Spring is in full swing here in Louisiana. Let the barbecues and crawfish boils begin! This cabbage and kale salad recipe is the perfect side dish. Both rich in color and flavor providing a tasty crunch.
One afternoon in early April, I drove to my mom’s house to help tend to her garden. After all of my hard work, she repaid me with purple cabbage, kale, and a few other goodies she grew. Usually my go-to recipe for cabbage is either coleslaw or a delicious cajun cabbage stir-fry. However, I wasn’t in the mood for either one. And if y’all are anything like me, vegetables will sit in the drawer in my fridge for weeks. I forget completely about them and they go bad before I ever had the chance to use them. Well, not this time! I was determined to eat the cabbage and kale she gave me so one Sunday for lunch I decided to make a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a side salad. I was out of lettuce and thought, what the heck, let’s use this cabbage and kale instead. The result is this beautiful spring salad that is garden fresh, a flavor explosion, colorful, and has a bit of a crunch to it. I hope y’all enjoy!
Prep Apple, Cabbage, and Kale
What i love about this recipe is how short and sweet it is. The bulk of time will be spent cutting cabbage, apples, and mixing the vinaigrette.
First, core and dice a medium-sized granny smith apple. I choose to leave the skin on, but that is up to you!
Take the head of the purple cabbage and cut it in half. Slice cabbage into thin chunks. You could shred it really thin depending on your preference.
It doesn’t matter what type of kale you use. Remove the thicker part of the stem, and chop into salad size pieces. Chop enough to fill 4 cups or more.
Prep the Vinaigrette
What you will need to make a basic homemade vinaigrette is olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. All of the correct measurements are listed in the recipe instructions below.
Mix all of the above ingredients into a bowl or mason jar. Make sure combined well.
Toss Salad
Add the kale and cabbage you chopped from earlier to a large bowl. Top with diced apples, crumbled feta, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and a small pinch of salt.
Drizzle the beautiful fresh vinaigrette on top and enjoy!
I hope this side salad finds its way into your kitchen this spring and summer. It would be wonderful served alongside barbecue, a panini, or even a steak.
Till next time, friends.
Spring Cabbage and Kale Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 head purple cabbage thinly sliced
- 4 cups kale chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 medium granny smith apple cored and diced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 1/8 tsp salt
Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In large bowl, toss together all of your salad ingredients
- In a mason jar or small bowl, mix together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk together with fork or cover and shake mason jar until well combined.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad and enjoy!