Balkan Cabbage Carrot Slaw with Vinegar Dressing 🥬✨

Description

Balkan Cabbage Carrot Slaw is a crisp, juicy, refreshing salad made with finely shredded cabbage, sweet carrot, parsley, vinegar, lemon, olive oil, and a tiny touch of honey. It is simple, bright, crunchy, and perfect beside grilled meats, stews, beans, roasted potatoes, or any rich Balkan meal that needs a clean fresh bite. ✨

Hook ✨

Crunchy cabbage, sweet carrot, sharp vinegar, lemon, and herbs make this Balkan slaw fresh, simple, and wildly useful. 🥗

Ingredients

• Slaw base 🥬
• 🥬 700 g white cabbage, finely shredded (8 cups / 1.54 lb)
• 🥕 180 g carrot, grated (1½ cups / 6.3 oz)
• 🧅 60 g red onion, very thinly sliced (⅓ cup / 2.1 oz), optional
• 🌿 20 g fresh parsley, chopped (½ cup / 0.7 oz)
• 🧂 8 g fine sea salt, for softening cabbage (1⅓ tsp / 0.28 oz)
• Vinegar dressing 🍋
• 🫒 60 ml olive oil or sunflower oil (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🍷 35 ml apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar (2 tbsp + 1 tsp / 1.2 fl oz)
• 🍋 20 ml lemon juice (4 tsp / 0.68 fl oz)
• 🍯 10 g honey or sugar (2 tsp / 0.35 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌶️ 1 g chili flakes, optional (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• Finish ✨
• 🌿 5 g fresh parsley, extra for serving (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🍋 1 lemon wedge, optional
• 🥖 300 g warm bread, optional (10.6 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Shred the cabbage 🥬
2. Slice the cabbage very finely with a sharp knife or mandoline. Place it in a large bowl so there is enough space to toss it properly.
3. 2️⃣ Salt and massage 🧂
4. Add the salt and massage the cabbage firmly for 1–2 min until it softens slightly, turns glossy, and releases a little juice.
5. 3️⃣ Add the vegetables 🥕
6. Add grated carrot, red onion if using, and chopped parsley. Toss gently so the colors spread evenly through the cabbage.
7. 4️⃣ Mix the dressing 🍋
8. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, black pepper, and chili flakes if using until glossy and balanced.
9. 5️⃣ Dress and rest 🥗
10. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss for 30 sec. Let the salad rest for 15 min so the cabbage absorbs the vinegar and becomes juicy but still crisp.
11. 6️⃣ Finish fresh ✨
12. Taste and adjust with a little extra lemon or pepper if needed. Finish with parsley and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 0 min
🛋 Rest: 15 min
⏰ Total: 30 min

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