Red Cabbage Salad (Super Easy to Make!)
Red cabbage salad is a healthy, colorful, and delicious way to incorporate more vegetables into your family’s diet. Quick and easy to make, this vibrant dish is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and fresh flavors the whole family will love!
Red cabbage salad recipe is one of the tastiest ways to incorporate more vegetables into your family’s diet. This easy salad is bursting with bright flavors, a zesty kick from lemon juice, and packed with red cabbage goodness.
Whether you’re looking for a healthy cabbage salad, a simple coleslaw alternative, or a fresh crunchy salad recipe, this dish is simply perfect. Colorful, light, crunchy, and incredibly flavorful, this homemade salad recipe is highly recommended as a quick and easy side dish salad and a rotating dinner salad staple in every kitchen!
What is a Red Cabbage Salad?
Red cabbage salad is a flavor-packed salad that is incredibly easy to make. As the name suggests, this easy recipe features fresh shredded red cabbage that soaks up a delicious homemade salad dressing to give you an unforgettable flavor in every bite. It’s the perfect healthy side dish salad for any occasion!
Unlike a red cabbage slaw recipe, this simple red cabbage salad is completely mayonnaise-free, making it a lighter, low calorie cabbage salad that is also low in sodium. If you’re looking for a fresh, healthy, and easy cabbage salad recipe the whole family will love, this is it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
Red cabbage salad is an easy and delicious way to boost your nutrient intake while enjoying a crunchy, flavorful dish! This healthy salad is loaded with powerful health benefits that make it a true superfood salad:
- Rich in Antioxidants — This antioxidant-rich cabbage salad contains anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and protect against diseases.
- High in Fiber — This high fiber salad recipe supports digestion, promotes gut health, and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
- Loaded with Vitamins and Minerals — This nutrient-dense red cabbage salad is an excellent source of vitamin C for immunity, vitamin K for bone health, and vitamin A for vision and skin.
- Low in Calories but Nutrient-Dense — This low calorie cabbage salad is the perfect choice for weight management and healthy eating.
- Supports Heart Health — The antioxidants and fiber in this heart-healthy cabbage salad help lower bad cholesterol and improve blood circulation.
- Aids in Detoxification — This detox cabbage salad recipe contains compounds that support liver function and help eliminate toxins naturally.
How to Shred Cabbage?
Shredding cabbage for your red cabbage salad recipe is incredibly easy! Follow these simple steps:
- Remove any outer damaged or browned leaves from your fresh red cabbage.
- Place the cabbage stem side down onto a large cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the cabbage in half lengthwise through the core.
- Using a cabbage shredder, chef’s knife, or mandolin, slice your shredded red cabbage into your desired thickness. For the perfect crunchy red cabbage salad, ⅛ inch thickness is highly recommended!
Key Ingredients for the Red Cabbage Salad
You only need some simple veggies and pantry-staple items to make this red cabbage salad recipe at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
Veggies for the Salad:
- Green Cabbage — Pale green in color with a mild, slightly crunchy texture, green cabbage adds a delicious and hearty base to this red cabbage salad recipe.
- Red Cabbage — With its stunning dark reddish-purple leaves and deeper, earthier flavor, red cabbage is the star ingredient and dominant flavor in this fresh cabbage salad.
- English Cucumber — Cucumbers add a lovely freshness to this crunchy red cabbage salad. English cucumbers are perfect as they are smaller with little to no seeds.
- Green Onions — Adding a beautiful slightly sharp and zesty kick, green onions bring incredible depth of flavor to this homemade red cabbage salad recipe.
- Lemon — Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a bright kick of acidity that ties all the flavors together in this zesty red cabbage salad!
For the Salad Dressing
- Olive Oil — Extra virgin olive oil is the perfect base for this red cabbage salad dressing, bringing all the flavors together beautifully.
- Sea Salt — A pinch of sea salt enhances and balances all the delicious flavors in this fresh salad recipe.
- Black Ground Pepper — A touch of black ground pepper adds a subtle kick of heat to this crunchy salad.
