Crunchy Cabbage Apple Salad is a refreshing, vibrant, and incredibly satisfying salad made using crisp purple cabbage, sweet apples, walnuts, and a light tangy dressing.
This type of cabbage apple salad has an irresistible crunchy texture, refreshing flavors, and the use of simple ingredients makes it a staple for any day. Plus, it comes together in just a few minutes.
If you are someone looking for a healthy cabbage salad that is gut-friendly, quick to prepare, and packed with tons of fresh flavor, this crunchy cabbage apple salad is a fantastic option.
Curry Aromatics: Add bay leaf early
Bay leaves extract flavor slowly during cooking. They strengthen base aroma in Indian dishes.
It works as a fiber-rich meal, beautifully as a light lunch, a quick side dish, or even as a fresh apple cabbage slaw for your weeknight meals when you don’t have much time to cook.
About Cabbage Apple Salad
Cabbage apple salad is a simple and easy to make salad that is all about textures, flavours, freshness, and wholesomeness. It is a vegan, gluten free, vegetarian salad that can be served as a side, light lunch, or even as a filling for your wrap or sandwich.
Finely shredded cabbage gives the base to this salad and its signature crunch, while crisp red apples add natural sweetness and balance the tangy dressing.
The dressing is simple but flavorful, made with simple ingredients like apple cider vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. It lightly coats the cabbage and apples, bringing everything together into a refreshing crunchy cabbage salad.
Fresh mint and spring onion greens add contrast and brightness, walnuts add a rich and nutty crunch, and lemon zest gives the salad a fresh citrus finish.
And you get a healthy cabbage apple salad recipe that is colorful and tastes light, crisp, and vibrant. Plus, making this cabbage salad is a breeze. Just chop and mix. That’s it.
Because it uses simple ingredients and requires no cooking, this salad is also one of those wonderful quick cabbage salads you can make anytime.
I love devouring a colorful, refreshing light salad, and make sure that I have at least 3-4 salad meals in a week. And light salads like strawberry salad, kiwi salad, peach salad are frequent in my kitchen.
So if you are also a cabbage lover, enjoy crunchy salads, or are looking for a nutritious light meal, this salad would surely make you happy. The gorgeous color, crunch, and delectable flavours, it has them all.
So are you ready to make it?
Why You’ll Love the Recipe
This Cabbage Salad
is quick & easy
is ready in minutes
is naturally vegan & dairy-free
has a refreshing texture
is fresh & crunchy
is made using simple pantry ingredients
is a perfect healthy side dish
is great for everyday meals
is a nice no mayo cabbage slaw alternative
requires no separate dressing
is light & tangy
is perfect for lunch bowls
is great for picnics, or potlucks
Ingredients
-
Purple cabbage: It is the main ingredient of this salad recipe. It gives the vibrant color and crunch. I shredded purple cabbage to form the crunchy base of this crunchy cabbage apple salad, however, you can also finely slice the cabbage. If you don’t like purple cabbage, you can also use regular cabbage here.
-
Red apple: They add sweetness and crisp texture that balances the tangy dressing beautifully. The addition of apple also makes it a gut friendly salad. Green apple also works fine in this recipe.
-
Fresh mint: I used fresh mint leaves to add freshness and a light herbal touch, the mint flavor that brightens the salad. You can also swap mint with cilantro or parsley.
-
Spring onion greens: They add mild onion crunch and flavor without overpowering the overall taste of cabbage in the salad.
-
Walnuts: I love adding walnuts in my salads for richness and a satisfying nutty crunch. The addition of walnuts to this cabbage apple walnut salad is really indulging.
-
Apple cider vinegar: It is the key ingredient for the tangy flavour in the dressing that makes this salad refreshing and delicious.
-
Olive oil: It adds richness, smoothness, and balances the acidity of the vinegar in this salad.
-
Maple syrup: It is an optional ingredient. I added a touch of maple syrup for sweetness to balance the tangy flavours.
-
Salt and black pepper: Just a basic seasoning to enhance the natural flavors of the salad.
-
Lemon zest: Another optional but highly recommended ingredient that adds a bright citrus aroma and fresh finish.
How to Make Crunchy Cabbage Apple Salad
Like most salad recipes, this is also a fairly simple salad. The only thing you need to do is the chopping, that’s it. It doesn’t even require a separate dressing. Just dunk all the ingredients in and toss.
-
To make this salad, start by thinly shredding the purple cabbage and transferring it to a large mixing bowl.
-
Slice the red apple into thin strips and add it to the bowl with the cabbage.
-
Then add chopped mint, spring onion greens, and walnuts.
-
To the same bowl, add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper and toss everything well so the cabbage and apples are evenly coated.
-
Finish the salad with fresh lemon zest and gently toss again.
-
Top with more walnuts and mint and serve immediately for the best crunchy texture.
Variations
Add carrots
Cabbage and carrots really go well together, so if you love carrots, then feel free to add shredded carrots to this salad to add sweetness and extra color.
Toasted nuts
I used regular walnuts here, but you can also use toasted walnuts or pecans to enhance their flavor and crunch.
Protein Salad
To make it a protein rich salad, add chickpeas or roasted tofu to it, and it will turn into a filling meal.
Dried fruits
If you like sweet bites in the salad, then add dried cranberries, dried prunes, dried apricots, or raisins to it. They all work beautifully in this no mayo apple cabbage slaw style salad.
