Kaleslaw – A Mixed Cabbage Salad
Sweet and tangy with a bit of an Asian flair, this Kaleslaw features a tasty mix of red kale, red cabbage and Napa cabbage. It’s the perfect companion for all your dishes, any time of day, any time of year!
Here’s a salad that you’ll want to add to your plate on a regular basis, if only for its beautiful vibrant colors! Honestly, though, its explosive sweet and tangy flavor profile as well as its crazy nutritional density will give you two more reasons to make this beauty a part of your regular rotation.
To make this one, I chose to use 3 different kinds of cabbage: red cabbage (for its beautiful vibrant purple color) red kale (because whoa, what a nutrition powerhouse!) and Chinese Napa cabbage (for it’s super fresh, crunchy texture and peppery flavor). To that, I added grated carrots, chopped cilantro, green onions and sunflower seeds, for even more added color and texture!
As for the vinaigrette, it is super simple and real easy to make, but it tastes so remarkably good, I feel it should come with a warning: you’ll be really tempted do drink it straight from the jar!
Add to that the fact that this salad will taste just as good after spending a few days in the fridge, I say we got ourselves a definite winner!
Your first course of action should be to make the vinaigrette, since you’re gonna need some of it to massage and soften the red cabbage and kale. To make that vinaigrette, simply combine all the ingredients in a small container or measuring cup and whisk vigorously until evenly combined and slightly emulsified. (Warning: don’t taste it or you’ll want to drink it all, straight from the container!)
Then, to a large mixing bowl, add the shredded red cabbage and kale and pour in about 1/4 of that vinaigrette.
Mix well with your hands, massaging the cabbage and kale as you go to bruise them a little bit and get them to release some of their moisture. This will make the vegetables much more supple, soft, and pleasant to eat.
Now add the Napa cabbage, grated carrot, chopped cilantro, sunflower seeds, green onions as well as the rest of the vinaigrette…
Toss the salad with a couple of spoons, until all the ingredients are evenly combined. You can either serve your kaleslaw immediately or leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow those flavors to meld and fully develop.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to a couple of days.
Kaleslaw
Ingredients
- 1/2 small head red cabbage, shaved paper thin (about 4 cups)
- 3 large kale leaves, stems removed and chopped
- 2 cups shredded Chinese Napa cabbage
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette by whisking all the ingredients vigorously until evenly combined and slightly emulsified.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cabbage and kale. Pour about 1/4 of the dressing and mix well with your hands, massaging the vegetables as you go to bruise them a little bit and get them to release some of their moisture.
- Add Napa cabbage, grated carrot, cilantro, sunflower seeds, green onions and the rest of the vinaigrette and toss with a couple of spoons until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Serve immediately or leave in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow flavors to meld and fully develop.
Nutrition
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2 Comments on “Kaleslaw – A Mixed Cabbage Salad”
I made this recipe yesterday the whole family loved it and I found that your instructions were easy to follow . Loved the dressing !
Thanks for the great feedback, Michael. Happy to hear! 🙂