Red Cabbage Salad

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This restaurant-quality red cabbage salad will be your new favorite salad! With an amazing smoke flavor and a few ingredients, this salad is paired with a fresh, lightly creamy, tangy yogurt dressing. 

Delicious enough to enjoy on its own or serve for a special occasion, you will enjoy the crunchy combination of texture, tastes, and flavors. Together, they will create a unique, refreshing, and filling red cabbage salad. 

This recipe is budget-friendly. Made from red cabbage, this dish promotes good blood circulation, sustainability, and healthy eating.

With the addition of the liquid smoke flavor, this red cabbage salad is an interesting dish due to its robust flavor. 

Healthy Red Cabbage

As red cabbage is an important component of this dish, keep in mind that red cabbage is not exactly red in color.

Instead, it has a purple or violet color and comes with waxy leaves and a tight round head. 

This particular cabbage belongs to the same family as cauliflower, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. 

As much as red cabbage originated in Europe, it is cultivated in all parts of the world, including Africa, North America, Asia, and Europe. 

Red cabbage is enjoyed in salads and slaw, or pickled slaw such as this Haitian Pikliz.  

Cooking methods include braising, sauteing, and simmering. It can also be pickled and used to make sauerkraut. 

This dish serves well all year round, but it goes particularly well in the fall.

History of Smoked Red Cabbage Salad 

While very little history is available on the smoked red cabbage salad, there is a rich history concerning the cabbage itself.

The vegetable has been in existence for a long time. It was first cultivated and used by the ancient Greeks, through whom it got to the ancient Romans.

Cato, a popular Roman philosopher at the time, recommended cabbage soaked in vinegar as the best cure for hangovers from drinking.

This shows that the ancient Romans not only enjoyed it as a food but also enjoyed cabbage for its medicinal properties. 

However, in the form we know today, cabbage was cultivated by Europeans after the conquering Romans introduced it to them.

Due to the climate requirement of the vegetable, it grew well in the Northern part of Europe and quickly became a popular food there. 

Apart from its current form, its name was also a derivation of the french word “Caboche.” Its use as salad also originated in the Nordic part of Europe as the Danish word for cabbage is Kool, and that of salad was sla, a combination of which gives “koolsla” the origin of the word “coleslaw.” 

Key Ingredients for Making Smoked Red Cabbage

Our smoked red cabbage salad starts with 5 basic key components: 

• Red cabbage: The star of the dish. The cabbage should be thinly sliced.

• Liquid smoke: Liquid smoke is a natural product that is prepared from burning wood and will add a warm flavor to the cabbage. 

• Salt and pepper: Both will be used to season the salad.  

• Garlic cloves: Will be used to flavor the red cabbage salad. Garlic is also high in antioxidants, which help prevent any oxidative damage from occurring in your body. 

• Yogurt (Yoghurt) also includes lemon juice: The yogurt is the base for the dressing and the lemon juice will add an acidic flavor.  

Additions and Variation

To make this dish extra fresh, feel free to add a few unconventional components to the classic red cabbage salad. 

Apples: The apples will add a mildly sweet, crunchy flavor to the dish. Consider using Golden Delicious, Braeburn Fuji, Gala, and Honeycrisp. 

Dijon Mustard: Mix within the yogurt. Dijon Mustard originated from the French town of Dijon. 

The town was popular for being the center of mustard-making in the 17th century. This will provide a spicy, tangy, and delicious flavor to the salad. 

Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil: Both are delicious and flavorful oil. Works well with the cabbage. There are two types of olive oil to look out for: regular olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. 

Shredded Carrots: The carrots will add a sweet flavor to the salad.

The extra virgin olive oil has not been processed much, so it is purer and healthier. However, it has a robust flavor that does not make it ideal for smoked red cabbage salad. 

You can add more flavor and texture to the dish by adding dried cranberries, walnuts, and toasted pecans. 

If you would like to add meat, consider adding roasted turkey breast, sausages like this air fryer sausage, and or turkey chunks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long does the salad last?

This smoked red cabbage salad lasts about 3 to 4 days if stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Although it may not be as fresh within a couple of days, the flavor will continue to develop. 

If you would like to enjoy this salad warm, you can reheat the salad in a microwave oven (depending on the components that are added), serve it at room temperature, or serve it cold. 

Pro Tips for Making Red Cabbage Salad 

• When storing, be sure to drain any excess liquid from the salad. This will help the salad to last longer, and it will not wilt. The chemical compound responsible for red cabbage’s red color is anthocyanin, which turns blue when cooked. Thus, if you want to retain the red color, you should add vinegar when cooking or preparing the salad. One tablespoon of vinegar works best. 
• We highly recommend you prepare the salad at least 2-3 hours ahead of time before serving. This will ensure that you are enjoying a delicious, crunchy, fresh salad. 
• We recommend you add any dressing or fruits right before serving time for best results. 

More Salads to Enjoy

After trying this salad, we recommend you try this Caprese salad, this watercress salad, this kale salad, and this salad Niçoise next. 

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