surprised ourselves.
I must say, it feels great to get back into the healthy meals after a bit of a hiatus. I sometimes forget just how good I feel when I eat this way.
Now, the question is…what the heck do I do with the leftover cabbage? I barely made a dent in it!
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{ 198 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a perfect recipe for a season filled with sweets and treats and so much temptation!!! …and I swear your tahini dressing is perfect on just about everything!!!!
I love red cabbage, it makes every meal so vibrant and pretty. I like to cook it till it gets to a deep purple color and add it to pasta and tomato sauce with a bunch of veggies and spices.
This recipe sounds great. Superfood central!
Leftover red cabbage is fab. Take it and saute it with a little evoo, earth balance, brown sugar (a tiny bit) apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. So good. If you want to go crazy, toss in some toasted pecans!
Thanks Cat, thanks sounds amazing!! Will def try this tonight.
Try adding a Granny Smith apple or two to the mix. I use this recipe (sub brown sugar for white):
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/red-cabbage-and-apples/detail.aspx
Thanks Hayley!
I love to make a stir fry with red cabbage. Slice it into thin strips or keep it as a rough chop. It’s delicious with SeaTangles (kelp noodles), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, any bell peppers, tomatoes, or any other vegetables or seeds that you want to add. Season to taste with garlic salt, Braggs Aminos, some cayenne pepper, whatever you like. It is very hearty and nutritionally dense. You can eat it hot or let it cool. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top and enjoy.
This looks amazing, Angela! I have more energy just LOOKing at this salad!
Thank you for your healthy meal suggestions – they’ll surely come in handy after (if not during) the holiday indulgences.
The colors in this are amazing! Cabbage is one of those things I have to REALLY want in order to justify buying it because it just never ends and I usually end up hating it by the end when I’ve eaten about 5lbs of roughage!
WOW! I love the bright colours in this recipe Ange! I agree with you on the whole valuable real estate in the fridge thing – watermelons are even worse, but they don’t last nearly as long in my house! I really like red cabbage in salads so this sounds great. Gorgeous photos as always!
Cabbage sautees really well in stir fries. I love how vibrant this salad is, I feel healthier just looking at it lol.
Hey Angela!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to give it a try. Especially with the quinoa. I just bought a box from the grocery store and it will be my first time cooking with it. I’m excited. Anyways…I just wanted to reply to your question at the end about what to do with the rest of the red cabbage…I LOVE red cabbage. My mum taught me how to cook it and since living on my own (I am a student at the University of Guelph) I eat it multiple times a week because its sooooo good. Pretty much you take your cabbage and put it in a pot with some water (probably about a cup depending on how much cabbage there is..maybe fill the pot just under half way ) and then you add some balsamic vinegar (i’d say about 1/3 of a cup). You can also use regular vinegar and add some sugar instead. You then boil it until the liquid is gone. It smells kind of weird when cooking (my roomates hate me when I make it) but its delicious and makes my plate look gorgeous with all the colour!
Thanks Sarah that sounds great! I love anything with balsamic vinegar.
This looks incredible! I love cabbage… and quinoa… and tahini based dressings!
Also, I wanted to say (if I haven’t before) that I love your photography style. It’s so simple and colorful, and the lighting is always bright and beautiful. I’m absolutely jealous of all the colorful napkins and bowls you use, too.
Another awesome post, as always. :)
Thanks Willow! You are too kind. Oh and those napkins? They are often stained dish towels….shhh our little secret ;)
I think it’s time to make borscht!
That would be fun…do you think it would work in a slow cooker?
This is a gorgeous salad! Great tip about pouring the boiling water over the cabbage.
With the leftovers, I recently made a cabbage dish where I sauteed onion, garlic, ginger, and serranos with coconut butter, then added the cabbage, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce. Once that was done I tossed it with toasted sesame seeds and Chinese 5-spice. It was delish – I think I ate 1/2 a head alone!
That sauce sounds like it would have paired so well with it. I will have to try that.
This looks delicious!! I love red cabbage–I eat it all the time. Usually get mine pre-chopped, though.
To add to what Cat suggested- caramelize some onions and make a braised cabbage dish. Super good! Plus, cooking down the cabbage a bit takes away some of its harshness and creates a somewhat sweeter end result. You could also make an asian style slaw with with a peanutty sauce.
I love those ideas! I don’t think I’ve made a peanut sauce before either.
