Purple Cabbage Slaw
This tangy purple cabbage slaw is a simple healthy side dish and pairs well with tacos, sandwiches or grain bowls. It adds a beautiful pop of color to any meal!
Can we take a minute to acknowledge the awesomeness that is purple cabbage? What a freakin' beautiful vegetable this is.
Purple cabbage adds a bright pop of color to just about anything. Fish tacos and peanut noodles practically scream for it, but it also goes well diced up in a summer salad. Use it to scale up a burrito bowl while you're at it.
One of my favorite ways to clean out the fridge is to come up with a way to transform produce into something that we can eat for lunches during the week. Herbs go into sauces and dressings, fruit gets chopped and thrown into salads. Cabbage now turns into slaw.
Ingredients for Purple Cabbage Slaw
- purple cabbage, sliced with a mandoline if possible
- carrots, peeled and shredded
- dino kale, chopped
- extra virgin olive oil
- vinegar (I prefer red wine or golden balsamic)
- brown sugar
- coarse mustard
Prepping the Vegetables
How to Slice Cabbage
To make a homemade slaw, the first step you'll need to master is thinly slicing the cabbage. I used to just kind of chop it up into small little pieces because it was easier, but then I discovered how well a mandoline works and I've never turned back.
Here are the steps:
- Use a sharp chef's knife to slice a head of cabbage in half, then remove the core (important!)
- Adjust your mandoline to ā " and run the long edge of the cabbage down the blade to get thin slices.
Shredding Carrots
I have a peeler (see above) that makes shredding super simple, but you could also use a box grater or the shredding attachment on your food processor.
Chopping Kale
I love the "dino" kale for this recipe (instead of the curly kind), but either will work just fine. I love how vibrant it is, and the texture is better in salads. To chop it, remove the tough stem and then chop into bite-size pieces.
The dressing is simple to throw together. It's a bunch of staples that you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.
Toss the salad and dressing together and let the slaw sit for at least 30 minutes so the vegetables have a chance to break down a bit. You'll be amazed at how beautiful the color is.
How to Use Purple Cabbage Slaw
While this certainly makes a great side dish on its own, it is so versatile and can also be incorporated into some of your favorites:
- Load it on sandwiches or wraps
- Use it on top tacos (I especially love it with fish or shrimp)
- Add it to your favorite grain bowl
- It's great on burgers (meat or vegetarian!)
- Top it with protein for a light lunch
More Purple Cabbage Recipes:
- Vegetarian Tostadas with Creamy Purple Cabbage Slaw
- Rainbow Quinoa Salad Jars with Peanut Miso Dressing
- Nourish Bowls
Tangy Purple Cabbage Slaw
This tangy purple cabbage slaw is a simple healthy side dish and pairs well with tacos, sandwiches or grain bowls. It adds a beautiful pop of color to any meal!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- Ā¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Ā½ medium head of purple cabbage, cored and sliced thin
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1 small bunch dino kale, chopped into small piecesĀ
Instructions
- Add vinegar through brown sugar in a jar and whisk with a fork until well combined. Slowly stream in olive oil while mixing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cabbage, shredded carrots, and kale to a large bowl. Pour dressing over the top and toss with tongs until totally coated.Ā
Notes
- The equipment section above includes affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and recommend.
- The slaw gets better after the flavors meld overnight and the vegetables get more tender, but is best eaten within 2-3 days.Ā
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 100 calories
- Fat: 5 grams
- Carbohydrates: 13 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
This post was originally published in July 2018. Post, photos and recipe was updated in September 2021.
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Tastes great. Didnāt think I would like purple cabbage this much. Thank you! š
So glad to hear it Christina! Thanks for giving it a try!
You mention brown mustard in the list of ingredients but it is not mentioned in the instruction steps so I missed it. It was still delicious but wanted you to know in case you want to correct it.
Hi Tracey! The instructions state to add vinegar through brown sugar to a bowl so this would include all ingredients listed between those two ingredients. I'm glad it still turned out for you and thanks for coming back to leave a comment!
So delicious! I didnāt have any kale, and was still a hit. Will be my go-to coleslaw recipe from now on!
Thank you so much for coming back to leave a rating and review Elyssa!
Sounds good! How about baby spinach instead of kale? I have everything else, handy.
Hi Janet! I'm not sure spinach would work here, it would be more of a salad than a slaw. You could certainly leave out the greens though! Hope it turns out well for you.
I'm excited to eat this for lunch at work next week š I made a few small changes to the recipe. I added about 1/8tsp sesame oil, hot pepper infused oil and 1 tsp graded ginger. Also seasoned with garlic and onion powder as well as the salt and pepper. Always looking for more ways to get different veggies into my diet!
All of these modifications sound fabulous! Thank you for trying and for coming back to leave a review.
I made this salad for our car trip from New York to California. Every time I ate it it tasted better I added nuts for crunchines and other times raises.love, love this salad
Havenāt even been able to allow it to marinate, and I already love this recipe! I have no doubt it will be amazing as well after sitting a while.
Thank you so much Sandy! Glad it's a hit!
How long should it marinade??? Should make it the day before and put in refrigerator overnight
Hi Dora, this doesn't need any marinade time. However if you want to make it the night before you certainly can!
This slaw is delicious. Like another review said, I ate this on its own as a salad the next day and it was still delicious. It's great with bbq chicken too!
A summer staple for sure!
I loved this recipe with our pulled chicken sandwiches. But honestly, I ate the leftovers just as a salad because it was so yummy on its own. I'll definitely try with tacos soon too.
Forgot to leave a star rating on my last review š
Very good! Always looking for another recipe to use my kale š
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review Becky! I'm so glad you liked this one.