Pickled Red Cabbage Salad

One bite, and you will be eating this vibrant, and fresh salad over and over.

I grew up eating red cabbage and rice. That is all, red cabbage, white rice, in a Middle Eastern cumin lemon dressing. I knew it was kind of weird when I made it for my boyfriend, now husband, 12 years ago and he was not on board with the combo. There was something about the dish though that kept me going back for more. Maybe it was the fresh pickle on the cabbage, or the fact that the rice soaks up all the dressing. Whatever it was it inspired this pickled red cabbage salad, which I must note is now husband approved, 12 years later.

Ah red cabbage. If you already love the stuff, you are in the right place. If you don’t, have you ever had it pickled? I admit RAW red cabbage kind of sucks. Sure, touches of it in coleslaw is okay, but overall, it’s not my favorite vegetable. Something magical happens when you pickle it though, even a short 30-minute pickle. Best part about this pickle? You can put away the vinegar, or any pots and pans.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR PICKLED RED CABBAGE

• Red Cabbage – You want to buy a red cabbage that is tightly wound, with minimal loose or wilted leaves.
• Lemon Juice – Fresh is best.
• Salt– Kosher

Thats it! 3 ingredients. This vibrant red cabbage comes together in just minutes. Slice the red cabbage into thin slices, the thicker threads the more crunch and the longer the pickle will take. Place in a large bowl and add the salt and lemon juice. Coat thoroughly, best approach is to toss with clean hands. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes, at minimum, and enjoy!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR PICKLED RED CABBAGE SALAD

• Pickled Red Cabbage – See above!
• White Rice – I have an upcoming post that will break down rice. Tips and tricks, how to make white rice not boring ect… Until then make a medium grain rice as per the packaging, but instead of water replace with chicken of vegetable broth.
• Cucumber– Any type is fine, kirby is a great one to use here.
• Cherry Tomatoes – Chopped tomatoes work too, cherry tomatoes are just easier, and quicker to cut.
• Jalapeños – If you are sensitive to spice, cut this ingredient out. If you are kind of sensitive to spice then cut out the pith in the center. Doing so will reduce the amount of heat. Also fun hack, squeeze lemon juice on your jalapeño slices in advance, this will also cut into the heat.
• Cilantro
• Lemon Juice– Freshly squeezed.
• Salt– Kosher preferred.

The dressing? Just a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt. The pickled cabbage adds a lot of moisture when the salad is combined.

STORING

You can’t store the dressed salad, however you can store the pickled red cabbage. This pickled red cabbage can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. After that I find the texture a little too soggy for me, but absolutely still okay to consume.

Need more salad ideas? Check out the below!

Crunchy Parmesan Kale Salad
Kale Caesar Salad