You must make a peanut sauce pronto! So good with wok veggies and brown rice plus you could throw in more cabbage as that is a common Asian ingredient
I will get on that for sure…yummy!
That looks great, and I don’t even like cabbage! I’ll have to try it now.
I can’t help you with the leftover cabbage because I’m the WORST with leftover veggies! This looks so good though – I’ve been feeling like I need to eat a big bowl of just veggies lately because I’ve been eating rather poorly :( I blame the holidays, but December 14th is not a holiday haha..
Loving the vibrant, bold, pretty purple of the cabbage and the dressing sounds great.
Cabbage is one of those foods that the minute you slice into it, it just multiplies before your very eyes on your cutting board. I need to make extra dressing to accommodate it :)
The colors are great and I bet the texture + flavors were perfect! I don’t buy cabbage often, but it’s always a nice change of pace when I do. We’ll even just use it as the base for our daily dinner salads. The crunch is awesome! I’ve also dressed it with lime juice, a little honey + pepper, to go with Mexican-themed dinners. Yum!
Gorgeous photos!!
I add red cabbage to your Detox Salad for extra color. You can send you extras to me~ I have 4 rabbits that live inside (don’t ask- it’s all my husbands doing! They have a dog exercise pen that they stay in, they aren’t running around with my cat) and they LOVE cabbage! They get all the scraps of fruits and veggies that are left!!!
Looks sooo yummy! :) I love red cabbage! we use it a lot in Poland :)
pickle it and eat it with falafel!
“Are you doing something with that thing or should I throw it in the woods?” hahaha thank you for making my day. Lame, I know… but that’s totally something my Dad used to say to my Mom!! I think you did a wonderful job on using up that cabbage!
I was thinking the exact same thing…I read that I truly laughed out loud:)
hah :)
looks amazing! i like juicing cabbage too with apples!
Make salad rolls with it!! Rice paper + veggies + peanut dip!! Mmmmm Or you could make purple dye!! haha – it dyes things a really pretty color! :)
About dye- thats a great idea…i wonder if it would work as a natural icing dye?
to do this youd want to boil the cabbage for like a half hour, strain it reserving the water, then remove bout a cup of the purple water and boil it down for another hour or so. usually you need to add a bit vinegar to stabilize it.
I wish I could take pictures like you– So vivid and rich! Makes my mouth water. :)
Aww thank you Stephanie
Thank you for another great post. I have never tried red cabbage, but I will definitely try this recipe. My kids are going to be the grandparents next week so this will be a great meal for me and my husband.
I love nice, vibrant salads! And I love red cabbage! I personally crave a side dish that I threw together the other month: red cabbage + brussel sprouts + garlic. It is to die for and so simple! http://nicandkier.blogspot.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-side-dish.html
I love cabbage! I use it in soups and pot pie recipes. Albeit it’s the green kind, but the taste is the same.
I second (or third?) the Asian peanut slaw – I’d serve it warm over soba noodles! Don’t be hesitant with making a peanut sauce; it’s stupid easy! :)
Do you happen to have a recipe for that peanutty asian dressing? I love cabbage, red or green, and usually use both when I make cole slaw or a salad. I would like to try something different for a company, i.e. fancy, dinner with my nephew and his wife. They are so into gardening and eating healthy. Cute cat! What’s his/her name?
This looks delicious and so colorful! I always love sauteing cabbage with a little apple cider vinegar, caraway seeds, a bit of olive oil and apples! We make that dish every year on new years day!
Nice! Maybe I will do the same :)
I cook with cabbage ALL the time. It’s so versatile and inexpensive! It’s great thrown into stir-fries and served over rice or quinoa if you saute it with some coconut milk, curry powder, garlic, ginger, etc., or with some toasted sesame oil, soy or tamari, ginger, garlic. It also adds nice crunch to a sandwich.
That sounds wonderful
Definitely, definitely going to try this salad. I love that it is SO colorful!
The colors looks amazing! I bet it tastes good too, yum :)
Yum- cabbage salads are so fun and crunchy!!
I love your idea of pouring boiling water over the cabbage to soften it slightly. I use that method for lightly steaming spinach, but I had never thought of it for cabbage.
Well I never thought of using that on spinach…thanks!
