Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (2024)

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Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (1)

This Middle Eastern style cabbage salad can be made with green or red cabbage.

It's a perfect side dish to accompany your favorite Middle Eastern main dishes or any main!

So let me tell you why you will love this delicious cabbage recipe!

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad Recipe!
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • Suggestions For Serving
  • FAQ
  • Some Other Great Recipes You May Enjoy!
  • Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
  • Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe

Why You Will Love This Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad Recipe!

The Middle Eastern way of preparing a cabbage salad is very simple and incredibly delightful.

Here I will share a recipe for this salad which you will love because:

  • It's a light, delicious, and refreshing salad! It's a bit tangy, garlicky, and peppery to taste, with a lovely salty flavor as well.
  • You only need 6 simple ingredients for this recipe
  • This cabbage salad makes a perfect side dish to accompany grilled meats or your favorite main dishes
  • It's super easy to make!

Now let me tell you what ingredients you will need for this lovely Middle Eastern salad.

🥘 Ingredients

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (2)

You will need the following 6 ingredients to make this cabbage salad:

  • Cabbage - you can use red cabbage or green cabbage, they are both delicious!
  • Minced garlic cloves
  • Lemon juice - can sub white wine vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper (freshly ground is best)

These common ingredients are easily found at your local grocery store and you may even have everything on hand and ready to go!

I hope you are excited to make this flavorful dish...let's get to it!

🔪 Instructions

Here are the simple steps to make this cabbage salad.

Begin by cutting the head of cabbage in half and the remove the core and the thick stem and any tough leaves as best you can. You can also remove the loose outer leaves of the cabbage if you like.

Then separate the cabbage leaves between the green and the white leaves.

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (3)

Cut the cabbage into long and thin slices. When cutting the cabbage, cut against the fibers you will see in the cabbage leaves as pictured below.

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (4)

You could use a mandoline to shred the cabbage if you prefer.

Now place the sliced or shredded cabbage into a colander, and sprinkle salt over the cabbage. Massage the salt into the cabbage, and then allow it to sit for 30 minutes. This will help to remove excess water from the cabbage and make it flexible and pliable.

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (5)

After 30 minutes, rinse the cabbage and squeeze out all the excess water. Squeeze hard, so that you can remove as much water as possible, and then put the cabbage in a large mixing bowl.

Now all that's left is to add the dressing ingredients! Add the olive oil, lemon juice (or white wine vinegar), and the garlic. Mix well, and then add additional salt and ⅛ t/s or more of pepper to taste. Add freshly ground black pepper for best results.

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (6)
Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (7)
Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (8)

And just like that, your delicious Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad is ready to enjoy!

Suggestions For Serving

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (9)

I love serving this Arabic cabbage salad paired with the classic kebab, or with Middle Eastern Chicken with Lemon and Olives. Arab Rice is the perfect finishing touch to round out a delicious and satisfying meal!

You'll fall in love with green cabbage again after trying this salad!

FAQ

Can you eat raw cabbage salad?

Raw cabbage salad is a great way to enjoy this healthy and delicious vegetable and can certainly be enjoyed eaten in a raw state!

Is cabbage salad healthy?

Cabbage is a very healthy and nutritious vegetable! It's full of nutrients and antioxidants, and when enjoyed raw in a cabbage salad it is healthy and so good for you!

How do I store any leftover cabbage salad?

Store any leftover Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days.

Some Other Great Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes that you may enjoy:

  • Middle Eastern Pizza - Lahmajoun
  • Easy Foul Recipe Using Canned Fava Beans
  • Roasted Carrots With Berbere Spice Recipe

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing uphere.

Cheers!

Grace

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe

Grace Stewart (adapted from and inspired by Claudia Roden's Recipe for "Cabbage Salad" from "A Book of Middle Eastern Food"

This Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe is simple and delicious! It pairs perfectly with kebabs or your favorite mains and is a wonderful way to enjoy cabbage!

Print RecipePin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Resting time for salted cabbage 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish, vegetable side dish

Cuisine Arabic, Middle East

Servings 4 people

Calories 80 kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ pound cabbage approximately ½ of a small head of cabbage
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ ts salt this is for salting the cabbage, plus additional to taste
  • ts pepper plus additional to taste; use freshly ground for best results

Instructions

  • Begin by cutting the head of cabbage in half and the remove the core and the thick stem and any tough leaves as best you can. You can also remove the loose outer leaves of the cabbage if you like. Then separate the cabbage leaves between the green and the white leaves.

    Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (11)

  • Cut the cabbage into long and thin slices. When cutting the cabbage, cut against the fibers you will see in the cabbage leaves as pictured.

    Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (12)

  • Now place the sliced or shredded cabbage into a colander, and sprinkle salt over the cabbage. Massage the salt into the cabbage, and then allow it to sit for 30 minutes. This will help to remove excess water from the cabbage and make it flexible and pliable.

    Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (13)

  • After 30 minutes, rinse the cabbage and squeeze out all the excess water. Squeeze hard, so that you can remove as much water as possible, and then put the cabbage in a large mixing bowl.

    Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (14)

  • Now all that's left is to add the dressing ingredients! Add the olive oil, lemon juice (or white wine vinegar), and the garlic. Mix well, and then add additional salt and ⅛ t/s or more of pepper to taste. Add freshly ground black pepper for best results.

    Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (15)

  • And just like that, your delicious Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad is ready to enjoy!

    Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (16)

Notes

I've used green cabbage in this recipe, but have also used red cabbage which is equally delicious! Feel free to use either!

The ingredients may be adjusted to suit your tastes.

Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 301mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 56IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.4mg

Keyword cabbage, easy salad, green cabbage, red cabbage

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad Recipe - Explore Cook Eat (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat cabbage on a Mediterranean diet? ›

Vegetables common to the traditional Mediterranean Diet include: artichokes, arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, celeriac, chicory, collard greens, cucumbers, dandelion greens, eggplant, fennel, kale, leeks, lemons, lettuce, mache, mushrooms, mustard greens, nettles, okra, onions (red, ...

How do you cook cabbage Jamie Oliver? ›

Whatever cabbage you are using, cut off the dry end of the stalk. If using Hispi, quarter the cabbage lengthways through its core. If using a regular white cabbage, cut it into manageable wedges, again through the core. Steam for about 10 minutes until it looks rather relaxed and easy to cut through.

How do you cook Delia cabbage? ›

What I do is pack it down quite tightly into a saucepan, sprinkle with salt, then place the pan over a high heat, pour in boiling water from the kettle, which re-boils instantly, and time it for 3-5 minutes. The one way to tell if it's cooked is to bite a piece, as you would pasta.

What is the fastest way to lose weight on the Mediterranean diet? ›

If you want to lose weight following a Mediterranean diet here are my 5 tips that work.
  1. Eat your main meal early in the day. ...
  2. Eat vegetables as a main course cooked in olive oil. ...
  3. You should drink water mostly and sometimes tea, coffee and wine (for adults) ...
  4. Consume the right amount of olive oil. ...
  5. Move.
Jan 17, 2024

Are bananas OK on the Mediterranean diet? ›

You can base your diet on these foods: Vegetables: tomatoes, broccoli, kale, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips. Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes, dates, figs, melons, peaches.

Why do you put baking soda in cabbage? ›

Baking soda does help green vegetables retain color, but it causes undesirable color changes in red cabbage—it turned blue. The science can be distilled to this: Adding baking soda to cooking water makes it slightly alkaline, which stabilizes the green color of chlorophyll.

Why do you put vinegar in cabbage when boiling it? ›

Green is the heartiest variety; it takes well to all cooking methods. Red can turn a funny blue color when cooked, so it's best used raw. If you do want to cook it, add a touch of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to lessen the effect. Savoy can be used in any recipe that calls for green cabbage.

Why do you soak cabbage before cooking? ›

According to the site, you only need to soak your shredded greens in a cold water bath to keep their taste delightfully crispy and light. Taste of Home recommends that after cutting your cabbage you allow it to soak in your refrigerator up until the minute you're prepared to serve it.

What is the healthiest way to eat cabbage? ›

Although you get different nutrients if you cook or ferment it, raw red cabbage in particular might give you the best nutritional boost per serving. Slice it very thinly and leave it for about 10 minutes to help bring out the fullest, most complex flavors. Then add it to salads or sandwiches or turn it into coleslaw.

What does soaking cabbage in salt water do? ›

The salt will draw out excess water from cabbage while helping preserve the crispiness. After letting it sit for an hour or two, rinse it with water to remove the salt. Drain and dry the cabbage with paper towels, gently pressing to release excess water. Repeat with more paper towels as the water is absorbed.

Why do you soak cabbage in ice water? ›

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water.

Do you have to wash the inside of a head of cabbage? ›

Clean with water.

Also make sure not to miss cleaning the inside as well. Sometimes dirt can be hidden deep within so make sure to be thorough.

What is not allowed on a Mediterranean diet? ›

Foods high in sodium or saturated fat. Refined carbohydrates, like white bread and white rice. Highly processed foods, like some cheeses. Fatty or processed meats.

What greens are allowed on the Mediterranean diet? ›

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and arugula, along with vibrant and colorful Mediterranean vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants, and zucchini, are all staples in this diet.

Can you eat unlimited vegetables on Mediterranean diet? ›

Fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are nearly unlimited fresh fruits and vegetables on the Mediterranean diet.

Are potatoes allowed on Mediterranean diet? ›

Many people wonder whether you can eat potatoes on the Mediterranean diet. It's recommended by experts that you prioritize non-starchy vegetables like dark leafy greens, bell peppers and broccoli among others. But you can definitely enjoy starchy options like potatoes in moderation on a Mediterranean diet.

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