Red Cabbage Salad with Feta Cheese

Wonderfully aromatic and incredibly delicious is how I would describe this delightful red cabbage slaw with feta cheese, walnuts, and apples. A healthy and vegetarian raw salad that is super easy to prepare.

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Here’s why you will love this red cabbage recipe

• Delicious: A simply to-die-for flavor combination of crisp red cabbage, sweet apples, luscious feta cheese, and the additional crunch of walnuts.

• Easy: A basic yet scrumptious recipe paired with a hassle-free preparation. No fancy ingredients or gadgets are required, either. All you will need are a few everyday items readily available at pretty much any grocery store.

• Nutritious: Offering an abundance of beneficial nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats, this cabbage recipe makes for an ideal well-balanced and nourishing salad.

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Ingredients

Only a few simple ingredients are required to create this scrumptious red cabbage and feta salad:

• Red Cabbage: Try to grab produce that is as fresh and crisp as possible. As a ballpark figure, you’ll approximately need 750 g (gross weight), so a small head of cabbage should do. You don’t need exact measurements; a bit more or less won’t “hurt” your salad at all. 😉

• Apple: The flavor of a sweet, crunchy apple will harmonize beautifully with our earthy red cabbage.

• Feta Cheese: The creamy element of our dish. Its silky-smooth texture, along with a slight tanginess rounds out and elevates our dish’s flavor profile to the max. Alternatively, you may also incorporate goat cheese or other similar cheeses. (No cream cheese spreads – only chunks or logs, please.)

• Walnuts: These add extra crunch to our salad while simultaneously providing healthy fats.

• Scallions/Green Onions: Incorporating scallions will divinely magnify our red cabbage’s bold, almost floral, aroma. You can also use regular onions; however, their elevated pungency might be slightly too pronounced for some. But, as always, your call.

Topped off with a simple but mighty flavorful dressing made with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, and freshly squeezed orange juice, et voilà, time to eat!

Instructions

The red cabbage, apple and walnut slaw is super easy in terms of preparation. Here are the detailed step-by-step instructions and photos on what you need to do:

Feel free to directly jump to the recipe card with summarized instructions and exact measurements.

Step 1

Let’s get started on our cabbage. First, remove the tougher outer leaves of your produce. Then, cut the cabbage in half through the stem. Now, place the cut side down and cut the cabbage again in half to create 4 quarters.

Remove the root of the cabbage by cutting it out diagonally. Continue to thinly slice the cabbage alongside the short edge of the cabbage. (Please refer to my pictures to see exactly how I got the job done.)

Place your sliced produce in a large bowl, add salt, and start kneading your cabbage by hand. Continue to vigorously knead your red cabbage until it becomes noticeably softer and has started releasing some liquids.

Chef’s Tip: I highly recommend using a pair of protective kitchen gloves to do so, as fresh red cabbage tends to stain heavily.

Step 2

Squeeze the juice from half an orange.

Pour juice, olive oil, vinegar, and honey over your “tenderized” cabbage, then generously season with black pepper and incorporate well.

Set your bowl aside and let it marinate for about 20 minutes. 

Step 3

While our slaw is taking a well-deserved nap, we might as well get a head start on our remaining ingredients:

Thoroughly wash the apple and chop it into relatively small bits. No need to peel. 😉

Continue to cut your scallions into small rings or chunks.

Remove the feta cheese from its packaging and crumble it by hand.

Chop up your walnuts (unless you’ve bought chopped nuts, then ignore this step), or crumble by hand as well.

Step 4

Once our slaw’s resting period is over (20 minutes in case you forgot ;)), toss your apple, feta cheese, walnuts, and scallions into said bowl.

Combine everything well and season to taste once more with salt and black pepper. If desired or needed, you may also add a bit more olive oil or vinegar to your slaw.

Recipe Variations

The red cabbage and feta salad is kept fairly straightforward but bursts with incredibly delightful flavors. If you are looking for a few ideas to put your own spin on my recipe, check out the following options:

• Instead of (or in addition to) an apple, how about incorporating the other half of your orange (the non-squeezed-out half)? Simply cut your orange into small pieces and fold into your slaw.

• To bring out the full flavor and aroma of our walnuts, let’s carefully roast them in a nonstick pan (no oil required) first before adding them in.

• Instead of using walnuts, how about almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts?

• Craving even fruitier notes? How about we finely chop up some dried dates and mix them into our raw salad? Sounds yummy, right?

• Looking for a unique twist? Pomegranate seeds will amplify your salad and give it that special kind of oomph. These seeds would also be especially ideal for the holiday season, making for a visually stunning Christmas side dish.

Storage and Shelf Life

The delicious red cabbage salad with feta cheese is a “make-and-serve” kinda gal. Meaning, best enjoyed freshly made or after only having rested for a short period.

Resting briefly (chilled in the fridge) will help with fully developing its lovely flavors and aromatics. Plus, a chilled slaw is particularly refreshing if served on warmer days.

It is safe to store leftovers for up to 2 days in the fridge. Since the salad will retain its yummy taste, it also makes for an excellent meal prep option.

Related

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