No problem! :-)
I live on red cabbage salads! An uncut head of cabbage stays fresh in the fridge, unfazed, for weeks and weeks. I chop a whole head at once but dress only a portion; that way the rest of the chopped cabbage stays crunchy until I’m done with Round One and ready for Round Two. :) One of my favorite — and easiest — salads involves chopping the cabbage, tossing it with any dressing on hand, and adding in a healthy fistful of raisins, nuts (pecans, sunflower seeds, or chopped toasted almonds are my favorites), and black beans. *** On a different note, nice work with the green drapery! It’s really lovely and adds quite the note of energy to the photos.
Steph, you are a cabbage PRO! I love this comment :) You are getting me more excited about the insane amount of cabbage sitting in the fridge. And yes thank god it lasts a long time!
Thanks for your compliments on my green tea towel (if you only could see it in person…it’s a mess!)
I love purple cabbage – probably the most beautiful vegetable, in my opinion! And I can’t get enough of tahini dressing – it goes well with everything.
Try tossing it with some sesame oil, agave or maple syrup, green onions, and sesame seeds for a delish asian side-dish. It goes wonderfully with or on sandwiches, especially for something like an “asian teriyaki burger” :)
Shred half a purple cabbage and four carrots. Throw in a handful of dried cranberries. Add some sesame seeds. Make a dressing with rice vinegar and sesame oil. This salad get better with age.
I’ve never been a huge red cabbage fan, but this salad may change my mind! Also, I LOVE the tahini lemon dressing… every time I make it I want to drink it with a straw!
Beautiful looking salad! I LOVE cabbage – red, green, whatever!
This looks amazing! I especially can’t wait to try the tahini dressing! I’ve been in dressing “funk” lately, always resort to the basic apple cider vinegar and EVOO with a little agave. I need to change it up. Sure it will be delicious on salads! Thanks!
This sounds amazing. I always find it hard to use cabbage in salads, but this can definitely work.
I kinda thought it sounded a bit crazy to be honest…but once I tried it, I changed my mind. The crunch factor was really nice! Not to mention, it takes a long time to eat.
this looks fabulous ill have to try it asap, my favorite cabbage dish is sauteed cabbage with coconut oil & cashews so quick & easy http://www.ahealthypassion.com/2011/06/18/simple-saturday/
Hi Angela,
you can caramelize onions and apple slices, add the cabbage and after sautéeing for a bit add water, cloves and cinnamon sticks, let the whole thing cook until soft(er) and you have a winter side dish for hearty, salty dishes like seitan “steaks” with mushromm sauce…i recommmend adding brussel sprouts and garlic mashed potatoes!:) Will try your salad tomorrow, thank you for the healthy inspiration!!!
love the sounds of that :)
When I don’t know what to do with veggies I juice them. I bet it would be pretty juiced with an apple and an orange or a beet!
I’ve been eating cabbage like crazy lately! I seriously can’t get enough! Its SO good! And so versatile! Can’t wait to try it in this salad!
Warning: do not eat if nursing. I ate a large serving of a (remarkably similar) raw cabbage salad, and my newborn and I really suffered the consequences. Poor kiddo. ;)
hah ohhh I can imagine!
I love cabbage!!!
You can make a lovely stir-fry with the leftover cabbage. It really wilts down when you cook it. Or you can put it into a thai soup.
Cabbage is so underrated! I love it–especially the purple kind. The color and crunch is so fun to use in salads. Thank you for this recipe!
This is one of my favourite red cabbage salad, which is also quite popular among my friend. Hope you will enjoy it!
Red Cabbage Salad with Orange
– Half of a red cabbage
– 2 oranges
– 1 sour apple
– 1 tablespoon raisin
– half glass of yoghurt
– 1/4 bunch of dill
– 2 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon black pepper
Divide a half red cabbage in half, chop two quarters into tiny bits. Squeeze one orange into a glass. Peel the sour apple’s skin, remove the seeds and cut into small slices. Place chopped cabbage in a big bowl, add half glass of orange juice, half teaspoon of pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt and knead them all till the cabbages are soft enough. Peel the other orange, remove the outer/white skin and seeds, slice them in small pieces. Add apple and orange to the cabbage. Separately, thin yoghurt with orange juice, add rest of salt and pepper. Mix them altogether and serve it cool.
Notes:
1. You can add dill into yoghurt and mix it with salad. Alternatively parsley or spring onion could be used. However, I didn’t use none of them.
2. I used one extra orange to thin the yoghurt, because it was not thin enough according to my taste.
3. Next time I am planning to add some walnut pieces and change the orange with pineapple, which might give a different taste.