Green cabbage
For a variation, you can replace purple cabbage with green cabbage. This will give a different look and flavor.
Serving Suggestions
This is a very versatile salad. This fresh cabbage apple salad goes well as a light meal, or as a side with many dishes.
You can serve it as a salad for brunch along with other light salads like Apple Salad, Orange Salad, Avocado Salad, or enjoy it as a light snack or meal, or serve it as a side dish with grilled vegetables or grilled cheese.
You can also enjoy it as a side or as a filling in your sandwiches or wraps.
Other than eating it as it is, you can also add it to grain bowls, roasted veggie bowls roasted veggie bowls, or nourish bowls.
Serve it as a refreshing healthy slaw recipe with tacos, or enjoy it for picnics, BBQs, and potlucks.
Storage Suggestions
This easy cabbage salad recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for later.
To store leftovers, transfer it to an airtight container and store for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
The cabbage stays crunchy for some time, but the apples may soften slightly. So if you want maximum crunch, add the apples and dressing ingredients right before serving.
Tips and Tricks to make the best cabbage apple salad
- Cabbage: Thinly shred or slice the cabbage to give it the best texture for a crunchy cabbage salad. Thin slices also help the dressing coat evenly.
- Apples: Firm apples such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji work best for this apple and cabbage salad recipe as they are sweet and stay crunchy.
- Dressing: Add the dressing ingredients right before serving. You don’t need to make a separate dressing, however, if you are making a separate dressing, then add the dressing just before serving. This keeps the cabbage crisp and prevents the salad from becoming too soft.
- Toasting: You can lightly toast the walnuts in a pan or oven to enhance their nutty flavor. Toasting makes the salad taste richer.
- Flavouring: Feel free to balance the dressing. If it tastes too tangy, add a little more maple syrup to balance the acidity.
- Herbs: For the best flavour, use fresh mint. Adding fresh herbs makes a big difference in flavor and adds brightness to the salad.
- Lemon zest: Add the lemon zest at the end just before serving to keep the citrus aroma fresh and vibrant.
- Tossing: Toss the salad gently so the apples keep their shape and the cabbage remains fluffy.
- Chilling: For extra flavor, let the salad sit for about 10 minutes before serving. It allows the flavors to blend beautifully.
Can I make cabbage apple salad ahead of time?
Yes, you can surely prepare the cabbage salad and separate dressing ahead of time. Store the cabbage and herbs separately and combine the dressing ingredients and apples just before serving for the best crunchy texture.
What apples work best for cabbage apple salad?
Crisp apples such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady are the best choices because they have a natural sweetness and hold their shape.
Is this a no mayo cabbage slaw?
Yes. You may call it an apple cabbage slaw without mayo as it is made with a light apple cider vinegar dressing instead of mayonnaise. So it is a lighter and fresher option for cabbage slaw.
Can I use green cabbage instead of purple cabbage?
Absolutely, green cabbage works just fine. In fact, you can also use both green cabbage and purple cabbage. They work well too in this cabbage apple salad recipe.
Is this salad vegan?
Yes. This healthy cabbage apple salad is naturally vegan and dairy-free as it uses all the ingredients that are suitable for a vegan and vegetarian diet.
Cabbage Apple Salad (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to Make Cabbage Apple Salad
- Remove the core from the purple cabbage and finely shred or thinly slice it using a sharp knife, peeler, or mandoline.
- Cut the apple into thin slices or matchsticks. If you prefer smaller bites, you can also chop the slices into thin pieces.
- Finely chop the fresh mint leaves and slice the spring onion, including both the white and green parts.
- Add the shredded cabbage, sliced apple, chopped mint, spring onion, and walnuts to a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar directly over the salad.
- Add maple syrup, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Gently toss everything together until the cabbage and apples are evenly coated.
- Add lemon zest and toss again.
- Garnish with more mint leaves and walnuts and serve the crunchy cabbage apple salad immediately for the best fresh and crisp texture.
Recipe Card
Cabbage Apple Salad [Recipe]
Crunchy cabbage apple salad with walnuts, mint, and tangy dressing. A fresh, healthy cabbage salad that’s quick, vegan, and full of flavor.
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 7 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Salads | International | 4 |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 180 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients For Cabbage Apple Salad
- 1/2 head purple cabbage
- 1 red apple
- 1 spring onion
- Handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
For the salad dressing
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For serving
- Mint leaves
- Chopped walnuts
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to Make Cabbage Apple Salad
- Remove the core from the purple cabbage and finely shred or thinly slice it using a sharp knife, peeler, or mandoline.
- Cut the apple into thin slices or matchsticks. If you prefer smaller bites, you can also chop the slices into thin pieces.
- Finely chop the fresh mint leaves and slice the spring onion, including both the white and green parts.
- Add the shredded cabbage, sliced apple, chopped mint, spring onion, and walnuts to a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar directly over the salad.
- Add maple syrup, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Gently toss everything together until the cabbage and apples are evenly coated.
- Add lemon zest and toss again.
- Garnish with more mint leaves and walnuts and serve the crunchy cabbage apple salad immediately for the best fresh and crisp texture.
Watch Full Recipe Video:
NOTES:
- Thinly shred the cabbage for the best crunchy cabbage salad texture.
- Use crisp apples such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala for the best flavor.
- If making it for meal prep, add the apples just before serving to keep them crisp.
- Toasted walnuts can be used for extra flavor and crunch.
