I was also one of them until a few years back. What I was doing wrong was trying to use red cabbage by using it in my regular green or white cabbage recipes. It never tasted good in those recipes and I started disliking this vegetable. But then I started creating or collecting recipes in which red cabbage tastes delicious like my red cabbage soup, Asian spicy red cabbage, Indian style red cabbage, or this Turkish red cabbage salad. When used correctly, red cabbage tastes great. One lesson learned from this experiment is that if you don’t like an ingredient, you are probably not using it correctly. This simple Turkish salad is a great way to add red cabbage to your diet. In Turkey, it’s served along with kebab in kebab shops.
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
Red cabbage: Use fresh red cabbage. Pick a firm cabbage head, the leaves should be tightly packed. If the cabbage head is soft to the touch, it won’t be fresh. Lemon: You can use vinegar too but lemon juice will give a fresher taste. Olive oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil. It will make the salad taste even better. Seasonings: This salad is seasoned with only salt and pepper. However, if you want, feel free to add seasonings of your choice. Use red pepper flakes to add some heat.
Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.
How to make (step-by-step process)?
To make this easy recipe for Turkish salad, just follow the easy step-by-step instructions given below: Step 1: Thinly shred red cabbage and put in a large colander. Step 2: Rinse well. Step 3: Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel until no water is left in the cabbage. Step 4: Transfer the shredded cabbage to a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Step 5: Toss. Step 6: Wrap the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Your crunchy red cabbage salad is ready to be served.
Serving red cabbage salad
Serve Turkish red cabbage salad chilled. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. As the name suggests, this salad is usually served with kebab but it goes well with a lot of other vegan and vegetarian dishes too. You can serve it with many Turkish, Middle Eastern, or Mediterranean dishes. Stuff this crunchy salad and falafels in your pita bread wraps to make a Middle Eastern wrap like this falafel wrap. You can use it in sandwiches too.
Storing the leftovers
Store the leftover Turkish red cabbage salad in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 4-5 days.
Make ahead
This delicious salad tastes the best if left for a few hours. It will taste even better the next day. So, you can make it in advance and refrigerate. Shredded cabbage can also be stored in the fridge without the dressing in airtight containers for about a week. However, cabbage starts losing vitamin C and other nutrients once cut. So it’s better to use it as soon as possible after shredding.
Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
Make sure to pat dry the cabbage before adding to the salad otherwise, the salad will turn watery. Remove the loose outer leaves of the cabbage before shredding the cabbage. Use a sharp knife to cut the cabbage into thin strips. I shredded the cabbage first and then chopped it. You can also separate the cabbage leaves, wash them, pat them dry, and then shred them. If you don’t want long strips of cabbage in this salad, cut the cabbage into smaller pieces. To add more flavor to the salad, za’atar can be added to it. You can also add thin slices of red onions and chopped fresh parsley to this salad. If the tangy flavour of this Turkish salad is too much for you, balance it by adding a little bit of sugar. However, before adding sugar, leave the cabbage in the dressing for at least 30 minutes. It will allow all the flavors to get combined well. Taste the salad after 30 minutes and then if required, add sugar.
Frequently asked questions
More easy cabbage recipes
Wondering where to use the remaining half of the cabbage? The following easy red cabbage recipes are worth trying out:
Red cabbage soup Indian red cabbage stir fry Thai cabbage salad Aloo patta gobhi Cabbage poriyal Cabbage ramen Cabbage rice
More simple salad recipes
If you enjoyed this simple red cabbage salad, don’t miss to check out the following recipes for some of my favorite salads collected from different countries:
Armenian potato salad Middle Eastern tomato salad Spicy Indian potato salad Enoki mushroom salad Kachumber salad Indian corn salad Turkish potato salad Rainbow orzo salad
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