That sounds lovely! Thank you :)
That salad is gorgeous! When I was an undergrad I loved the vegetarian restaurant right off campus and at lunch they would serve a side of this vinegary “slaw” (it was more of a salad, I’m a southern girl and slaw is soggy, gross, and dripping in mayo – gross) made of red cabbage, carrots, and other veggies. It was amazing. Red cabbage is way underrated!
That sounds a lot like the slaw that Fresh restaurant in TO serves!
That is some gnarly lookin’ bean dip. lol I eat most of my veggies raw (except potatoes) so thanks for the boiling water tip for my ginormous red cabbage heads. I totally know what you mean about getting back into the healthy homemade swing of things. You kind of take for granted how good it makes you feel until you get off track and get back on. I like food that makes me feel FUELED. Nothing lamer than “treating” yourself to something and feeling like “um, did I even eat? I feel full but not fueled”
Looks almost like what I am making for dinner tonight: Thai Noodle Salad
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/thai-noodle-salad-2/detail.aspx
Tempted to make yours instead.. :)
I am in the same predicament, except I have a green cabbage…1/2 of the way through it!
What a great tip about using boiling water to soften the cabbage some. I always wonder how people can enjoy cabbage salads. They always look so delicious, and now I know how to fix the texture. Awesome :)
Wow, looks amazing, I will be making it this weekend for the fam!
Ana
This looks incredible — what a great recipe!
Do you find tougher veggies like the ones in this recipe upset your stomach more? I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I swear my sentitive stomach has a harder time digesting crunchier, harder veggies.
I thought that was going to happen (as I have a sensitive stomach!) but I didnt have any problems. I do have probs with broccoli and cauliflower though!
Hi Angela!
I’ve been reading your blog since I saw your advice in Self Magazine, oh 2 years ago? Can’t remember. Anyhow, I love your blog soo much. I look forward to your posts and it’s been great to see how much the blog has changed since you first put it on the net. I was inspired to write to you today because I just made a soup with red cabbage this week, and figured it was fate!! I got my recipe from French Women don’t get Fat. (Amazing, amazing book) Here is the link to the recipe I used: http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/content/basic-vegetable-soup. Where it says one small cabbage (I’m with you, it doesn’t exist), I used red cabbage. My soup turned out a beautiful shade of purple! It was delicious. Just a tip from a long time fan. -Emily
Hey Emily! Thanks for your comment! :) The soup sounds wonderful…I think my crockpot is calling my name…
German red cabbage! It is so simple and delicious. I cook mine with an entire yellow onion “studded” with cloves that I can easily remove after cooking, and chopped up apple cooked with the cabbage.
citrus slaw!
Do tell!
Perfect timing! I also have a red cabbage sitting in my fridge that really needs using….I bought it with a vague idea of stewing it with apples and vinegar but I’m definitely going to use some to make this salad as well, it looks absolutely delicious.
I want that salad but I think I want the dressing more :) I haven’t made it since the summer! I like to made deconstructed cabbage rolls with left over cabbage.
This is so pretty! Love it :D
Oh man,, this looks so light and healthy! Beautiful colors!
I love Tahini dressing but most of the brands in the stores contain gluten. I can’t wait to give you version a try. Yum!
“are you going to do something with that thing or should I throw it in the woods?” sounds so familiar you had me lauging out loud.
heh :)
Gorgeous! I don’t like purple cabbage but maybe put it in a soup? Or in a sandwich? Or just juice it and pound it! Uck, lol.
you know I would!
I love red cabbage! So vibrant and tasty!
Last night I was going through the rainbow as I picked up items in the produce dept. I thought of purple, then purple cabbage. But came to a blank as to how I would eat it. Now I’ll go back since you have inspired me. Thanks!
:) I hope you like it my dear!
your pictures are GORGEOUS! (yes, even the black bean dip). and this recipe looks delicious!
The colours are beautiful, I really appreciate your photography tips. And this recipe looks delish!
Angela I love you :D
http://hannahalehandra.blogspot.com/
Hi – that salad looks so crunchy, fresh, and delicious! I’ve made this one cabbage dish a few times and we really like it. It calls for egg noodles, for which you could sub rice pasta or something similar, and green or savoy cabbage, but I don’t see why you couldn’t use purple cabbage since the texture is pretty much the same. The dish reminds me of Ireland (even though I’ve never been there – ha!) It’s very stick- to-your-ribs comforting!
http://purewellnessamy.com/category/cooking/#!/page/9
Oh yum, that DOES look delicious!
