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Red cabbage and cranberry immune slaw is a raw slaw of shredded red cabbage, carrot, green apple, and dried cranberries in a ginger-lime dressing. It takes 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of resting. One serving has roughly 70 mg of vitamin C.
I’ll be honest, the name is a little cheeky. No bowl of slaw stops a cold. But red cabbage, lime, ginger, and garlic are what I reach for when everyone at home is sniffling, and this is how I actually eat them.
It’s crunchy. Tart. Lightly sweet. A little sharp from the ginger.
The batch makes six servings and keeps 4 days in the fridge, so it sits right in your lunch rotation. One step matters most: massage the cabbage with the dressing first. Skip that and it stays stiff and squeaky.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 35 minutes, and no stove needed
- Keeps crunchy in the fridge for 4 days
- Made with cheap, ordinary grocery store produce
- Tart and sweet enough that kids will eat it
Ingredient Notes
- red cabbage: Pick a head that feels heavy for its size with tight leaves. Green cabbage works, but you lose the color and a little of the vitamin C.
- dried cranberries: Look for ones sweetened with apple juice or with less added sugar. Dried tart cherries or raisins work as a swap.
- fresh ginger: Grate it on a fine grater so there are no stringy bits. Skip the peeling if the skin is thin, just scrub it.
- honey: Rounds out the lime and vinegar. Use maple syrup for a vegan slaw.
- roasted pumpkin seeds: They add crunch and a bit of protein. Sunflower seeds are the closest substitute.
Red Cabbage Cranberry Immune Slaw with Ginger Lime
Ingredients
Method
- Add the lime juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, grated ginger, grated garlic, honey, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a 250 ml / 1-cup jar. Seal and shake for 20 seconds until the dressing looks cloudy and fully combined.
- Quarter the cabbage, cut out the white core, and slice the wedges 2 to 3 mm thick with a sharp chef’s knife or mandoline. Add the cabbage to a 4-quart / 3.8 L mixing bowl, pour in the dressing, and massage with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cabbage turns deep magenta, looks glossy, and shrinks by about a third. If it still feels stiff, keep going.
- Grate the carrots and cut the apple into thin matchsticks. Add both to the bowl with the cranberries, scallions, and parsley, then toss until everything is coated.
- Let the slaw rest for 15 minutes at room temperature so the cranberries plump up and the cabbage relaxes. Taste, add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lime if needed, and fold in the pumpkin seeds right before serving.
Notes
- Cut out the white cabbage core, since it stays tough even after resting.
- Rest the slaw 15 minutes so the cranberries plump up and the cabbage relaxes.
- Add the pumpkin seeds right before serving to keep them crunchy.
- Taste after resting and add a pinch of salt or squeeze of lime if needed.
Tips for Success
- Slice the cabbage 2 to 3 mm thick with a sharp knife or mandoline, and cut out the white core first.
- Massage the cabbage with the dressing for 1 to 2 minutes before adding anything else, until it darkens and loses a third of its volume.
- Grate the ginger and garlic on a fine grater so they melt into the dressing instead of landing in sharp bites.
- Cut the apple just before mixing and toss it right away, since the lime juice keeps the matchsticks from browning.
- Fold in the pumpkin seeds right before serving, and pack them separately for lunches so they stay crunchy.
Variations
- Swap the apple for thin pear slices and the cranberries for pomegranate seeds for a winter version with more juice.
- Whisk 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt into the dressing for a creamier slaw that still tastes bright.
- Add 150 g shredded rotisserie chicken or a drained can of chickpeas to turn it into a main lunch bowl.
Storage and Reheating
Red cabbage slaw keeps 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The cabbage stays crunchy. The apple softens a little by day 3.
Keep the pumpkin seeds in a small separate container and add them to each portion. Stir the slaw before serving, since the dressing pools at the bottom.
This slaw is best served cold, so there’s nothing to reheat. To make it ahead, shake the dressing in a jar up to 5 days early and shred the cabbage 2 days early, then toss and rest 15 minutes. Don’t freeze it, because thawed cabbage turns watery and limp.
Serving Suggestions
Red cabbage and cranberry slaw works best next to rich or roasted food, where the lime and vinegar cut through the fat. Crispy garlic thyme roasted chicken legs, pulled pork, and baked sweet potatoes all sit well beside it.
I also pile it on turkey sandwiches and into fish tacos for crunch. Spoon it over a grain bowl in place of lettuce.
For meal prep, portion it into four or five containers on Sunday with the seeds in a small bag on the side. Lunch is done for the week.
FAQ
Why does my red cabbage slaw taste sharp or bitter?
Too much raw garlic or ginger is the usual cause, along with thick cabbage ribs. Use one small clove and 1 tbsp grated ginger, and cut out the white core. If it’s still sharp after the 15-minute rest, stir in 1 tsp honey or a small handful more cranberries.
How do I know the red cabbage is massaged enough?
The cabbage is ready when it loses about a third of its volume and turns a deeper magenta. It should look glossy, and a strand pressed between your fingers bends instead of snapping. That usually takes 1 to 2 minutes of firm squeezing. Stop before it turns watery and limp.
Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried in red cabbage slaw?
Yes, but chop 80 g fresh cranberries finely and add 1 extra tbsp honey, because fresh ones are sour and hard. Dried tart cherries or raisins are easier swaps and need no change to the dressing. I prefer dried cranberries here since they soften in the lime juice.
Can I make red cabbage cranberry slaw ahead for meal prep?
Yes. The dressed slaw keeps 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, and the cabbage stays crunchy. Keep the pumpkin seeds in a separate bag and add them at serving so they stay crisp. Don’t freeze it, because thawed cabbage turns watery and limp.
What goes well with red cabbage and cranberry slaw?
It pairs best with rich or roasted food, since the lime and vinegar cut through fat. Try it beside roast chicken, pulled pork, turkey sandwiches, or a baked sweet potato. It also works piled into fish tacos or a millet herb salad bowl in place of lettuce.
Is red cabbage and cranberry slaw vegan?
Not as written, because the dressing uses 1 tbsp honey. Swap in maple syrup and it’s fully vegan. The slaw is already gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free, though check your Dijon label and use pumpkin seeds processed away from nuts if allergies matter.
