I don’t know if its the beautiful bright flavours or the gorgeous colour that make this easy red cabbage salad one of my favourite autumnal side dishes. It’s full of tangy, crisp flavours and is quick and easy to throw together. The fascinating red cabbage, with 8 times more vitamin C than the normal white cabbage, is tossed with crisp and tangy apples ( e.g Fuji, Braeburn, Cox or Pink Lady) and fresh fennel, a humble root vegetable packed with fibre and minerals. And then drizzled with a simple homemade vinaigrette dressing. For extra texture and nutty flavour, you can add some toasted walnuts.
As soon as the cooler weather sets in, my kitchen is filled with hearty, comforting dishes. But there are plenty of ways to make light and healthy recipes that use seasonal ingredients in those months too.
A lot of delicious vegetables and fruits in the fall and winter are easy to enjoy raw and fresh, like the ingredients in this red cabbage salad with apple, and fennel. It highlights two seasonal vegetables and two fruits that combine to make a nutritious salad filled with texture and bright, tangy flavours.
Ingredients
Red Cabbage – Cabbage is generally considered an uninteresting, bland or a part of a heavy spread vegetable, but this vibrant salad proves that cabbage can be bright and fun. Cabbage also holds up well once chopped, so one can keep bags of the shredded cabbage in the fridge alongside a jar of the dressing, and then toss it together when you need. It’s and excellent stand by salad. Cabbage is used in cuisines all around the world and dishes such as a classic coleslaw cannot be made without it.
Apples & Pears – Apples and pears provides sweetness, freshness and crispy texture which makes it different and unique from other cabbage salads such as coleslaws. The sweetness of the apples and pear complement and balance the acidity of the dressing perfectly and helps lighten up a heavy fall or winter main dish.
Fennel – Fennel is a root vegetable with a very unique flavor. Both the fennel bulb and seeds have a peppery, anise-like taste, which is delicious in soups, salads, slaw, and stir fry. When you buy fennel, look for a bulb that is firm and very white. Fennel bulbs begin to turn brown as they get older, and while they are still very usable in this state, the freshest bulbs are the hard, white ones.
What you’ll love about this Easy Red Cabbage Salad recipe:
- A base of red cabbage make this really healthy.
- It’s a beautiful blend of crisp, crunchy, and soft textures.
- A balance of sweet and sour flavours from the dressing and fruit make every bite tasty.
- It’s a 20-minute side dish that can lighten up any heavy main meal.
This salad is healthy and full of bright flavours and is a great accompaniment or side for grilling season and a must try ! If you like this salad recipe you will also love our Cabbage and Orange Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette and Rice Noodle Salad.
Helpful Tips and Tricks for making Easy Red Cabbage Salad:
- When selecting cabbage pick one that’s tight, crisp with un-damaged leaves. If the damage extends beyond the first layer, its not fresh.
- Peel back and discard the outer leaves even if they look good. Rinse and pat dry the cabbage. It is easier to slice cabbage on a mandolin rather than with a sharp knife. If you do not have a mandolin proceed as follows: cut it in half, place the cabbage cut-side-down and thinly slice the cabbage discarding the centre core. Don’t use the core; it’s very fibrous and tough. In a red cabbage it’s the white hard spot that attaches the leaves to the stem at the base.
- Massage the cabbage for a few minutes with half the dressing, it helps it absorb the flavours better. Let the cabbage sit for 10 minutes while you prep the apple and orange. Cabbage always benefits from any marinade it can get.
- You can use a mandolin cutter to slice the fennel. Please do not substitute dried fennel for the fresh as the flavours are completely different.
- This salad keeps well in the fridge for up to two days, so it’s a very easy way to add a burst of colour and fresh flavour to your meals. Just don’t add the dressing until ready to serve.
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For Dressing:
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