5 Minute Cabbage Salad: Simply Amazing

Oh my gosh, are you tired of the same boring weeknight sides? Trust me, I get it. When life gets hectic, the absolute last thing I want to do is spend an hour nursing a delicate salad. That’s why I am obsessed with this absolutely brilliant cabbage salad! This isn’t your soggy, afterthought side dish; this is the keeper that delivers maximum crunch with almost zero effort. When I was setting up Carla’s Cooking, I looked back at what works—the simple, honest lessons my Grandma taught me about great food—but I adapted them for my Tuesday night rush. This recipe proves you can have incredibly fresh, vibrant food on the table fast. Pop over to my soups and salads category for more ideas!

Why This Easy Crunchy Cabbage Salad Recipe Works

You want a side dish that pops off the plate, right? Not something that wilts the second it hits the table. This version is my go-to because it checks every box for a busy cook. It’s satisfying, incredibly fresh, and honestly, you can whip it up faster than ordering delivery!

• It’s a genuinely Healthy Cabbage Salad packed with colorful vegetables.
• Fast cleanup and minimal tools needed—my kind of cooking!
• It holds up beautifully, making it perfect for those moments when you need a Quick Cabbage Salad to save the day.

Perfect Texture: The Ultimate Crunchy Cabbage Salad

The secret to that stunning crunch isn’t one thing; it’s the teamwork! I combine both green and purple cabbage along with crisp carrots. The key, though, is honestly the short chill time. It lets the vegetables absorb *just* enough dressing to soften the edges without losing that essential, satisfying bite. It’s pure texture heaven.

SAVE IT

Simple Cabbage Salad Recipe Ready in Minutes

This is what I call weeknight magic. Prep time is only about 15 minutes total, and that includes slicing the onion! You dump it all in, give it a good toss, and it’s ready. If you can manage a whisk and a bowl, you master this Simple Cabbage Salad Recipe. No cooking required, I promise!

Ingredients for Your Tangy Cabbage Salad

I always say, great salads start with great components! Because we’re skipping the mayo here—hello, light and bright!—the quality of our vegetables and the tanginess of the dressing really shine through. You need a hearty base that can stand up to grilling season. Make sure your cabbage is sliced super thin; I love using a mix because the purple cabbage just looks gorgeous next to the green. And here’s a little trick: toss in a handful of fresh parsley if you have it! It just wakes everything up.

Vinegar Cabbage Salad Dressing Components

This dressing is the backbone that keeps this salad tasting so fresh. We need that good apple cider vinegar to give us that lovely, sharp bite that cuts through rich BBQ sides. When you mix this up, you have to whisk it *until* that little bit of sugar vanishes. If you eat it before it dissolves, you get sandy spots, and we want a smooth, gorgeous coating for our Tangy Cabbage Salad, not gritty surprises!

• 4 cups shredded green cabbage
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots (Please shred them fresh!)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (The thinner, the better!)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Best Cabbage Salad Recipe

Following these steps makes sure you get that crunch factor I brag about! Don’t rush the chilling part, that’s vital for the Best Cabbage Salad Recipe to fully deliver on flavor. If you’re making my BBQ ribs to go with this (check out my foolproof ribs recipe!), you can easily make this salad while the meat is cooking.

Preparing the Vegetables for Your Cabbage Salad

First things first—get your crunch foundation ready! You’ll take your shredded green and purple cabbage and those beautiful shredded carrots, then toss them right into your biggest bowl. Add your thinly sliced red onion in there, too. Just mix it all together gently with your hands or a big spoon until you have a colorful, uniform pile of happy vegetables ready for dressing.

SAVE IT

Making the Quick Cabbage Salad Dressing

Time to make our light and tangy magic happen! Grab a separate, smaller bowl. Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sugar, Dijon mustard—that little bit of mustard really adds backbone to a Vinegar Cabbage Salad Dressing, you’ll see—salt, and pepper. Keep whisking until you can’t feel any sugar granules sticking to the bottom of the bowl. It needs to be smooth!

1. Combine the shredded green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, and red onion in a large bowl.
2. Whisk all your dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Trust me, dissolving that sugar is important!
3. Pour that lovely dressing over your vegetable mix.
4. Toss everything together super well coated.
5. The most important part for maximum crunch: cover it and stick it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before you serve. Even 30 is better!

Tips for Success When Making Cabbage Salad

I’ve made this salad hundreds of times trying to get it just perfect for quick lunches and huge summer BBQs. Because this dressing is vinegar-based, it’s naturally a fantastic Low Carb Cabbage Salad option too, which is a huge bonus! But texture is everything here, and a few small habits can turn a good salad into the absolute best one you’ve ever had.

Achieving Maximum Crunch in Your Cabbage Salad

If it’s not crunchy, why bother, right? The number one thing is your slicing technique. Seriously, put down the thick knife! You want that cabbage paper-thin. If you have a mandoline slicer, use it with care, or use the finest side of your box grater if you’re shredding by hand.

SAVE IT

Another thing people often overdo is the tossing. You just need to toss enough so the dressing is lightly coating everything. If you toss like you’re churning butter, you’ll bruise the cabbage and it will end up dull and soft. Remember what I said earlier? Don’t skip that 15-minute chill time! That quiet time in the fridge gives the dressing a moment to penetrate without letting all the crispness escape. It makes all the difference between just okay and totally addictive!

Also, if you’re doing any meal prep, keep the onions separate until right before you serve, if possible. Red onions, even when thin, have a bit more moisture and can soften faster than the cabbage mix.

Cabbage Salad Side Dish Variations

The best recipes, I find, are the ones that can morph to fit whatever mood or menu I’m working with! Since the base of this recipe is solid—that beautiful, crunchy texture—we can really play around with flavor combinations once the veggies are tossed. You don’t have to stick to my tangy vinaigrette if you’re craving something different for your picnic side dishes salads this weekend.

For instance, if you’re heading toward an Asian flavor profile, I highly recommend whipping up a quick sesame-ginger dressing instead. Think soy sauce, rice vinegar, a little honey, and sesame oil—it turns this into an amazing Asian Cabbage Salad instantly. Or, if your main course is grilled chicken or tacos, leaning into a Southwestern vibe with cumin, chili powder, and lime juice creates a zesty, hearty Southwest Cabbage Salad that is just fantastic.

Creamy vs. Tangy Cabbage Salad Dressing Swaps

Right now, this recipe is all about that bright, tangy profile, which is great for keeping things light and avoiding summer heat wilting! But if you need a creamy dressing, it’s easy to pivot. Just hold back on about two tablespoons of that olive oil, and swap it out with two tablespoons of good quality mayonnaise or even plain Greek yogurt for a tangier, slightly lighter creamy feel. You’ll notice the texture changes immediately—it becomes much richer, definitely less of a light summer salad and more like a classic slaw, but still delicious!

If you love exploring fresh, bold salads, you should take a look at my Mandarin Orange Salad recipe—it plays with sweet and savory totally differently! But for this simple base, the swap is super forgiving.

Serving Suggestions for This Cabbage Salad Side Dish

This Cabbage Salad Side Dish is genuinely the workhorse of my summer table. Because this dressing is so light and tangy, serving it cold next to something rich and smoky just makes everything better. It cuts right through heavy flavors!

It’s absolutely mandatory, in my book, alongside anything hot off the grill. Think hamburgers, hot dogs, or chicken skewers. If you’re serving up my famous fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs, this crunchy salad provides the perfect acidic counterpoint!

Since it’s such a bright, Fresh Vegetable Salad, it’s also fantastic for setting out early at picnics because it doesn’t rely on dairy to hold up. It’s one of those essential Picnic Side Dishes Salads that never fails to impress your friends!

Storage and Meal Prep for Your Cabbage Salad

This is where the vinegar dressing truly shines, friends! If you’re like me and need to get ahead on cooking during busy weeks, this recipe is a superstar for Meal Prep Cabbage Salad. Unlike those creamy coleslaws dripping with mayonnaise, this tangy version actually *improves* after a little rest in the fridge. It doesn’t get that sad, soggy look.

When I prep this for lunches, I usually aim to make it the night before, or at least give it a solid hour chill time. It lets the cabbage absorb that zingy flavor from the apple cider vinegar dressing, making every bite taste even brighter the next day. You can absolutely have this ready days ahead of time, though I think Day 2 is peak flavor performance for this specific salad.

SAVE IT

For storage, I always grab an airtight glass container. Glass seems to keep vegetables crisper longer than plastic, maybe it’s just me being picky, but it works! Fill the container almost to the top—less air trapped means fewer chances for wilting. If you’re planning your whole week, check out my tips over on my meal planning post; this salad always makes the cut!

I’ve found that if you’re prepping for 4 or 5 days, you might want to chop a fresh half-cup of cabbage and toss it in on Day 4 just to refresh that initial crunch factor. But seriously, this vinegar base is super stable. Go ahead and make a double batch; it’s truly built to last longer than most salads!

Frequently Asked Questions About This Cabbage Salad

It’s funny how many questions pop up once you settle on a simple recipe! People love that this tangier version holds up better than mayonnaise-based ones, but they always have little tweaks they want to try. I’ve pulled together the common ones I get asked about my favorite cabbage salad!

Can I make this cabbage salad ahead of time?

Yes, you absolutely can, and honestly, I encourage a little prep time! You saw in the instructions that I specify a minimum 15-minute chill time. That’s just to wake it up. If you’re making this for a party the next day, go ahead and toss it completely the night before. Because we’re using that bright vinegar dressing, the cabbage holds its crunch much longer than if it were drenched in mayo. If you make it two days out, it’s still great, but I’d check that crunch level just to be sure!

What kind of cabbage is best for this cabbage salad?

If you only use green, it’s fine, but you miss out on so much character! I always recommend using a mix of both green and purple cabbage. The purple gives you that gorgeous, jewel-toned contrast on the plate, which is lovely for a Summer Cabbage Salad. Green cabbage tends to be a bit sturdier, while the purple adds a slight sweetness. Using both gives you that amazing textural complexity and visual pop we are aiming for!

How can I make this a full meal instead of a side dish?

That’s a great idea if you want to bulk up this Low Carb Cabbage Salad into something substantial for lunch! Since the dressing is light and tangy, it pairs beautifully with lean proteins. I often shred up some leftover grilled chicken breast and toss it right in there—it soaks up the dressing perfectly.

Another fantastic, totally plant-based option is using beans! Black beans or even edamame work wonderfully and give you a boost of protein and fiber. If you turn it into a main event, you might want to skip the red onion, or maybe toss in some sliced bell peppers for more bulk. It’s so versatile!

Nutritional Snapshot of This Fresh Vegetable Salad

Since so many of you ask me about keeping things light and healthy—especially when serving this crunchy delight next to something heavier like burgers or ribs—I wanted to give you a little peek at the nutrition facts for this Healthy Cabbage Salad. Because it’s heavy on fresh vegetables and uses olive oil instead of heavy mayo, it keeps things wonderfully light.

Now, listen, I am Carla, not a dietitian, so these numbers are estimates based on the recipe I shared. They are a great guideline, but remember that how thin you slice your veggies or how heavy your pour of oil is can tweak things slightly! But if you are tracking things, this vinegar-based salad is super friendly.

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 75 (Isn’t that amazing for a side?)
• Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 7g
• Fiber: 2g (That’s the cabbage doing its job!)
• Protein: 1g
• Sodium: 150mg (Very reasonable!)
• Sugar: 5g (Mostly from the carrots and the tiny bit we add to the dressing balance)

See? It’s proof that you don’t need heavy ingredients to make a side dish taste truly spectacular. This is one of those salads that fits perfectly whether you are watching your carbs or just trying to squeeze in more great vegetables!

Easy Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Tangy Vinegar Dressing

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Make this fresh, crunchy cabbage salad tossed in a light, tangy vinaigrette. It is a simple, healthy side dish perfect for BBQs or quick weeknight meals.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 0 min
• Total Time: 15 min
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Tossing
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 cups shredded green cabbage
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Combine the shredded green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, and red onion in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until the sugar dissolves. This dressing works well for quick meal planning.
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture.
4. Toss all ingredients together until the vegetables are evenly coated.
5. For best flavor, cover the salad and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

• For extra flavor, add 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley to the salad mix.
• If you prefer a creamier texture, substitute 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with mayonnaise, though this recipe focuses on a vinegar-based dressing.
• This salad holds up well for meal prep and is a great low carb cabbage salad option.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 75
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 150
• Fat: 5
• Saturated Fat: 1
• Unsaturated Fat: 4
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 7
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 1
• Cholesterol: 0