This Red Cabbage Salad is easy to make and full of flavor from the homemade vinaigrette dressing! The apple and pecans add extra crunch for a delicious side dish. With tips for THM, paleo, Whole30 and low carb diets.
I absolutely love cabbage in and shape or form. But I think I do like it best as a salad or slaw – it’s just so good!
Here, I’m sharing my favorite salad using red cabbage. It’s so delicious with the apples and pecans added. I’m also adding tips to make it low carb and sugar free friendly – I do like the little bit of honey in the dressing, but you can absolutely make it without.
Ingredients you’ll need
This is just an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe – great as a visual grocery list! Scroll down to the recipe card for quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Cabbage: If you’re shredding the cabbage yourself, make sure to slice it fairly thin. Pre-shredded from a bag works great if you’re short on time.
- Apple: For ultra-low carb, feel free to skip the apple. You can also use a tart variety like Granny Smith over a sweeter variety to lower the sugar content a little.
- Apple juice: This is a great option for people who do not like a lot of vinegar in their salad. For low carb, stick to all vinegar. Leave out for THM, Whole30 and paleo.
- Honey: This helps the dressing to thicken, but you can leave it out for a lower carb count or to stay Whole30 friendly. Use a teaspoon of your favorite powdered sweetener in its place, if you like and your eating plan permits.
- Mustard: Whole grain mustard adds great flavor and texture, so I love using it here. I always add smooth mustard as well (forgot to add it to the photo!), because it helps the dressing to thicken, too. If you’re skipping the honey, I strongly recommend you add smooth mustard. Check the label and only use a mustard that contains ingredients compliant with Whole30/paleo, if that’s your eating plan.
How to make Red Cabbage Salad
1. Start by combining the dressing ingredients in a measuring jug. You’ll want to whisk them together until they’re fully combined.
2. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and massage it in with clean hands. Let the cabbage sit for 10-15 minutes. You can also leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, if you’re making the salad ahead of time.
3. Right before serving, add the remaining ingredients to the salad. Check for seasoning and adjust salt/pepper, vinegar and oil to your taste.
Carefully combine all ingredients and serve!
Recipe tips
- Make sure you don’t skip massaging the cabbage, it helps soften it and makes for a more delicious salad!
- Add the apples right before serving the salad so they don’t brown beforehand.
- If you’re bringing this to a potluck or a cookout, I recommend keeping it in a cooler bag. It gets limp and watery when it sits out in the warmth.
More healthy vegetable side dishes
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Red Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple juice OR more vinegar
- 2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt & pepper to taste
Salad
- 6 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 large carrot peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 large apple cored and diced
- 1/3 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Combine dressing ingredients in a measuring jug and whisk until combined.
- Place cabbage in large bowl and add dressing. Massage dressing into cabbage, then set aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Once cabbage is ready, add carrot, apple and pecans. Check for seasoning and adjust olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
Lowering carb count
- Leaving out the apple will remove approximately 3g of carbs per serving
- Leaving out the carrot will remove approximately 1g of carbs per serving
- Leaving out the honey will remove approximately 1g of carbs per serving
- The tablespoon of apple juice has just a small impact on the carb count, but feel free to leave it out if you’re concerned over the sugar
Ingredient notes
- Cabbage: If you’re shredding the cabbage yourself, make sure to slice it fairly thin. Pre-shredded from a bag works great if you’re short on time.
- Apple: For ultra-low carb, feel free to skip the apple. You can also use a tart variety like Granny Smith over a sweeter variety to lower the sugar content a little.
- Apple juice: This is a great option for people who do not like a lot of vinegar in their salad. For low carb, stick to all vinegar.
- Honey: This helps the dressing to thicken, but you can leave it out for a lower carb count. Use a teaspoon of your favorite powdered sweetener in its place, if you like.
- Mustard: Whole grain mustard adds great flavor and texture, so I love using it here. I always add smooth mustard as well (forgot to add it to the photo!), because it helps the dressing to thicken, too. If you’re skipping the honey, I strongly recommend you add smooth mustard.
Recipe tips
- Make sure you don’t skip massaging the cabbage, it helps soften it and makes for a more delicious salad!
- Add the apples right before serving the salad so they don’t brown beforehand.
- If you’re bringing this to a potluck or a cookout, I recommend keeping it in a cooler bag. It gets limp and watery when it sits out in the warmth.
Kathy says
Thank you Nora . This salad was delicious. I’ve never tried red cabbage before. 🙋♀️
Loren K Laughlin says
Really good! I added one green onion and craisins to it. It made a tasty side dish to dinner. Thank you for the recipe