Name: Ultra Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Red Cabbage (shredded); 1 cup Green Cabbage (shredded); 1 cup Shredded Carrots; 1 cup Grape Tomatoes (diced); 1 cup English Cucumber (diced); 1/2 cup Chickpeas (drained); 3 small Radishes (sliced, then diced); 1 large Shallot (minced); 3/4 cup Olive Oil; 3 tbsp White Wine Vinegar; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 3 tbsp Dijon Mustard

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Crisp, fresh, crunchy, and insanely satisfying, this salad has literally no lettuce, just a ton of crunchy veggies!

If you are looking for something on the healthier side, but also not compromise on flavor, you've found the most amazing salad in this crunchy cabbage salad. Plus, this comes with a homemade shallot vinaigrette. Think of this as a canvas for so many salad possibilities. It doesn't get much better than this.

cabbage crunch salad in a large wooden bowl.

Admittedly, I am not always a huge fan of salads. They can be boring, overdone, or just not have that "pizzazz" that a salad should have. This one is very different, especially because it has so many different crunchy textures and taste.

Morgan's Recipe Rundown

Cook Level: If you know how to throw ingredients in a bowl, then you are fully equipped to make this cabbage crunch salad recipe. Making the dressing is also very, very, simple.
Cook Time: This salad comes together in just 10-15 minutes, depending on how much of each ingredient you prep and if you use a shortcut (like using shredded cabbage and carrots instead of cutting ahead of time).
Taste: Crunchy, savory, sweet, tangy, zesty, and very satisfying.
Pairings: My most favorite part about this salad is the options for add ins and pairings, such as using leftover breaded chicken cutlets or even leftover honey glazed salmon to add on top. You could also pair this with my chicken sausage sheet pan or leftover baked turkey meatballs.

Tips and Key Reminders

Mix it Up! - Feel free to use red cabbage, green cabbage, even napa cabbage for a softer crunch and also different textures.
Add in the Texture - Of course, a crunch salad would be boring if just left with lettuce and tomatoes, but "zhuzh it up" with crunch English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, radish, carrots, chickpeas, even sliced nuts like walnuts or almonds.
Let the Dressing Sit - You want the crunch, but you don't want the salad to be tasteless. Make the shallot dressing and let it sit in the cabbage so that all of the yummy veggies soak up the dressing and have the most amazing flavors your mouth has ever tasted.
Use as a Base for Protein - What I love most about this salad is that you can throw any type of protein on here. Blackened salmon, seared tofu, grilled shrimp, skirt steak. I mean you truly have endless options.

The Ingredient List

Cabbage - Admittedly, I actually bought pre-shredded cabbage (along with carrots) from Trader Joe's and used that for this salad. If you want to buy heads of cabbage, you can use either red or green, or both!
Carrots - You can peel and slice the carrots to make them shredded for the salad. Or, if you wanted, you could slice them thin.
English Cucumber - I just like the name of it, but really, you can use whatever cucumber you want. Persian cukes, regular cukes, it really doesn't matter. Slice them in to ½ inch thick rounds and then dice them.
Tomatoes - I used mini San Marzano tomatoes for this, but you can easily use grape or cherry tomatoes.
Radish - Ideally, I'd use a watermelon radish for the flavor and the color, but as those weren't available, I opted for regular radishes and sliced them and diced.
Chickpeas - For a little added protein and texture, I added a half a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.

For the Shallot Vinaigrette:

Shallot - Part of the onion family, it's smaller in size, but packs a ton of flavor. It's truly my favorite type of onion to cook with and found in a lot of my pasta recipes.
Dijon Mustard - Adds a tangy flavor and creaminess to the vinaigrette.
White Wine Vinegar - To be honest, I thought it was fancy to use white wine vinegar in dressings, but it's actually a staple in most dressings. It's used for its sweetness but also acidity.
Oil - Traditional olive oil is great for dressings.

Ingredients to make a shallot vinaigrette.

Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

shallot, dijon mustard, olive oil, and white wine vinegar added to a mason jar.

Prep the Dressing

In a mason jar, add the shallot, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, white wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Mix the Vinaigrette

Close the lid of the mason jar and shake vigorously until all of the ingredients are combined.

If the dressing is too thick, add another teaspoon or two of white wine vinegar. Add the dressing to the fridge until ready to use.

Assemble and Dress the Salad

While the dressing is sitting in the fridge, assemble the salad.

Add the cabbage, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes and chickpeas to a large mixing bowl.

Pour the dressing on top and mix to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to allow the vegetables to soak up the dressing.

close up of a portion of a cabbage crunch salad in a wooden bowl.

Simple Swaps and Substitutions

You can swap out just about anything, but stick with the crunch factor by choosing crunchy ingredients like crunchy fried noodles, tortilla strips, ramen, jicama, snap peas, corn, red onion, iceberg lettuce.
If you don't like shallots, you can omit the shallots from the dressing and simply make a dijon mustard vinaigrette.

Frequently Asked Questions

How would I store the leftovers of this salad?

You can store the salad in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The best part about this salad is that nothing in it will absorb the dressing enough so that it becomes soggy. Personally, it tastes even better when the dressing sits with the salad for a longer period of time.

Can I add any other ingredients aside from vegetables?

Yes, feel free to add in cheeses such as feta, parmesan cheese, or fresh mozzarella cheese.

If you want to add in something crunchy but not a vegetable, throw in asian noodles, ramen noodles, crunchy tortilla strips, or friend onions.

Do I HAVE to just use cabbage? Can I use regular lettuce also/instead?

If you want to add in other lettuces, like a traditional lettuce, I would opt for arugula or a red leaf.

Arugula has a peppery flavor, and red leaf adds more color and has a different flavor than romaine or iceberg. Keep it interesting!

Cabbage Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Morgan's Recipe Rundown

Tips and Key Reminders