As another addition to my now slew of cabbage recipes, I knew this cabbage salad with charred lemon dressing had to deliver. It might be simple with the ingredients (I’m on a streak with low-count ingredient recipes, and frankly, I’m here for it!), but it delivers on both flavor and texture. This cabbage salad is plant-based, packed with protein from easy steamed edamame, filled with crunch from green cabbage, and smothered in a bright, light, and creamy charred lemon dressing.
The star of the recipe is the charred lemon dressing, which makes the salad unique, but still very minimal when it comes to active cooking time. The entire thing can be made in minutes, with minimal work on your end. And the finished result is a light, filling salad that is perfect for portioning out throughout the week.
One of my favorite things about this cabbage salad is if you are using it for meal prep, or even if you just have a plethora of leftovers, it gets better as it sits in the dressing. You don’t have to worry about soggy vegetables or it feeling a bit sad and tired after a few days. This easy cabbage salad has staying power!
Table of contents
What ingredients do you need for this cabbage salad?
Creamy and herbaceous, bright and light, this cabbage salad doesn’t hold back on flavor—and you can also rest assured it will keep you full until dinner. Here’s what you’ll need:
- wild rice or brown rice: this cabbage salad is served over a hearty grain. This not only rounds out the nutritional value of our meal, giving us the energy needed to get through the day, it also to absorbs any extra charred lemon dressing. Wild or brown rice are my favorites, but you can use another grain you love.
- raw, unsalted cashews: cashews are the reason our dressing is so luscious and creamy, and we love them for it. If you’ve never blended cashews into a sauce or dressing before you may struggle to believe it, but they truly are magic.
- frozen edamame beans: edamame is protein-packed and brings diversity of texture and flavor to our cabbage salad. If you don’t do soy, feel free to sub in an alternative protein that suits your needs—choose something that’s as structurally sound as this one, though, or it may cause an extra level of mush.
- green or savoy cabbage: cabbage gives our salad crunch and the highly desirable ability to hold up in the fridge for days, even after coated in dressing. Green or savoy cabbage work great—savoy cabbage is slightly sweeter and more mild in flavor than green cabbage, and its leaves are curly and ribbed, while green cabbage leaves are flat and waxy in texture.
- fresh basil and mint leaves: chiffonade cut basil and mint bring bright, herbaceous flavor to this cabbage salad.
- lemon: first charred, the pulp of the lemon is then scooped out and blended into the dressing. It provides a subtle complexity of flavor and the necessary balance to the creamy cashews in our dressing.
Why do I use edamame in this cabbage salad with charred lemon dressing?
Edamame is one of my favorite types of proteins, and sometimes it gets an unfair rap for being part of the soy realm. But I LOVE soy. It’s versatile (I adore tofu), and it has more protein compared to other beans, plus a unique texture all its own.
I first started using edamame in salads as a replacement for fava beans, which while amazing, are typically hard to find out of their elusive late-spring season. I subbed in frozen edamame for my favorite fava bean recipes, and it worked like a charm.
In this cabbage salad, I opt for edamame because it holds its shape in the slaw better than other beans, and I feel like it just gives a much more well-rounded flavor and texture. Of course, you can use other beans, or even a crispy chickpea if you are feeling adventurous, but that’s up to you and what you have in your pantry stockpile!
How to prepare this cabbage salad
This recipe comes together fast and gets better over time, making it a great option for meal prep when you’ve got the Sunday Scaries or an easy and delicious weeknight dinner. Here’s how you make it.
First, the prep work. Prepare the rice according to package instructions, thaw your edamame, and set both aside.
Core the cabbage, and using a mandolin, slice it as thinly as possible. Chiffonade cut the basil and mint, reserving a few leaves for garnish.
Add the cabbage, edamame, and herbs to a large bowl. Grate in about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.
Now make your dressing!
How to make the charred lemon dressing
Place cashews in a small, heat-proof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let these soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Halve the lemon and place a small pan over medium heat. Char the lemon by cooking it on the pan, cut side down, for 4-5 minutes or until it is dark and almost burnt looking. Remove from the pan.
Scoop the charred lemon’s insides into a small blender, trying to remove the seeds as you go. Drain the soaking cashews and add them into the blender along with 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and 1/2 cup of cool water. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper as desired. Depending on your tastes, this might need a lot of salt to balance out the lemon!
How to serve this cabbage salad
Once your salad and dressing are both complete, you’re ready to serve. Pour all of your dressing over the cabbage salad, tossing to coat. Add in red pepper flakes and black pepper flakes as desired.
Then portion the rice into four bowls and top with a generous serving of slaw. Using a microplane or zester, grate the walnuts on top, it should look like parmesan cheese. Top with herbs to garnish, then serve.
FAQs
The cabbage salad and rice should be stored seperately. Cabbage salad will keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Cooked brown rice is good for up to three days, so if you’re meal prepping, you may want to make a fresh batch midweek.
Absolutely—while my preference is for a hearty brown or wild rice, feel free to use whatever you have on hand or enjoy.
The best thing about this salad is its staying power—it actually tastes better after the flavors have had time to marinade a bit. Make the salad up to a day in advance, and then serve it over fresh rice for best results.
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are a few recent (and popular!) cabbage favorites:
And that’s everything for this cabbage salad with charred lemon dressing!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Cabbage Salad with Charred Lemon Dressing & Grated Walnuts
Equipment
- 1 small blender
- 1 stainless steel pan
- 1 mandolin optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice or brown rice
- 1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- 1 cup frozen edamame beans
- 1/2 large head of green or savoy cabbage
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish
- 1 lemon for zest and juice
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3-4 large walnut halves for grating
Instructions
- Prepare the rice according to package instructions. Set aside.
- Add the cashews to a small, heat-proof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let these soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Either in the microwave or on the stovetop, thaw the frozen edamame and set aside.
- Core the cabbage, and using a mandolin, slice it as thinly as possible.
- Chiffonade cut the basil and mint, reserving a few leaves for garnish.
- Add the cabbage, edamame, and herbs to a large bowl. Grate in about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.
- Halve the lemon and place a small pan over medium heat. Char the lemon by cooking it on the pan, cut side down, for 4-5 minutes or until it is dark and almost burnt looking. Remove from the pan.
- Scoop the charred lemon's insides into a small blender, trying to remove the seeds as you go. Drain the soaking cashews and add them into the blender along with 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and 1/2 cup of cool water. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper as desired. Depending on your tastes, this might need a lot of salt to balance out the lemon!
- Pour all of this dressing over the cabbage salad. Toss everything to coat. Add in red pepper flakes and black pepper flakes as desired.
- To serve, portion the rice into four bowls, then top with a generous serving of slaw. Using a microplane or zester, grate the walnuts on top, it should look like parmesan cheese. Top with herbs to garnish, then serve.
thank you for the recipe
That cabbage bowl is ADORABLE! Do you remember where you got it?
Anthropologie! But you can find vintage versions everywhere!
This was great! I skipped the rice and served it alongside your recent cilantro pasta recipe and it was the perfect spring meal. So far all your recipes have been winners and could definitely convince me to eat more vegetarian meals going forward. Thank you!