Cooked and Loved Cabbage Salad (Printable)

Tender warm cabbage with crisp vegetables in a zesty dressing, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced
02 - 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
10 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Toppings

12 - 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds
13 - 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced cabbage and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is just tender but still vibrant.
02 - Remove the cabbage from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
03 - Add the julienned carrot, red onion, bell pepper, and parsley to the warm cabbage.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
05 - Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss thoroughly to combine.
06 - Allow the salad to rest for 5 minutes to let flavors meld.
07 - Top with walnuts or sunflower seeds and feta cheese if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The warm cabbage becomes silky and mellow while everything else stays bright and crunchy, creating this perfect tension of textures.
  • It comes together in 25 minutes flat, making it ideal for weeknight dinners when you want something that tastes like you actually spent time on it.
02 -
  • The moment you add the cold vegetables to the warm cabbage is crucial—this temperature contrast is what keeps the textures interesting instead of everything becoming uniformly soft.
  • If you skip sautéing the cabbage and go fully raw, you'll have a decent slaw, but you'll miss the magic that makes this recipe worth writing home about.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts or seeds in a dry skillet for 2–3 minutes right before serving—they'll be warm, fragrant, and exponentially better than pre-toasted versions sitting in your pantry.
  • The dressing can be made hours ahead and kept at room temperature, which means you can sauté your cabbage, assemble everything cold, and dressing it five minutes before guests arrive for a salad that tastes fresh and intentional.
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