Red Cabbage Salad Recipe

Red Cabbage Salad: This delicious summer salad is made with red cabbage, fresh apple, raisins, crunchy walnuts, and a creamy yogurt dressing. It’s delicious as a side dish or for lunch!

Contrary to popular belief, red cabbage is not only suitable for winter dishes, such as red cabbage with stew. Red cabbage is also delicious in the summer.

This red cabbage salad recipe is highly recommended as a side dish for barbecues, but it’s also delicious for lunch with a sandwich. You can use it almost the same way as this easy creamy coleslaw recipe.

Red Cabbage Salad

Raw red cabbage in a salad? I know what you’re thinking—really? Yes, really! The secret is to slice it super thin, ideally with a mandoline, so it’s almost wafer-like in texture. This makes it tender while still keeping that fresh crunch.

One of the best parts about this salad is that you can make it ahead of time. Letting it sit for a few hours allows the flavors to mingle beautifully, and the cabbage softens just enough without losing its bite.

Why This Recipe Works

This red cabbage salad is everything you want in a summer side dish: fresh, colorful, crunchy, and just a touch sweet. Here’s why you’ll love it:

• Balanced flavors – Crisp cabbage meets sweet apple, earthy carrot, chewy raisins, and crunchy walnuts.
• Creamy yet light dressing – A tangy Greek yogurt base with lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard ties it all together.
• Make-ahead friendly – The salad actually tastes better after a little resting time.

It’s a great alternative to traditional coleslaw and adds a vibrant pop of color to any table.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this red cabbage salad:

• Red or purple cabbage – very thinly sliced (use a mandoline for best results)
• Apple – use your favorite apple here. I like using an apple like Granny Smith or Pink Lady. But it depends on where you live.
• Carrots – the purple of the cabbage combined with the color of the carrots is not only very tasty, but looks so pretty too.
• Raisins – you can omit those or replace with dried cranberries
• Walnuts – coarsely chopped (toast for extra flavor)
• Yogurt – the Greek yogurt is delicious but if you prefer you can also make a dressing based on olive oil. That will make it less creamy.

Possible additions to the raw cabbage salad are green onions, even feta cheese would work really well

For full ingredients and quantities, make sure to check the recipe card below.

Equipment: Mandoline (for thin slicing)

How to Make Red Cabbage Salad

Step 1: Prepare the cabbage 

Clean the cabbage by first removing the outer leaves. Finely slice the red cabbage, preferably with a mandoline, and place it in a large mixing bowl. If you do not have a mandoline you can also use a food processor with the grating attachment or use a sharp knife. A box grater is another option although I find the end result less desirable (too fine)

Step 2 – Add the rest of the produce

Toss in the apple slices, julienned carrots, raisins, and walnuts.

Step 3: Mix 

Mix the dressing together and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Mix and chill

The red cabbage slaw recipe can be eaten right away, but the flavors develop after a while, so best to let it sit in the fridge for a bit. 

Serving Ideas

This crunchy salad is fantastic alongside grilled meats, roasted chicken, or a plate of crispy potatoes. It’s also perfect for summer barbecues, potlucks, and picnics.

For a full summer spread, try pairing it with:

• Creamy cucumber salad
• Asian style cucumber salad
• Summer salad recipe
• Burrata caprese salad

FAQ Red Cabbage Salad