Cooked and Loved Cabbage (Printable Version)

Tender sautéed cabbage meets crisp vegetables in a tangy, herbaceous dressing. A warm, vibrant dish perfect for any season.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium green cabbage (about 2 lbs), cored and thinly sliced
02 - 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
10 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Toppings

12 - 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds
13 - 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled

# Directions:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced cabbage and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is just tender but still vibrant green.
02 - Remove the cabbage from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.
03 - Add the julienned carrot, red onion, bell pepper, and fresh parsley to the warm cabbage in the bowl.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, sea salt, and black pepper until the mixture is emulsified.
05 - Pour the prepared dressing over the vegetables and toss thoroughly to evenly coat all ingredients.
06 - Allow the salad to rest for 5 minutes at room temperature to permit the flavors to meld together.
07 - Top with toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds and crumbled feta cheese if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 25 minutes flat, which means you can serve something genuinely good without spending your evening in the kitchen.
  • The warm cabbage holds the dressing like a sponge, so every bite tastes intentional instead of watery and limp.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without feeling like a compromise, making it the rare salad that actually pleases everyone at the table.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the cabbage in the skillet—you want it to go from raw to just-tender, not from crisp to soft; the difference between a salad that sings and one that feels mushy is about 90 seconds of heat.
  • Warm vegetables absorb dressing differently than cold ones, so the dressing should taste slightly too sharp when you taste it in the bowl; once it coats the warm vegetables, the intensity mellows beautifully.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts and seeds just before serving if you have the time—the difference between room-temperature nuts and warm, fragrant ones is the difference between good and memorable.
  • This salad actually improves over a day or two in the refrigerator as the flavors deepen, so don't hesitate to make it ahead; just serve at room temperature for best flavor, which lets all the individual components shine instead of being muted by cold.
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