I love this dressing! I made it for dinner last night and am having it for lunch today. Great blog…thanks for the recipes!
I get spinach in my CSA, I have to try it in a smoothie!
That looks so good and healthy!! I love red cabbage just throw some in salads. I went out to eat the other night and had some sauteed red cabbage it was slightly sweet it had a light sprinkle of goat cheese on top and was to die for!!
your cabbage and mine sound like they’re related. I had the same purple bowling ball problem until I gathered my courage and chopped that sucker into a salad – surprise, it was great! So crunchy and satisfying, and it sure makes you feel good to eat all those different colours (while making up for our blah, grey weather).
love cabbage! we make our kraut and just love it. this recipe sounds wonderful, on my list to make!!! cannot wait, I bet it is even better the next day
Your foods are always so cOlorful! Clearly nutritious!
Haha I do the same thing with new ingredients – I buy them on a whim then wait until they’re on the brink of death until I actually cook with them! :P
This salad looks awesome! I love how colourful it is!
Hey Angela,
Cause you don’t have enough to do already!!!! Have you considered making a vegan version of cabbage rolls. I don’t think it would be too difficult and then you can stick them in the freezer for a long cold winters night!
hehe you read my mind!
mmm looks delicious! I love red cabbage :-) (and tahini :-) x2)
I never thought of placing boiled water over it – I love it! ^^ And this looks so delicious too, I need to use this recipe the next time I have some red cabbage. I usually make spring rolls or borscht out of the leftover cabbage.
Yum! I am going to try your hot water rinsing technique. Thanks for another great recipe.
I buy random vegetables all the time and it drives the hubby insane. Thankfully we’re both adventurous and more often than not it’s worth it. I think I’ve found my new project- thanks for posting!
Not exactly healthy, but I love cabbage sauteed in olive oil with some garlic and udon noodles! So simple and so good :)
that sounds so good….mmmm
I saw this post this morning and immediately added purple cabbage to my shopping list. I love the flavor and crunch of it and really enjoy it pan sauteed with chopped onion, usually over pretty high heat so some of it browns a bit. I already know how much I love your Lemon-Tahini dressing so this salad was sure to be a winner. All I can say is FABULOUS! My husband ate two huge bowls with dinner and said it is a definite make again. He asked which food blog the recipe was from and when I told him he said “She always has really great recipes.” It was great to have sure a colorful, crisp salad in the middle of December. Thanks so much!!! By the way, I am really looking forward to some more healthy recipes for this month :)
awww that is so sweet! Thank you, I’m so happy to hear that. It feels so good to eat that kind of salad near the holidays right? ;)
This looks wonderful. I haven’t had red cabbage in forever, now I’m craving it thanks to you!
I gotta ask…how do you cut it?! I bought a new knife and everything and it does NOT want to slice through the core. :( Tips?
Hmm…mine wasn’t too bad to slice through (compared to butternut squash, that is!). Do you have a knife sharpener? I use one quite frequently and it makes a huge difference.
Beautiful shots! And you are totally up my alley with the cabbage & quinoa as that seems to be all I’ve eaten for the past few days! I’ll have to try your quinoa recipe though as it sounds so good!
So bright & colorful, I love it!
yumm this recipe looks divine! I love purple cabbage. I usually cook it up (takes awhile to soften it, almost 40 min-hour) and add some kale in at the last minute. Delicious!
Purple is my favorite color. Even in food. Not worn out and exhausted dark brownish plum found in sad, cooked little cabbages but instead vibrant and bold purple as in your salad. I am excited to use this proud recipe at home and enjoy my purple with passion!
I mix chopped red cabbage with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt to taste. It is delicious! This salad looks great too. Love the tip on pouring boiling water over the cabbage to soften it.
I´ve never tried to add purple cabbage to a salad, looks great!! :) Here in Austria we eat purple cabbage this traditional way: roast minced onions, add the shredded cabbage, roast, add some bay leaves, a minced apple, one stick of cinnamon and some cloves, fill up with vegetable broth and a little bit of red wine and simmer it until the cabbage is soft. ( I like mine to be still crunchy, so I simmer it for 15 Minutes, but my grandparents used to cook it for 2 hours!) Add 2 Tbsp of red currant fruit spread, salt and pepper, and thicken it with a mixture 1:1 of water and flour. Serve it with dumplings :) I love that dish, it´s a traditional Christmas dish here!
