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This refreshingly easy cabbage salad could not be simpler to make! All you need is 5 ingredients (plus salt), and the tangy flavor makes it a total crowd pleaser.
Want to change up your coleslaw routine? Try this easy cabbage salad instead! For many slaws or cabbage salads, you’ll be endlessly chopping and prepping the long ingredient list. Not so with this one!
This simple salad calls for only 5 ingredients, and two of them are pantry ingredients you likely already have on hand. It comes out fresh and tangy, with a lemon mint flavor that keeps eaters coming back for more. We served it as part of a lineup of summer salads, and everyone kept asking: “What’s in this?”
Ingredients for this cabbage salad
This cabbage salad recipe is a similar to a Malouf salad: a Lebanese cabbage salad that is dressed with lemon juice, garlic and dried mint. This spin uses Dijon mustard and fresh mint to amp the fresh flavors. One plus of this recipe is that all you need is a green cabbage. Many salads call for both green and red cabbage, leaving us with two cabbage halves to figure out what to do with! You’ll need the following ingredients for this cabbage salad (plus salt):
- Green cabbage
- Fresh mint
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
How to shred cabbage…the easy way
Ever had trouble cutting cabbage? Until I learned this trick, I’d always hack at a cabbage with my knife and end up with uneven pieces. Alex and I figured out a slick way to cut cabbage that ends up in even pieces that are just the right size. Here’s what to do (or watch our video of how to cut cabbage):
- Remove any outer layers of the cabbage that seem tough or are not fresh, and discard them. With a large chef’s knife, slice off the root of the cabbage.
- Cut the cabbage in half through the stem. Then cut it into quarters.
- Remove the root of the cabbage by cutting it out with two diagonal slices.
- Thinly slice the cabbage in the short direction, using a circular motion with the knife.
Cabbage salad dressing, and a trick
The dressing for this cabbage salad could not be easier! Equal parts lemon juice and olive oil come together with big flavor. Using Dijon mustard puts it over the edge, giving it a savory and spicy undertone. Because it’s not a normal vinaigrette, you don’t even need to worry about an emulsion. Simply whisk together the ingredients.
Here’s a little trick to save a bowl: whisk together the dressing in the bottom of the large bowl you plan to serve the cabbage salad in. Then add the cabbage and toss to combine! You don’t need any extra bowls to whisk the dressing.
How to serve it
This cabbage salad is a great healthy side dish for any meal! We most often make it in the summer, but it works for any season. It’s especially great for potlucks or pitch-ins and holds its flavor well. Here are a few ways to serve it:
- Plate of salads: Try with carrot salad, French potato salad, Greek orzo salad, lentil salad, cucumber salad, or watermelon feta salad.
- With a main course: Serve with grilled shrimp or sauteed shrimp, grilled salmon or baked salmon, chickpea burger, or portobello burger.
- For lunch: Add chickpea salad, tofu scramble, seasoned cannellini beans, white beans or a chickpea salad sandwich.
Dietary notes
This cabbage salad recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Easy Cabbage Salad
This refreshingly easy cabbage salad could not be simpler to make! All you need is 6 ingredients, and the tangy flavor makes it a total crowd pleaser.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 medium head green cabbage (or 8 cups shredded)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.
- Chop the cabbage. Finely chop the mint. Add them to the bowl and toss with the dressing.
More cabbage recipes
There are lots more recipes starring cabbage! Most of the raw cabbage recipes we make besides this simple cabbage salad are slaws. Here are some of our favorites:
- This sauteed cabbage or boiled cabbage have incredible flavor! Mixed with garlic and lemon, they’re the perfect easy side dish to accent any meal.
- This steamed cabbage is a quick and simple way to serve this veggie.
- Creamy and crunchy, this red cabbage slaw is easy to make and so delicious!
- This classic creamy coleslaw stars green and red cabbage, carrots, and a creamy coleslaw dressing.
- There’s no mayo in this vinegar coleslaw: the tangy vinegar dressing is a perfect pair for crunchy cabbage.
- Go Mexican-style with Mexican coleslaw that features lime, cilantro and cumin. (It’s perfect in tacos!)
