Hello lovelies,
as soon as it gets cooler outside, red cabbage lands in our vegetable box again. And as much as I love it braised, my favorite autumn recipe is raw: an Asian red cabbage salad with carrots, bell pepper, cilantro and roasted peanuts in a dressing of sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and lime. It is crunchy, fresh, glows in every color and tastes almost even better the next day.
Red cabbage with Asian flavors is a real favorite in our house right now. If you would rather have it warm, my udon noodles with red cabbage and peanut sauce are the warm noodle version with a very similar taste.
The dressing makes the difference
Raw red cabbage is firm and needs a dressing with character. The soy sauce brings salt and savoriness, the rice vinegar and lime bring acidity, the honey rounds it all off and the sesame oil adds that nutty aroma you instantly connect with Asian cooking. Fresh ginger and garlic give it a kick. Do let the salad rest for 30 minutes, then the cabbage turns tender and soaks up all the flavors.
For me the peanuts are the icing on the cake. Roasted and salted, they give the salad crunch and remind me of my summer rolls with peanut dip, which we never leave off a summer buffet. I chop them roughly and sprinkle part of them on right at the end so they stay crisp.
For dinner I serve pan-fried halloumi or tofu with it, threaded onto wooden skewers. It looks pretty and the kids reach for it much more happily. By the way, the salad is also a great side for a barbecue or a packed lunch for the office.
If you would like to try raw red cabbage in a bun, bake my vegan bao buns with pulled mushrooms. There, fine strips of red cabbage bring freshness and crunch.
Give this red cabbage salad a try and tell me in the comments whether you prefer it with halloumi or with tofu.