Sounds amazing! Thank you
Omg, that looks amazing!! I haven’t bought a cabbage in over a year, but you’ve inspired me to go get one. I have everything to make this, even the dressing, EXCEPT the cabbage! Off to the store tomorrow :D
I suspect that your “this dressing would taste good on cardboard” claim is completely accurate. The first time I made it, I ran out of salad and ended up dipping a whole row of saltine crackers (salty cardboard?) in it. I ate almost a full cup of dressing that way….
lol…too funny! I’ve dipped everything into it…nothing has disappointed me yet. I suspect I could dip chard in it and like it (im normally not a fan of swiss chard)
This receipe sounds delicious! With the leftover red cabbage you can make a soup with cabbage, potatoes, ginger, garlic, rosemary, savory, caraway, lemon juice, tabasco, chili, salt, pepper and broth.
You can put red cabbage in a smoothie, the same way you would use spinach or kale. I put it in a smoothie that also has blueberries so that the purple color doesn’t clash in an unappetizing way. I know it sounds weird but we all used to think green smoothies sounded icky too!
What a wonderful healthy salad! We need that this time of year!! This one I will most definitely try and whats the best part is that I have all the ingredients! :)
I have never seen a more beautiful cabbage!! :) I never get cabbage but have been looking for some ideas for raw salads…perfect..thanks!
The photos are lovely and the salad looks delicious. My problem when taking photos of food is not so much me eating it, but my dog. Yesterday, she snatched a pretzel while I was trying to take pictures. She’s crafty like that :)
This looks so good! I love cabbage but don’t often buy it because it’s a lot to go through! As for the rest of your cabbage – how about some vegan okonomiyaki. :)
I’m so excited that I’ve found your page! I can’t wait to try this dressing…with left over cabbage I usually make veggie egg rolls…bean sprout, shaved carrots, diced broc, liquid aminos/soy sauce , etc…you can buy premade wantons or make them from scratch.
Thanks I’m happy to hear that! Great idea btw :)
Angela,
I love your blog and your pics and your stories and your recipes and the name of this salad.
I use red cabbage all the time. If you want to speed up the use, you can cut a wedge or two and just steam it in a little steamer basket as a veggie; top with any dressing or just freshly squeezed lemon juice. I ate it as a side next to Kasha Pilaf ( buckwheat groats) and it was hearty and satisfying.
I love how you photograph a cabbage and make it look like a designer cabbage in a fancy magazine lol!
haha that made me laugh! You are cute :)
This looks so beautiful and colorful! I know what you mean about vegetables staring you down. This happened with a few cabbages in my fridge over the summer from a CSA share. I love what you’ve done.
Thanks for the tips Angela!
Love your blog!
I recently started my own and you were a huge inspiration for me! …I stumbed upon your blog a little over a year ago and have gotten lots of my friends hooked on your GREEN MONSTERS! love them! Thanks so much for all your fun posts:)
Thanks April :) I’m going to check out your blog!
Oooh, perfect timing! I have 1/2 a head of green cabbage from the farmer’s market in my fridge, guilting me. Can’t wait to try this recipe! I am not typically a cabbage lover and (besides your salad that I now want to try), the only way I’ll devour cabbage is very thinly shredded (not grated or too much cabbage juice is released. Bleh.) with sea salt, EVOO and nooch. Let it sit for 10 minutes to soften and I usually eat the whole bowl. I can’t help myself. :-)
Every time I buy red cabbage for something and have a bunch leftover, I use it in a salads in place of lettuce. And I’m always amazed at how much I love it- and wonder why I don’t buy i more often? I just love that crunchy texture. Cabbage is highly under-rated!
Love how colourful this is!
I love the boiling water tip! The hubby and I try to use up the rest of the cabbage by using it as a veggie burger bed- especially with herbs and vinegar.
What do you know – I read this recipe and realized it was exactly what I needed to do with the rouge red cabbage in my fridge that I bought a week ago, because it was so pretty, and hadn’t bothered do anything with yet. Mixed it up at home w/ the dressing and it was delectable. I enjoy reading your sweet recipes, but as I can’t make them, your salad recipes are my absolute favorites. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I’m happy to hear that Celeste…enjoy the rest!
Just finished a coconut/ curry borcsht when I saw this recipe,,,I thought ‘oh I’ll use up the rest of my red cabbage’ ……not realizing I already had in th soup,,,,so ended up making your other awesome cabbage salad! I really enjoy making my own fermented vegies(sauerkruat) with purple cabbage as the base<3
Hi Angela!
