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!
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.