Pickled Red Cabbage may not sound exciting but trust me – this is a game changing side dish, next level condiment and salad topper!
The epitome of an easy and totally unfussy dish. With an irresistible punchy purple-red hue that will add a whole other level of color dimension + visual vibrancy to your food.
This pickled red cabbage is not the same as kimchi or sauerkraut (which is fermented for sometimes weeks at a time).
This is a fresh & quick-pickled preparation that can be ready in just a few hours’ time + stored in the fridge for a week (or more). This quick treatment leaves the thinly shredded cabbage with that signature tangy taste while keeping its crunchy texture intact. But it does not carry the same health benefits as other fermented foods.
Sometimes the two can be confusing – our definition of pickled conjures up sour dill pickles that we grew up eating slices of on our burgers or snacking on a pickle wedge alongside a deli sandwich. But the traditional type of pickling does not involve vinegar. So this is a vinegar “pickled” dish, and not a fermented pickled dish.
Since fermented foods and gut health are such popular topics – I wanted to make that difference ABUNDANTLY clear.
If you’re interested in learning more about traditional fermentation methods (which rely on lactic acid fermentation) for pickled foods and fermented beverages (like kombucha, kefir, etc) then I urge you to check out these three books:
- The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz
- Fermented Vegetables by Christopher & Kirsten Shockey
- The Big Book of Kombucha by Hannah Crum & Alex LaGory
I’ve been reading these three books to learn ALL I can about making these fermented goodies at home and hope to come out with some recipes of my own to share here on the blog soon! So if you’re in the same boat, definitely give these a read.
So let’s talk about the taste. Pickled cabbage, if you haven’t yet tried it and fallen head over heels for it, may not seem like a thing that you need in your life. But let me just tell you that you do, you absolutely DO!
This quick Pickled Red Cabbage elevates the flavor game to entirely new levels. It’s not limp or overpowering in taste or texture – it’s just that vibrant little *lift* that provides a bit of brightness in every bite.
In short, it is simply not to be missed out on.
Think about your favorite burger // chicken sandwich and how they would be sorely missing a key component if sliced savory dill pickles and their signature crispy crunch weren’t nestled between those sandwich buns. Mull over just how important a really good coleslaw is in a pulled pork slider or banh mi. Or a coveted basket of fresh fried fish n’ chips, and how they just aren’t the same without that tang of tartar sauce, zip of malt vinegar, or freshly squeezed lemon juice on top. Or how sometimes the best part of going to a family owned and operated deli are the homemade pickle spears served alongside the sandwich halves.
I first had it at the local Mediterranean restaurant just down the road, perched alongside a crisp romaine, tomato, cucumber side salad with some freshly roasted chicken kebab. The pickled red cabbage set everything over the top. Layering that yogurt marinated tender chicken into each pita pocket with creamy garlic sauce, crisp vegetables, and lemony rice pilaf was one thing but the bracing acidity and crunch from the cabbage slaw brought it all together. Just a hit of refreshing zippiness that I sorely missed when making my own version at home.
Enter one quick google (and pantry) search later and Martha Stewart once again stepped in to save the day. Today’s recipe is adapted from her pickled red cabbage slaw with a few modifications here and there to make it have a more Mediterranean vibe. I love it dearly for letting me bring my homemade Mediterranean Salad Bowls even closer to the real deal takeout of my dreams.
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Here’s a list of the tools + ingredients I used in this recipe:
FYI these are affiliate links – which means if you use these links I will make a small commission of whatever you purchase. The price of the item remains the same whether or not you use this link and it’s at zero additional charge to you. All commissions support this blog.
MORE NOURISHING VEGETABLE RECIPES:
- Mediterranean Salad Bowls
- Raw Brussels Sprout Salad with Oranges
- Asian Pear Salad with Radishes
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Spicy Green Pesto
Pickled Red Cabbage
- Prep Time: 2 hours 10 mins
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish + Condiment
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
Simple recipe for Pickled Red Cabbage! Thinly sliced cabbage marinates for 2 hours + the dish keeps for up to a week or more in the fridge. We love this on Mediterranean Salad Bowls and in grilled chicken pita pockets.
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Pickled Red Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 small head of red cabbage
- 2 whole garlic cloves (peeled and lightly smashed)
- ½ c red wine vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs sugar
- ½ tbs salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- THINLY SLICE CABBAGE: Quarter the cabbage and then using a knife to slice down diagonally towards the cutting board, slice off the core. Then slice each quarter as thinly as possible using a sharp knife or for easy, even slices use a mandolin slicer with the setting clicked in to 1/16 inch thick.
- MARINATE THE CABBAGE: Place the cabbage in a large, deep lidded container. Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Toss until cabbage is evenly coated. Place the lid lightly on top of the container (but do not seal it closed) and let sit out at room temperature for two hours. Then toss to coat again, seal, and store in the fridge for a week or so.
Notes
You may want to remove the cloves of garlic before eating the cabbage as the cloves themselves can become overly concentrated and bitter in flavor
Curious as this is my first time making pickled cabbage. Do you have wait a week before its ready to eat or ready after the2 hours and only last a week or so.
Hi Skye,
Since this is a quick-pickling method (vs a traditional fermentation method) I just let it sit for 2 hours and then it keeps up to a week after that (covered in a sealed container in the fridge)
Hope that helps! Happy cooking!
xo, Lauren
This sounds really good, but the information page says it is only 2 (two) servings. It seems like a lot of ingredients for two servings.
Hey John,
The recipe card just provides the “yield” which is just how much the recipe makes in total – so the yield of this recipe is about 2 cups of pickled red cabbage. I don’t often provide serving sizes or nutrition info numbers on my site, so go with your best judgment of how much you’d like to eat!
-Lauren
This is great with pulled pork as a topping.
Cheryl – I love this idea! I adore cold coleslaw style toppings when I eat pulled pork. I’ll have to try this pickled combo instead sometime!!
PS – if you’re a fan of pulled pork style recipes, you might like the Crispy Crockpot Carnitas recipe! I’ll link it here for you in case you want to give it a whirl xx
https://www.freeyourfork.com/crispy-crockpot-carnitas/
I made it with what i had and it was delicious. Sub’d white wine vinegar and left out the red wine vinegar and the acv. Used minced garlic and red onion thin bits. Warmed the liquid in a pan for a minute to dissolve the sugar. IT WAS TASTY. Used this salad to top kale. For a greek amazing salad.
Added to salad plate..hummus and tzakiki and falafel and fried chi chis and feta and topped with tahini garlic dressing.
Dinner was special tonite.
★★★★★
This sounds great, and I think I will try it soon since I have some leftover cabbage to use! Question though, how come you dont put the container in the fridge immediately after making it? I have made some pickled onions before and I put them in the fridge right away, and they turned out fine so I was a bit confused by this part. Thanks so much!
Hey Jessica – good question! I so appreciate you putting this in the comments in case other readers were wondering the same thing!!
When I originally learned how to do it, the instructions were just to leave it out at room temp for a bit so that method stuck with me. Since these are vinegar-based “pickles” and not true fermented pickles both ways should work great
-Lauren