Scrunched Cabbage Salad With Fried Almonds

By Cybelle Tondu

Published January 2, 2023

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(1,161)
Comments
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Crunchy and succulent, this hearty salad takes the humble cabbage and celebrates it as a leafy green. Raw cabbage can be tough and fibrous, which is why it is often thinly sliced for coleslaw. Massaging the leaves with salt — a technique common in kale salads — tenderizes the vegetable. The softened greens absorb the lemony dressing while nuts and seeds fry in olive oil. Store-bought roasted, salted almonds and toasted sesame seeds can be substituted, but adding freshly fried nuts and seeds to the salad while they’re still warm showcases their rich, earthy aromas. Serve alongside a fried chicken cutlet or on a plate with hummus and pita.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings 

  • ½ head green cabbage, tough outer leaves discarded (about 1 pound)

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

  • ¼ cup picked dill

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 small lemon), or more to taste

  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, or more to taste

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • ¼ cup chopped raw almonds

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

11 grams carbs; 192 calories; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 361 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut cabbage half in half again through the core, then cut out and discard the core and any very tough ribs. Separate the leaves and tear or cut them into 2- or 3-inch pieces. In a large bowl, toss cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt with your hands until salt dissolves and cabbage begins to feel wet, about 2 minutes. Scrunch the leaves, firmly squeezing and massaging until they’re very tender and juicy, another 1 to 2 minutes. The leaves will appear glossy and slightly translucent. Pour out any liquid.

  2. Step 2

    Add scallions, dill, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and freshly ground black pepper to taste; toss thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, lemon juice and sugar if you’d like, then transfer to a serving dish and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add almonds and stir until light gold, about 2 minutes. Add sesame seeds and continue to stir until toasted, about 30 seconds. Season with a generous pinch of salt, spoon the mixture over the salad and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,161 user ratings
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Comments

kdekay

Made this tonight and it as so delicious! I think next time I will make the dressing with sesame oil and cashews for the nuts for an Asian inspired salad.

rachel

Picked dill is just dill fronds that have been picked off the plant. I liked this salad, it was really refreshing. Used shredded cabbage so skipped the salting (added salt to the dressing). My one note would be that this was very very garlicky - not at all a bad thing, but in the future I wouldn’t bother with the dill and scallions as they didn’t come across. Maybe my garlic is extra potent.

KB

Yes, I interpret "picked" dill as the little fronds being picked/plucked from the tougher stems and left as is, as opposed to then being chopped.

Leslie Gregg

forget salting mks cabbage tough I think...put shredded cabbage in microwave w a bit of water,cover,zizz for 2 3 mn...drain,waaaay better,not that weird too chewy texture.

Jayne

This is so delicious! My very picky friend could not get over that it was cabbage and that she liked it and even asked for the recipe. Also: leftovers are great in various sandwiches, particularly chicken or roast beef ones.

Val

I am not a salad person, but I am a cabbage person, and oh man does this scratch the cabbage itch. And my three year old loves to scrunch and even ate it too!

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