Classic Cabbage Salad

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Cabbage – You can take the easy route and buy a simple 14 ounce bag of mixed coleslaw. I like using this shredded cabbage mixture because they come with a delicious crunchy mix of green and red cabbage, carrots, and even radishes! You can of course use just green cabbage, but I think the purple is such a beautiful addition!

• Apple Cider Vinegar – I love Apple Cider Vinegar for a touch of sweet fall flavor, but any of your favorite vinegars will do! Rice Vinegar or a red or white wine vinegar would also be delicious here.
• Olive Oil – High quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil is important here. In salad dressings, quality really shines!
• Dijon Mustard – a little goes a long way. Dijon mustard is tangy, strong and has a sharp finish. I like to keep it easy and use this one, but any brand will do.
• Salt and Pepper – I like using my salt and pepper grinders for big, flavorful flakes.
• Minced Garlic – To be perfectly honest, this is one area where I LOVE a shortcut! The grocery store jar of minced garlic works perfectly here- but feel free to mince your own cloves.
• Sugar – The sweetener in this recipe is the perfect foil to the tangy edge of the vinegar and mustard. You can absolutely substitute with a sweetener of your choice. However, you can make it Keto-friendly by simply eliminating the sugar!

How to Make this Simple Cabbage Salad

1. Make Cabbage Salad Dressing – Simply whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until they are combined.  Better yet? I like to add them to a lidded jar and then just shake it up until the sugar is dissolved and the dressing is ready to serve. (Side note: I bought this salad dressing jar lid years ago, and it’s been discontinued. These are very similar, though!)
2. Prep Salad – If you’re anything like me, this involves tossing your pre-washed bag of coleslaw mix into the bowl or shred your own.
3. Toss – Add dressing and toss to ensure it thoroughly coats all the cabbage.
4. Serve – How easy was that? My favorite kinds of salads are the ones that take very little effort at all! Placing these ingredients in a large bowl means you’re basically done before you even got started – yes!

Variations

• Add Protein – adding easy protein such as chicken or salmon would be perfect for this cabbage salad.
• Fresh Herbs – you can never go wrong with adding fresh herbs from your garden into your cabbage salad dressing! Rosemary, oregano or even basil would be beautiful here.
• Ramen Noodles – this is such an easy way to give the salad even more crunch, and a retro Asian coleslaw spin!
• Mandarin Oranges – another classic Asian coleslaw idea.
• Apples – grate an apple and add it to this salad for a delicious fall twist.
• Nuts – pecans or almonds would be perfect additions to this salad!
• Toasted Sesame Seeds – for a little bit of an Asian spin.

Serving Suggestions

Because this cold cabbage salad has such a simple flavor profile, it serves beautifully as a side dish with so many entrees! I love that it’s such a colorful, vibrant addition to potlucks and barbecues!

Try this cabbage salad alongside some of these faves:

• Honey Glazed Ham
• Lemon Chicken
• Picnic Sandwiches
• Ham and Cheese Sliders
• Simple Baked Chicken Breast

How to Store

• Room Temperature – You can leave this cabbage salad out at room temperature for up to two hours while serving.
• Refrigerate – Store covered in an airtight container 2-3 days. If you like your cabbage a little more wilted for more of a coleslaw vibe you can store up to 4 days.