Mustard Red Cabbage Apple Salad with Walnut Crunch
Finely shredded red cabbage is lightly salted, dressed with mustard and cider vinegar, then finished with crisp apple and toasted walnuts. It’s sharp, crunchy and built to cut through rich BBQ pork.
Ingredients
- 450 g red cabbage very finely shredded
- 2 crisp apples about 250g, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small red onion finely sliced
- 60 g walnuts toasted and roughly chopped
- 20 g flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar for the apples
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
For the mustard dressing
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp celery salt optional
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
Instructions
Shred and soften the cabbage
- Put the finely shredded red cabbage in a large bowl with the sea salt. Toss well, then massage lightly with your hands for 30 seconds. Leave for 10 minutes. The cabbage should glisten and relax, not turn limp.
Protect the apples
- Cut the apples into matchsticks and toss them with 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar. This keeps them fresh and gives the salad a brighter bite.
Toast the walnuts
- Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking often. Tip them onto a plate to cool. Warm nuts can soften the cabbage if added too soon.
Make the mustard dressing
- Whisk the cider vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, olive oil, honey, black pepper, celery salt if using and grated garlic until glossy.
Dress the cabbage and onion
- Add the red onion to the cabbage, pour over the dressing and toss firmly. Let it sit for 20 minutes if you can. The mustard dressing will season the cabbage and take the edge off the onion.
Add apple and finish
- Fold through the apples, parsley and most of the walnuts. Scatter the remaining walnuts over the top just before serving so the crunch stays obvious.
Notes
Red cabbage needs slicing as finely as you can manage. Thick chunks are hard work and don’t take the dressing properly. A mandoline makes fast work of it, but a sharp knife is fine if you take your time. Remove the tough core before shredding.
Choose crisp, tart apples rather than soft sweet ones. Granny Smith, Braeburn or Jazz all work well. Tossing the apple matchsticks with a little cider vinegar keeps them brighter and stops browning. Walnuts bring a slightly bitter crunch that suits mustard, but pecans are a softer swap if that’s what you have.
Nutrition
Calories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 390mgPotassium: 420mgFiber: 5gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 990IUCalcium: 75mgIron: 1.5mg
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