Red cabbage with apples is a traditional Belgian winter dish with some cooked potateos and some sausages. Here’s the recipe: for 2 persones
Saute 1 onion in some butter. Then add the half a cabage with 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 25 cl of water and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Peel and shred/or cut into little pieces the apples and add them and stir.
Put the lid on the pot and leave it to simmer for 40 min up to an hour, while stirring occasionaly till the cabbage is soft. Serve with sausages ( well not in your case) and potatoes with some mustard.
Variations on this recipe include: red wine and red wine vinegar, cinnemon, cloves, laurel and red berry jelly.
enjoy!
Girl, you are my GURU for healthy foods that are also vegan and look mouthwateringly delicious! I’m drooling over this at 9am! Brilliant <3
Also, if anyone who reads this eats cheese and can never find nutritional yeast locally (like myself) a good substitution is very finely grated parmesan cheese. I buy a good quality block and grate it myself on the smallest setting on my box grater. It works wonderfully with the rest of the flavors in the dressing.
I also had a head of cabbage sitting in my fridge, waiting for use. I made your salad using a mix of mint & parsley and I added green onion. For the dressing, I ran out of lemon so I use half lime/half lemon juice and added ~2 tsp honey. Oh and I didn’t do the hot water trick because I didn’t read the directions first. It was still good!
One of my favourite uses for red cabbage is this recipe from Planet Organic called Hail to the Kale:
http://www.planetorganic.ca/goodfood/recipecorner/salad/hail-the-kale-salad
This is one of my fave recipes that I make alot – minus the salmon for you of course :)
This show Simple Fresh Delicious has amazing recipes (although the show itself is a little cheesy – haha) It used to play on Slice and the W Network but not for the moment.
http://www.simplefreshdelicious.com/recipes/ginger-glazed-salmon-with-broccoli-apple-slaw
Most of her recipes could be adapted easily to be vegetarian – but her flavours are just awesome.
Looks amazing!! I’ve been craving salad but tired of the usual greens. Looks like a big purple cabbage is on the grocery list for tomorrow.
I might try adding ginger and chili paste next time to give it more of an Asian flair. I like this salad because I know it will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge.
I’m sure you already used up the cabbage, but one of my all time favorites is to simmer the cabbage in beer for about 45 minutes. Add whatever other seasonings float your boat to amp of the flavor – cayenne, onion, agave/maple syrup, garlic, salt, etc. Nice hearty side dish or sauerkraut replacement. :-)
I’m sure that the salad tastes fine, but you show its beauty and this is cool. Vegetables have this habit of lurking in the fridge till you crack and start to experiment. We still have the pumpkin from auntie’s garden. Guess I’ll follow your example and photograph the hacking part.
Thanks for the inspiration :)
This salad has been on my Must-Make list for weeks now. I made it last night, and it was the perfect relief from the carb-laden meals we’ve been eating over the holidays! I hadn’t tried the dressing yet, and it was absolutely delicious! A new favourite. Thanks!
Glad to hear that Melissa!
i am not a cabbage fan but we got a *HUGE* cabbage in our winter csa box.
we made this tonight [without the celery] and it was really delish.
nice work ;)
Glad to hear that Diana!
this was my first make of the #saladaday challenge, love it! i’ve never had red cabbage and was pleasantly surprised to find it sold in quarters at my supermarket :) and you’re right, that lemon tahini dressing would make a shoe delicious!
This recipe looks great!! Another great way to prep cabbage for salads is to rub salt into it after you´ve chopped it up. Put the chopped up cabbage in a bowl, add two tablespoons of salt and start almost kneading the cabbage and really work the salt into it. Be quite rough. After a few minutes the cabbage will get sort of wet because the salt and the kneading breaks some of the water molecules in the cabbage (makes it easier to eat but will still be crunchy). Then rinse the salt of by adding water and draining the cabbage. Then it´s ready to use in salads or to be dressed by itself. I think the little extra time used is well worth it, the cabbage tastes great afterwards.
Great tip, thanks!
I made this salad on Saturday and not only do I love the wonderful rainbow colors of the salad, but it was delicious as well! I also LOVE the tahini-lemon dressing! Love your recipes and I love your website!
glad to hear that Tammy! Enjoy
Haha, I know how you feel about trying to use up cabbage! I just made some slaw with it, and still have a whole bunch left. Wow.
Thanks for the sweet recipe! I love your site.
