062 / 75 · Crisp, Tangy and Warm Sides
Apple Cabbage Slaw with Mustard
6 small slaw side portions, about 120 g each · Active 20 min · Total 35 min
Print recipe · PDFFinely shredded cabbage and crisp apple get a light cider-mustard dressing rather than a heavy creamy coat. The apple is cut just before tossing, and a short refrigerated rest softens the cabbage edges. This is a small cold companion to a hot casserole, with six honest side portions.
Knife work changes the slaw
Remove damaged outer cabbage leaves and the dense core before weighing. Slice the leaves into fine short shreds rather than long ropes. A sharp knife and a stable board are enough; a mandoline adds a sharp exposed edge and is not required. Red cabbage contributes a little color alongside the larger green-cabbage quantity. The stated weights are prepared vegetables, so the size of the original cabbage head does not determine how much goes into the bowl.
Dress the apple as soon as it is cut
Wash the apple, remove the core and leave the skin on if sound. Thin matchsticks distribute its sweetness across the salad. Have the vinegar-mustard dressing whisked before cutting the apple so it can be tossed promptly. Acid helps limit browning, but it is not a preservation process and does not make a dairy-free salad safe at room temperature all afternoon. Honey is measured for balance rather than poured until the dressing tastes like a glaze.
Let a short rest do a little work
Fold the shreds with dressing and refrigerate for fifteen minutes. The cabbage should stay crisp while losing some of its stiff raw edge. Turn once before serving so the lower leaves do not carry all the dressing. For a gathering, keep a reserve covered and cold, replenishing a smaller table bowl with clean utensils. A slaw can look almost unchanged after several hours out; appearance does not replace the time-and-temperature boundary. The apple is best on the first day, so plan the amount around the actual side portions needed.
Ingredients
- 14 oz green cabbage, cored and finely shredded (400 g prepared)
- 3 1/2 oz red cabbage, cored and finely shredded (100 g prepared)
- 1 crisp apple, cored and cut into thin matchsticks (150 g prepared)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (30 ml)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 g)
- 2 teaspoons honey (14 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Set out
Knife and stable board, Large mixing bowl, Small bowl, Whisk, Covered serving bowl, Refrigerator
Allergens
Mustard; check condiment labels. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Wash and prepare cabbage and apple, weighing after cores are removed. Shred cabbages finely into the large bowl, keeping the apple whole until dressing is ready.
- Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in the small bowl. Core and cut apple into thin matchsticks, then add it immediately to cabbage with all the dressing. Toss well.
- Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes. Toss again and serve six small side portions using clean utensils; keep reserve slaw refrigerated.
A small colorful bowl is enough
Six portions here are side servings, not six lunch-sized bowls. The crisp sweet-acid contrast is meant to sit beside a generous hotdish portion without competing for the whole plate.
A useful detail
The 35-minute total includes careful shredding, whisking and 15 minutes refrigerated resting. The apple’s crispness and the fine cabbage cut are the intended texture, so no overnight softening is needed.
Another way
- Replace 150 g prepared apple with 150 g firm ripe pear cut just before mixing. It will soften faster, so serve the same day rather than extending the storage period.
Keep it well
Keep covered at 40°F (4°C) or below. Best on the day made; use within 2 days or an earlier ingredient deadline. Return promptly to refrigeration and discard if out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Do not freeze; apple and cabbage lose their crisp texture.