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Red Cabbage Orange Salad

February 5, 2021 by Alexandra Daum
This vegan red cabbage salad is a great way to include some raw vegetables into a seasonal winter diet and uses orange and pomegranate to add brightness. It's a good thing to make and keep tucked away in the refrigerator when you need something to round out a meal.
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A shallow bowl of red cabbage salad with orange and pomegranate.

Cabbage is a northern staple and I’m a big fan of red cabbage. It’s a main part of my diet through the winter, and we go through one whole head of cabbage each week at this time of year. Cheap, easy to store, and delicious if prepared well, cabbage is truly a winter gem.

It’s great to have some raw vegetables in your diet in the winter since we’re so reliant on cooked foods during the colder months. Even if you don’t really care about the nutritional benefits, it’s just nice to have something crunchy!

This wintery cabbage salad is made with orange juice instead of vinegar and it’s certainly on the sweeter side. Red cabbage can be a little bitter, especially raw, and adding something sweet lifts it a bit. The combination with orange and pomegranate is excellent.

This lasts several days in the refrigerator, so it’s a good option if you like to prep some food on one day to tide you over over for a few and you have enough space to keep it.

For some more great seasonal cabbage recipes, try this easy vegan coleslaw (no mayonnaise), cabbage lentil soup, or roasted red cabbage.

Table of Contents hide
Ingredients
Step by Step
Recipe Notes
How to Store
Expert Tips
More Winter Salads
Red Cabbage Orange Salad

Ingredients

Red cabbage orange salad ingredients.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Cabbage: it’s certainly possible to use green or savoy cabbage if that’s what you have, the only real difference will be in the colour.
  • Sweetener: maple syrup and honey are used interchangeably in this recipe. Stick to maple syrup, of course, if you’re vegan. Sugar can be used in a pinch.
  • Mustard: Use any kind of mustard you like, just not hotdog mustard. I use Dijon or Mittelscharf mustard.

Step by Step

Purple cabbage salad with orange, steps 1 to 4.

1. Prepare: slice the cabbage very finely and place it into a large bowl.
2. Add dressing: add the orange juice, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix: use your hands to mix very thoroughly, massaging for about a minute.
4. Add remaining ingredients: add the orange slices and pomegranate arils and serve.

Recipe Notes

I recommend trying to make this at least an hour in advance of serving, but you can skip the resting time if you massage the cabbage a while longer. It is a bit like kale in that it’s a bit too chewy or hard without taking that step.

As mentioned, it does last a few days, so you can make a larger batch and store it for later. This makes up the longer than usual active time needed for another salad. To make ahead, I recommend mixing the cabbage and dressing, the topping with the orange and pomegranate right before serving.

This makes a fairly small salad, and I usually double it if I’m prepping it for the week. If you know you’ll like it, then just double it from the get-go, and if you’re not sure, stick to this the first time.

How to Store

Storage: keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing cabbage salad.

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Expert Tips

  • Add vinegar: if you like more acidic food, try adding a little balsamic vinegar to the salad, or rice vinegar for a more Asian-inspired flavour. I love acid and I like the salad without, but the option is there.
  • Use a mandolin: if you have a mandolin, certainly use it to slice the cabbage. I use the slicing attachment on my food processor – if you have neither, you can also grate the cabbage on the largest side of your box grater.
  • Use your hands: they are your best tool in the kitchen, and by far the best way to mix this salad.

More Winter Salads

Pumpkin Salad
Moroccan Roasted Vegetable Salad
Crispy Lentil, Orange, and Pomegranate Salad
Beet Salad with Spinach and Orange

Yield: 4

Red Cabbage Orange Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 10 minutes minutes
4.50 from 4 votes

Ingredients

  • ½ small red cabbage ~300 grams / 10 oz.
  • Juice of an orange about 1/4 cup
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large orange thinly sliced, peel removed
  • ¼ pomegranate seeds

Instructions

  • Slice the cabbage very finely and place it into a large bowl. Add the orange juice, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
    1/2 small red cabbage, Juice of an orange, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Use your hands to mix very thoroughly, massaging for about a minute.
  • Add the orange slices and pomegranate arils and either serve immediately, or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
    1 large orange, 1/4 pomegranate

Notes

• Add a tablespoon of vinegar (of your choice) if you prefer a more acidic salad.

* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.


Nutrition

Serving: 1 Calories: 128kcal Carbohydrates: 16g Protein: 2g Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 5g Sodium: 331mg Potassium: 359mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 10g Vitamin A: 1246IU Vitamin C: 79mg Calcium: 64mg Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.

© Alexandra Daum
Course: Autumn, Salad, Side Dish, Sides, Winter
Cuisine: European
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
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This post was first published in January 2018. It has been updated with new photos and improvements to the text as of February 2021.

Woman in garden adjusting peas growing on bamboo.

Occasionally Eggs

by Alexandra Daum

If you’re looking for approachable, seasonal vegetarian recipes, you’re in the right place! Occasionally Eggs is all about healthier plant based recipes that follow the seasons.

Find vegetarian staples, refined sugar free desserts, and hundreds of vegan recipes. All OE recipes are vegetarian, dairy free, and refined sugar free.

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Comments

  1. Traci | Vanilla And bean says

    January 27, 2018 at 4:47 pm

    I could see myself eating this entire jar! Lovely flavors and crunch FTW! I LOL about German food being bland. Perhaps this is why I've not really explored this area of food? Delicious work and beautiful captures Alexandra! xo

    Reply
  2. Zayn says

    January 27, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    This is perfect while on the go

    Reply

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