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Sides

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.

Ingredients

Red cabbage orange salad ingredients.

Method

Slice the cabbage very finely and place it into a large bowl.

Shredded red cabbage in a bowl.

Add the orange juice, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.

Squeezing an orange half into the salad.

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.

Woman's hands massaging the cabbage in a bowl.

Tips and 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 above, 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.

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.

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.

Substitutions

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 any kind of mustard you like, just not hotdog mustard.

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.

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.

More Winter Salads

Pumpkin Salad
Moroccan Roasted Vegetable Salad
Vegan Coleslaw
Winter Salad with Beets, Orange, and Pomegranate
Brussels Sprout Kale Salad

A shallow bowl of red cabbage salad with orange and pomegranate.

Let’s connect! For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email. If you make this recipe, I’d love to see! Tag your instagram versions with @occasionallyeggs.

Yield: 4

Red Cabbage Orange Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 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 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 or honey, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon 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.
• This makes a fairly small salad, and I usually double it if I’m prepping it for the week. If it’s your first time trying it, you may want to stick to the smaller amount as written.
• 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g 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
© Alexandra Daum
Course: Sides
Cuisine: European
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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.

More Sides:

Mango salad on a bed of lamb's lettuce in a large bowl.Mango Avocado Salad
Finely chopped roasted red cabbage on a plate with pomegranate seeds.Easy Roasted Red Cabbage
Halved muffin on a green plate with flowers and another muffin.Zucchini Cornbread Muffins
Vegan coleslaw on a serving plate.Easy Vegan Coleslaw

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Next Post: How to Make Coconut Butter »

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Comments

  1. Alexandra Daum says

    January 28, 2018 at 9:50 am

    😀 I think you'd like the desserts, though! German bread and pastry are both excellent, even if the main fare is a little blah. Thank you my dear! <3

    Reply
  2. 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
  3. Zayn says

    January 27, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    This is perfect while on the go

    http://www.mylifeingreens.com

    Reply

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