I absolutely loved this salad! My boyfriend and I made it together today. We followed it exactly, except we added charred summer corn, avocado slices, watercress, cilantro and sriracha as well. It was so delicious and filling. We are now left with the feeling that we’ve done something good for ourselves. Thanks for sharing!
I made this cabbage tonight and it was ridiculously good!!! Thanks for sharing. It is like a cabbage tabouli.
Ok. I have a confession. I just ate a bowl of shredded cabbage with this yummy dressing. WOW! If I had cardboard I would test your theory. I chopped the cabbage in my Vitamix. And made the dressing with it too. I think my biggest mistake was licking the spatula. Once I digest this cabbage, I will finish making the salad for dinner. Your recipes always impress me. Yumsers!
yum. especially pretty & yummy with black sesame seeds!
Thank you for this. I think the tahini dressing will be my saviour from now on. I tried to stick to the color scale, but I used regular white cabbage, and replaced the purple color from the cabbage with purple/red onions. And the green came from les haricots verts. I think I’m just trying to say, that I’m a big fan of the tahini dressing !
Cheers!
I was looking for something different and healthy to serve my two teenagers. We are big fans of anything tahina, and make our own tahina dipping sauce regularly (the middle eastern version used to as a dip for pita is thicker). So, I gave this recipe a go. I was able to find a small head of cabbage so I used the whole thing. This salad, combined with our thicker tahina sauce, was a huge hit. My daughter even packed some up and took it with her for her lunch. Great recipe! Thank you. It is now a regular item on our lunch/dinner menu. In fact, I am making more now.
I’m so happy to hear that Karen!
Hey! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering
if you knew where I could get a captcha plugin for my comment form?
I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one?
Thanks a lot!
What a information of un-ambiguity and preserveness of
valuable experience on the topic of unexpected feelings.
Cabbage wraps. Smear the inside with hommus, fill with veggies, beans, lettuce and sprouts, fold over or roll and start munching. So good..
Made this for dinner last night exactly as is. Huge hit and every single person had seconds. It’s a keeper!
OH MY GOODNESS! I have been looking for 15 minutes for the pot luck recipe I wanted to use, and this pretty well sums up what I needed! I am heading to a potluck wedding were nearly everything will be meat! *sigh* It will be nice to be able to eat the rainbow with this amazing recipe. I am excited to see how well it turns out! (And may just eat some tonight to!!)
I LOVE purple cabbage and look forward to trying it. Last time I made it, I mixed it with red pepper, tomato, and onion and put some salt and a bit of balsamic vinegar mixed with water and lemon juice on it. Set it in he fridge and ate it and hour later. This recipe is just down my alley. :)
Just made this tonight and it was heavenly. I’ve never made homemade dressing and WOW. Never going back to store bought again.
Great way to use a cabbage and am going to use the other half using the comments here. Very happy and excited :)
Made a big batch this week for lunch – simple, tasty, and really satisfying! A keeper for sure. Absolutely LOVE the tahini dressing too
I had to use Dinosaur Kale in place of the green cabbage just because I forgot I didn’t have any. This was very delicious. Thanks!
My husband came home from work and asked what was for dinner; I said, “quinoa and salad”. He said, “that’s all?!?” After eating a few bites of this, he had to admit it was really good. He apologized for giving me a hard time earlier! I have been craving the dressing ever since I first tasted it. So delicious! Thank you, thank you for all you do for all of us!
Oh God. I’ve just had a kitkat for supper, while reading these gorgeous recipies! Feeling very inferiour now…. must try harder… !
I needed to use a red cabbage from the CSA and was lucky enough to find this jewel of a recipe. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is double the amount of quinoa and dressing! Also I’ll try cilantro instead of parsley. I ate this for lunch and dinner two days in a row and was sad when it was gone. If that tells you anything.
Thank you, Angela!
I’m so glad you found this recipe, Anne! (And am even happier it was a hit!)
Make saurkraut. Mash it up with your hands and a healthy couple of spoons of sea salt until enough natural juices come out to cover it’s own bulk of flesh (when packed down). Then stow it in a large jar or two, (be sure to mash it down inside the jar till the juices cover the top) and simply wait a few days until the kraut tastes not just salty but sour and salty to your tastes, then pop it in the fridge, and enjoy!
I made this tonight (sans parsley as I was out) and it was so delicious! I made quinoa and wild rice and mixed them together in my bowl with the slaw and they were all really tasty together. Thanks Angela, as always!