Whether you call it red cabbage or purple cabbage, one thing is for sure it's delicious! I finally recreated this red cabbage salad I've eaten since childhood in France, so simple but incredibly tasty. Crunchy, tangy, satisfying and nourishing, if you love cabbage, this recipe is a must-try!

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Why You'll love this recipe
- It's just so good! Crunchy, tangy, satisfying, nutritious and so delicious! This recipe is so simple, is a great appetizer salad, or side salad to seafood and meats like pork, even on tacos. This was one of my favorite salads growing up in France, as I've been making a lot of childhood recipes lately.
- Besides the shredding of the cabbage that requires a little work, this recipe is so easy to make. If you're a cabbage fan, you must try my carrot and cabbage salad, my napa cabbage salad with peanuts and chicken spring roll salad.
Key Ingredients and variations
- Red cabbage: or purple depending on how you call it. You want it thinly shredded. To shred the red cabbage: start by removing the outer leaves and discard. You can rinse and dry the cabbage. Then with a sharp knife slice it in half with the stem down, then slice each half down the core, so your cabbage is now in 4 pieces. You can simply use your knife to slice each quarter lengthwise, flat side down. Other options are a mandoline, a shredder or food processor.
- Shallot vinaigrette: if you've made recipes of mine, you probably know this is my absolute favorite salad dressing of all time! So simple but so delicious, oil, wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, finely chopped shallots, garlic powder, salt and pepper. For this one I use red wine vinegar, but white wine or champagne vinegar works too.

How to make red cabbage salad

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, chopped shallots garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Prep the cabbage by slicing it thin or use a cheese shredder or mandoline.

Toss the cabbage with some of the dressing.

Mix the salad well with tongs, massage the cabbage a bit to tenderize it by squeezing it gently with the tongs. Adjust salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!
More Recipes with Shallot Vinaigrette
If you love shallot vinaigrette check these out!

Tips
- Tenderize the cabbage. Here is the deal, you can definitely use your hands to massage the shredded cabbage with the dressing like you would do with kale. I personally am not a fan of using my hands, so I use tongs and squeeze the salad gently while tossing it with the dressing and I think it works great!
- Let the red cabbage salad rest in the fridge for a bit before serving if time permits. It's definitely optional, but the cabbage absorbs all the flavors and becomes even more delicious as it sits.
- Adjust salt and pepper. Don't be scared of adding salt. It needs it.
- Don't pour all the vinaigrette in the salad if your cabbage is on the smaller side as it might be overdressed. You can always add more if needed.
- Leftovers can be stored refrigerated for up to 5 days. Take the salad out of the fridge at least 10 minutes prior to eating as sometimes vinaigrette can solidify a bit when in the fridge for a long time.
frequently asked questions
Absolutely. You have the choice to keep the shredded cabbage and shallot vinaigrette separate if you prefer, or have it dressed from the get-go. The cabbage will get a tad "pickled" from the vinegar as the week goes but so tasty and delicious.

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Red Cabbage Salad
Equipment
- shredder optional
Ingredients
- 1 head red cabbage
- ¼ cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, chopped shallots garlic powder, salt and pepper until incorporated.

- Prep the cabbage by slicing it thin or use a cheese shredder or mandoline.

- Toss the cabbage with some of the dressing.

- Mix the salad well with tongs, massage the cabbage a bit to tenderize it by squeezing it gently with the tongs. Adjust salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Notes
- Red wine vinegar: can be replaced with white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Feel free to add a little sweetener if you wish like a little sugar, honey, maple syrup or monk fruit.
Nutrition
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