- Fresh Dill — Dill adds a lovely herbal freshness that pairs incredibly well with red cabbage. One tablespoon of freshly chopped dill is all you need to elevate this homemade salad recipe to the next level!
How to Make Red Cabbage Salad
This salad recipe is incredibly easy to make! Here’s what you’ll need to do step by step:
Step 1: Rinse all the fresh vegetables thoroughly.
Step 2: Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Shred the green and red cabbage and add it to a large bowl.
Step 3: Squeeze ½ a lemon over the shredded red cabbage, mix it well, and set it aside while you chop the remaining ingredients.
Step 4: Slice the English cucumbers and chop the green onions. Add both to the shredded red cabbage large salad bowl.
Step 5: Sprinkle with fresh dill, sea salt, and black pepper, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Step 6: Whisk everything together to combine and serve your fresh red cabbage salad right away. Enjoy!
For the full list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
What Goes with Red Cabbage Salad?
This salad pairs perfectly with a variety of delicious meals! Serve it alongside Standing Ribeye Roast, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, or Crusted Parmesan Chicken. It also goes beautifully with fish tacos, grilled hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and a warm crusty Dutch Oven Bread!
What Else Can You Add in Red Cabbage Salad
This salad is absolutely perfect as is, but here are some fun and delicious ways to customize it to your own preferences:
- Protein — Make this salad more filling by adding cooked bacon bits or chopped grilled chicken for an extra boost of protein and flavor.
- Fruits — Add a fruity touch with sliced apples, dried cranberries, or grapes to enhance the flavor even more.
- Nuts — Add an extra satisfying crunch with chopped walnuts, cashews, sliced almonds, or pecans!
Frequently Asked Questions
Red cabbage is a nutritional powerhouse with four times more phytonutrients and eight times more Vitamin C than green cabbage. Packed with vitamin K, fiber, and essential minerals, this red cabbage salad supports strong bones, healthy digestion, and a powerful immune system!
For the best salad, choose large, dense, and firm heads that feel heavy with bright, crisp leaves. Avoid any cracks, discoloration, or bruises for the freshest flavor!
Yes, you can make this cabbage salad ahead of time! Simply slice all the vegetables, cover, and store in the fridge until ready to serve. However, drizzle with olive oil and add seasonings right before serving to keep it fresh and crunchy!
How to Store Leftovers
To maximize shelf life, store this salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. After that, it will begin to wilt and become watery, losing its delicious crunch and fresh appeal. For the best results, enjoy it as fresh as possible!
Looking for more salad recipes? Check out the Salad Category for many more delicious salads.
Red Cabbage Salad (Super Easy to Make!)
Ingredients
Red and Green Cabbage Cucumber Salad Ingrediens
- ½ green cabbage head
- ½ red cabbage head
- ½ small lemon
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 bunch of green onions
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- This Red Cabbage Salad recipe is so easy to make. Here’s what you’ll need to do step by step:
- First, rinse all the vegetables. Shred green and red cabbage in a large bowl. Squeeze ½ a lemon over the cabbage, mix it up, and set it aside while you’re chopping the rest of the ingredients
- Next, slice cucumbers and chop green onions. Add to the shredded cabbage.
- Finally, sprinkle with dill, salt, and pepper and drizzle with oil. Whisk to combine and serve right away.
Notes
- Chop all the fresh red cabbage salad ingredients ahead of time and store them in a large bowl.
- Cover the bowl tightly with a lid or plastic wrap to keep everything fresh and crisp.
- Refrigerate your prepped cabbage salad until you are ready to serve.
- Before serving, drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright and zesty kick.
- Sprinkle with fresh dill and your favorite seasonings for maximum flavor.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to bring all the flavors together beautifully.
- Give everything a good mix and serve your fresh, crunchy, and delicious red cabbage salad right away!
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This recipe was originally posted on January 4, 2018, and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
very fresh tasting and lightweight salad! we loved it!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for your feedback and an amazing review!
If you cant have lemon, is it necessary?, could you replace it with vingear? And frozen dill for fresh?
Absolutely. Enjoy!
How much oil is needed for this recipe?
It’s your preference really. For this entire recipe of chopped veggies, I use 1/4 cup of olive oil.