Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe

Crunchy, colorful, and refreshing, this Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe is sure to be a favorite at your next meal. This beautiful red cabbage salad makes the perfect side dish; try serving it with soup, burgers, or sandwiches to complete your dinner!

It’s often said that we eat with our eyes: food that is pleasant to look at ends up tasting better. That’s just one of the reasons why purple cabbage recipes are so popular in my home.

What color attracts you first when you look at it?

The beautiful purple and white swirls of the red cabbage? The bright orange of the grated carrot? Or maybe the muted green of the pumpkin seeds?

All these bright colors should tip you off to another great thing about this salad: its nutritional value.

You may have heard nutritional advice recommending a “colorful diet”. That’s because colorful foods, like fruits and vegetables, are often packed with the vitamins and antioxidants that may contribute to making our bodies strong and healthy.

You’ll also love this salad’s versatility. You can swap in any of your favorite ingredients to make it more personalized and tasty. This is great for anyone who may have allergies. This purple cabbage coleslaw is topped off with a homemade dressing, which can easily be made vegan.

Beautiful, healthful, versatile for different diets, and best of all, delicious – I am confident that this purple cabbage slaw will quickly become a staple in your household.

Are you ready to learn how to make it?

Mise en Place

Making your own slaw at home has never been so easy! To prepare this salad, begin by bringing a medium red cabbage and 3-4 medium carrots to your workspace.

Prep the red cabbage: Begin by removing the outermost leaves of the cabbage.

Next, you need to slice off about ½ an inch off the root of the cabbage.

Then cut the red cabbage in half lengthwise, from the top of the cabbage through to the stem. To make this recipe, you only need one-half of the cabbage.

Have a look at it, and especially at the white and purple striations of color.

Notice the core in the middle of the cabbage; it should look roughly like a white triangle. We need to remove it.

Turn your half a cabbage upside-down, so that the flat side is on your cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut it in half. Then, make a diagonal cut to remove the core. 

The cabbage can now be easily cut into thin strips. You can slice it on the long end, or the short end. Since we are making a salad, it makes sense to cut it on the short end. 

The exact thickness of the strip depends on your personal preference, but I say, the thinner, the better.

Prep the carrots: Next, grab your carrots. Begin by peeling them, and then grate them using the large holes of a box grater. Be careful not to get your fingers!

Prep the garlic: Remove the papery skin of 1 garlic clove and cut off the tips. Mince or press the garlic. Set aside for now. 

Finally, grab a large bowl for the salad, and a small bowl for the coleslaw dressing. You are now ready to begin assembly.

How to make this tangy red cabbage slaw recipe

In the large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage and the grated carrots.

Add the ½ cup of pumpkin seeds, ⅔ cup of dried unsweetened cranberries, and ¼ cup of hemp hearts. Combine properly together, then set aside.

To make the tangy dressing, whisk together 1 cup of light mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar, 1 minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper in the small bowl. Taste the dressing and adjust the salt and pepper according to your preferences.

Keep the dressing and the salad apart until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the dressing to the salad, and mix well.

And that’s it! Assembling this red cabbage slaw could not be easier or more straightforward!

Tips

• Vegetables always taste best when they are in season. Red cabbages happen to be harvested in two seasons, summer and winter, meaning that this refreshing salad can be enjoyed almost year-round.
• When purchasing your red cabbage, be sure to look for firm heads. A heavier head is generally a good sign. Avoid buying red cabbage with blemishes on the leaves, and be sure to avoid buying cabbage that has signs of wilting along the edges of the leaves.
• Since red cabbage delivers a peppery taste, while grated carrots add sweetness, vary the ratio of red cabbage to carrot to adjust the overall taste of the salad according to your preferences.

Variations

This red slaw can be enjoyed in various ways. Try these suggested variations if you wish, or comment below with your own variations.

• Use equal parts of red and green cabbage instead of only red cabbage. This will result in an overall more colorful, but milder tasting salad. This variation is great if you have some leftover cabbage that you are trying to use.
• For a sweeter overall salad, without the addition of sugar, try increasing the amount of grated carrot. The greater the proportion of carrots you use, the sweeter the salad will be. The current cabbage to carrot ratio in this salad is approximately two-thirds to one-third (in other words, this red coleslaw is two-thirds cabbage and one-third carrot). You can try a ratio of ½ cabbage to ½ carrot instead.
• Another way to obtain a sweeter overall salad would be to add an apple. Try slicing your apple in thin slivers. A green apple, like a Granny Smith, would add some sweetness and well as delicious tartness. If trying this variation, replace the white wine vinegar in the dressing with apple cider vinegar.
• Feel free to replace the dried cranberries with any other dried fruit or berry. I have tried this salad with raisins, dried golden berries, and dried Goji berries, with great results!
• If you do not have pumpkin seeds or are serving this salad to someone with seed allergies, you can replace them with another type of nut or seed. Try sunflower seeds, toasted chopped walnuts, or almond slivers.
• Replace the hemp seeds with toasted sesame seeds, or omit them from the recipe altogether.
• The creamy dressing can easily be made with vegan mayonnaise to accommodate any vegan guests you are serving.

Serving suggestions

You can serve this colorful salad as a side dish with grilled chicken or lamb chops. Use it as a topping for fish tacos, burgers and more. It’s also deliciously served on its own.

FAQ

Can this salad be prepared ahead of time?

It is best to enjoy this beautiful red cabbage salad on the same day that it’s prepared, as its purple and white colors will be most striking. It can also be made ahead of time but note that the coloration won’t be as bright once mixed with other ingredients. If preparing in advance, do not add the dressing to the salad until just before serving.

What is the difference between coleslaw and slaw?

Functionally, coleslaw and slaw are the same, but there is a slight difference between the two. Coleslaw comes from the Dutch kool, meaning cabbage, and sla, a contraction of the word for salad. As you can imagine then, the main ingredient of coleslaw tends to be cabbage (any variety of cabbage). The main ingredient of slaw (without the cole) is any other crunchy vegetable, like carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, celery root and more. 

Red cabbage vs green cabbage

Red cabbage and green cabbages share many similarities: they are in season at the same time, you can check for freshness in the same way and you can interchange them in most recipes.  In terms of differences, however, red cabbage tends to be smaller than its counterpart and has a more peppery taste. Red cabbage also contains more vitamins and antioxidants than green cabbage. Some studies indicate that red cabbage is more effective at fighting inflammation and inflammatory diseases/conditions, such as arthritis [source].

What are hemp hearts?

Technically a nut, hemp hearts provide a mild, very slightly nutty taste to this cabbage slaw. They are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which studies show lead to overall better heart health [source]. They are also rich in protein compared to other nuts and seeds, making them a great addition to vegan diets.

Salad recipes we love

Just like this colorful strawberry salad, this bright cabbage slaw is a great summer salad. It is also a great winter staple, as cabbages are in season in the wintertime. If you are looking for another refreshing winter salad, be sure to try this Italian fennel salad.

Recipe inspiration

I first learned how to make this crunchy slaw salad from my daughter.

She tells me that when she first began living with her partner, he would always purchase cabbage when he went grocery shopping – a vegetable that she had previously avoided. 

It wasn’t long before she was inspired by a few simple slaw recipes to try making a vegan salad. She tells me that after a few years of tweaking this recipe, she is no longer hesitant to use cabbage and that this recipe quickly became a staple in her home.

After tasting it myself, I can honestly say that it is one of the best recipes I have tried for a tangy slaw.

I’m sure it will become a favorite in your home as well.

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made this colorful salad, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!