Cabbage and Carrot Salad
A Cabbage and Carrot Salad is a coleslaw dish that combines shredded carrots with red cabbage, drizzled with a delicious dressing. This red cabbage and carrots slaw can be served as a quick, simple side dish, or a refreshing salad (just add chicken or shrimp!) It has a bold, vibrant texture of beautiful crunchy cabbage, and crushed peanuts for an Asian flair.
This Cabbage and Carrot Salad is also known as coleslaw, a salad made with shredded cabbage and carrots. Coleslaw actually means “cabbage salad” and is popular served as any side dish, but particularly with pulled pork, Thai food, or Mexican dishes. I really love this dish for Cinco de Mayo with cilantro.
A traditional coleslaw contains carrot and onion in addition to cabbage and is usually made with mayonnaise or salad cream. I like to buy ready-made coleslaw, order “take-out,” or I just make my own. I will admit it, one of my favorite coleslaws is Kentucky Fried Chickens’ slaw.
This easy cabbage and carrot salad (without mayo) has an “Asian-style” twist, with the crushed peanuts on top. I swap out a traditional mayo coleslaw dressing for a fresh vinaigrette, with lots of herbs. This salad keeps well for days and comes together in 15 minutes!
Want to make it Mexican for Cinco de Mayo? Add a little cumin in the dressing, and instead of fresh mint and parsley – add cilantro. Use toasted sliced almonds that takes it to next level delicious! Love this for a Mexican feast!
What makes a good purple cabbage and carrots salad?
- Main Ingredients: Cabbage (green or red) and carrots, shredded or finely sliced.
- Dressing: A light vinaigrette, rather than a creamy dressing with mayonnaise.
- Additional Ingredients: Green onions and plenty of herbs (parsley and mint). You can also use cilantro or basil.
- More texture: Crushed nuts! We use crushed peanuts (Asian-flair), but you can use almonds (Mexican).
What to put in cabbage salad
- Veggies: Red cabbage and carrots, with green onions.
- Herbs: Fresh mint and parsley
- Dressing: Olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, white pepper, sugar.
- Toppings: Crushed peanuts.
How do you make a cabbage carrot salad?
It’s optional to add all sorts of bold color and crunch, like red bell peppers, radishes, red onions, and loads of fresh dill or basil. You may really love this fresh carrot salad.
- Combine all chopped veggies and herbs in a very large mixing bowl, reserving some of the chopped herbs for the topping.
- In a small canning jar, add the olive oil, lime juice, salt, white pepper, and sugar and shake until combined.
- Give the dressing a good shake again before pouring the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss.
- Add the remaining fresh herbs and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Sandy’s tips and variations:
- Use green cabbage in place of purple cabbage. Mix up the fresh herbs with the carrots and cabbage.
- Once you pour the dressing on the salad and mix it in, it’s best to enjoy the salad within a couple of hours.
- Peanuts on top are totally optional.
- Enjoy right away or let the slaw chill for an hour in a covered bowl in the fridge before serving.
- Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Make these “slaw” variations:
- Greek Salad: Use this dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and add feta cheese.
- Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw: A cabbage salad with a creamy, often mayonnaise-based dressing.
- Asian-Inspired with chicken: May include and Asian dressing with cranberries and chicken.
- Thai Cucumber and Carrot Salad: A vibrant salad often featuring cucumbers!
- Red Beet and Cabbage: Lovely fall time salad with cranberries.
- Mexican Coleslaw with flair: Add jalapenos.
- Hawaiian Coleslaw: Add pineapple.
What do you put in leftover cabbage?
- Add cabbage to this Whole30 soup. But be prepared if you use red cabbage, it will color your soup.
- Serve it on a fish sticks taco board.
- Add it to a cold blender tortilla soup.
- Sauté it with some garlic and add to these Irish Mashed Potatoes.
- Garnish on Chicken Pad Thai Noodle Bowls.
- Use it as a condiment for Pork Slider Board or these tacos.
More cabbage recipes you may want to try:
Get the Recipe:
Cabbage and Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 12 cups shredded red cabbage
- 4 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup sliced green onions
- 1 cup chopped fresh mint
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoon sugar
Topping:
- ¼ cup finely chopped peanuts, optional
Instructions
- Combine all chopped veggies and herbs in a very large mixing bowl, reserving about ⅛ cup of the chopped herbs for the topping.
- In a small canning jar, add the olive oil, lime juice, salt, white pepper, and sugar and shake until combined.
- Give the dressing a good shake again before pouring the dressing over the salad ingredients. Using 2 large spoons, toss the salad.
- Add the remaining ⅛ cup of fresh herbs and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
- Enjoy right away or let the slaw chill for an hour in a covered bowl in the fridge before serving.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
