Cabbage Chopped Salad Recipe

Enjoy a refreshing Cabbage Chopped Salad bursting with crispness and flavor. Finely shredded cabbage, fresh herbs, colorful bell peppers, and crunchy carrots are tossed together, then drizzled with a zesty vinaigrette. This simple yet delightful salad is a perfect balance of textures and tastes, making it a healthy and satisfying addition to any meal.

Why This Recipe Works:

Bright Flavors: The bright flavors and textures of this cabbage chopped salad recipe will balance out any meal and provide a healthy side dish at the same time! The fresh vegetables themselves offer a light flavor and crunchy texture, and combined with the zesty homemade vinaigrette, you will have a flavor packed cabbage salad that will be your go-to side salad! Plus, this salad just gets better as it sits together in the fridge. Just like coleslaw, cabbage salad stands up well to the dressing it is in and can be eaten for days after it is made!

Highly Versatile: Cabbage salad is extremely versatile because it can be paired with a variety of different style foods or eaten by itself for a fresh snack! You can eat this salad with rice and grilled chicken, salmon or steak. Or, it can go with everything from Mexican-style food to Asian-style food. If you are ever in doubt about what kind of salad you need to serve with your meal, definitely give this chopped cabbage salad recipe a try!

Chopped cabbage salad on a white serving tray with a golden spoon.

Supplies Needed:

Food Processor or Peeler
Cutting Board & Knife
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients:

Green Cabbage: You will want to chop the cabbage finely or use a food processor to quickly shred it!
Carrots: You have a few options here. You can buy carrots that are already shredded, or you can shred the carrots using a grater, or you can chop them finely into julienne (matchstick) pieces.
Red Bell Pepper: I like red bell pepper but you can use an bell pepper you have on hand!
Green Onions: Green onions add lots of flavor and a lovely texture.
Cucumbers: I like using seedless cucumbers and dicing them into small pieces. If you have cucumbers with seeds, you can scoop them out with a small spoon.
Cilantro & Parsley: Adding fresh herbs here is key to a delicious chopped salad! I like fresh cilantro and flat-leaf parsley.
Sesame Seeds & Sunflower Seeds: For a crunchy bite!
Slivered Almonds: Toasted slivered almonds add flavor and texture!
Dressing: For a homemade dressing, simply whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper!

How To Make A Cabbage Chopped Salad:

For The Salad:

Toast the Seeds & Almonds: In a medium frying pan over medium low heat, add the sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and slivered almonds. Toast stirring frequently until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes (do not let them burn). Set this aside to cool.
Combine Veggies: In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, julienned carrots, diced red pepper, green onions and diced seedless cucumber.
Add Herbs: Add in the minced bunch of parsley and cilantro (stems and be added here if preferred). Add in the cooled toasted almond mixture.
Toss to Combine: Fold everything together to combine.

For The Dressing:

Whisk the Dressing: In a small mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until emulsified.
Toss with Salad: Pour the dressing over the cabbage salad and toss fully until everything is coated. Add additional salt and pepper if desired.
Serve: Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.

Steps for making a cabbage based chopped salad in step by step photos.

Tips For Making Cabbage Chopped Salad:

Chop the veggies into small pieces! This is called a chopped salad for a reason. The vegetables should all be chopped relatively small with the shredded cabbage so that you can get a little bit of everything in one bite!
Make it ahead of time! You can do all of the preparation including toasting the seeds and almonds, chopping the veggies, and making the dressing a day ahead of time. Once you are ready to serve, toss everything together! Or, you can make the salad completely and store for up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Don’t skip the toasting of the almonds and seeds! The almonds and seeds add a variety of flavor and texture, and toasting them really helps bring out their flavor and aroma!
In a time pinch? You can use a bag of coleslaw instead of chopping up the cabbage yourself!

Serving Suggestions:

This easy cabbage chopped salad recipe can be paired with so many different things! Try pairing it with something more robust and deep in flavor for the perfect balance. Here are some of my favorite things I love to pair it with:

Cabbage Chopped Salad in a large white bowl.

More Salad Recipes To Try: