Thanksgiving meal planning inevitably revolves around how to roast a golden bird or nail a perfect pie crust. The notion of a salad at the holiday table is usually an afterthought, unless it’s one involving jello, mini marshmallows, or canned mandarins. But your Thanksgiving table NEEDS salad, people. All the heaviness of the meal — from the buttery mash to the rich gravy, creamed onions, and whatever kinda crazy business your family works into sweet potatoes — demands the balance and coolness of this fresh cabbage salad with apples.
A Healthy and Refreshing Cabbage Salad
This Cabbage Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Cranberries is the perfect counterpoint to all the Thanksgiving classics. It’s crisp and bright, and can be made a day ahead if need be. It’s also killer the next day piled onto a leftover turkey sandwich with a swipe of mayo and a spoonful of cranberry sauce. And while Thanksgiving is hardly the time to be talking nutrition, the cabbage and walnuts in this slaw mean it’s mega nourishing.
How to Shred Cabbage
This is a simple recipe, but a few pointers on shredding cabbage might be helpful. Here’s how I do it:
1) Use a chef’s knife to cut the cabbage right down the middle through the stem.
2) Lay the cabbage cut-side-down on a cutting board and cut in half again through the stem
3) Trim out the little wedge of core
4) Cut the cabbage into thin slices
Can you Make Cabbage Salad with Apples Ahead of Time?
Yes! I like this salad best made a couple of hours ahead of time. Be sure to cover and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. I holds up very well and is even tasty for a few days. Leftovers are terrific on their own and tasty tucked onto a sandwich.
If you like cabbage salad with apples, check out these other cabbage recipes:
Cabbage, Apple, and Sausage Skillet
Roasted Cabbage with Miso Ginger Butter
Unstuffed Cabbage Meatballs by Ellie Krieger
Crispy Rice with Cabbage and Shitakes by Catherine McCord
Colorful Cabbage Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Cranberries
This Colorful Cabbage Salad is crisp, bright, and can be made a day ahead if need be. It's also excellent as a leftover piled onto a turkey sandwich with a swipe of mayo.
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium green cabbage , thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium red cabbage , thinly sliced
- 1 medium unpeeled crisp apple such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady , thinly sliced
- 1 cup walnuts , coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Put the green cabbage, red cabbage, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and onion into a large bowl and mix well.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, celery seed, and salt. Pour over the cabbage and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from a recipe by Sharon Kramis
