Cabbage salad with balsamic vinegar

On a wooden cutting board, a blue, textured folded cloth napkin, a small glass bowl with cabbage salad
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A crispy, crunchy cabbage salad is a perfect side dish. The zucchini gives the salad a bright green addition and the balsamic vinegar, gives this salad a mellow taste.

On a wooden cutting board, a blue, textured folded cloth napkin, a blue small plate with a pile of cabbage salad
Cabbage salad on a plate

In Sweden we eat this type of cabbage salad with pizza. Order pizza at a pizzeria, you will always get a tub of this salad with the pizza. We even call it pizza salad. I have made it my own by adding zucchini, perfect in zucchini harvesting time and exchanged the white wine vinegar for balsamic vinegar.

How to make cabbage salad with balsamic vinegar

To make this salad, a cheese slicer is your friend. With a traditional cheese slicer you can cut thin strips of the cabbage. If you do not have a cheese slicer, you can use a mandoline slicer. In case you do not have either of those, use a sharp knife to cut thin slices of the cabbage.

On a wooden cutting board, a blue, textured cloth napkin, a dark blue bowl with a white cabbage head and a cheese slicer, where some of the cabbage has already been sliced.
White cabbage being sliced

For the zucchini, use the large side of your cheese grater. Then gently squeeze the grated zucchini to remove excess water before mixing it with the white cabbage.

Mix all the spices, with the vinegar and oil in a bowl and pour the mixture over your sliced white cabbage and shredded zucchini.

Use your hands to massage the vinegar mix into the vegetables until everything is thoroughly covered. Keep massaging until the vegetables start releasing some of its water.
Leave the bowl in the fridge for about thirty minutes before serving.

For the salad to keep longer, leave in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
The cabbage and zucchini will keep releasing its water as it sits for longer, but use a pair of forks as utensils and you will get just enough of the pickling juice to still enjoy your salad. It will be crispiest on the day you make the salad, but it is still good several days later.

On a wooden cutting board ingredients to make cabbage salad. Clockwise form top left corner: A glass bowl of balsamic vinegar, a small pink bowl with salt and white pepper, one whole zucchini, a hlaf head of cabbage, a bowl of oregano, a bowl of white vinegar.
Cabbage salad ingredients

Substitutes

I have used balsamic vinegar for this recipe, traditionally this salad is made with white wine vinegar, which is a perfectly acceptable substitution. Using balsamic vinegar makes this salad less acidic tasting, but any vinegar you have at home will work. Taste as you add the vinegar to find the right balance for your palate.

Freezable

Because of the high water content of cabbage and zucchini, this salad does not freeze well. However it will last for at least a week in the fridge. Keep the salad in an airtight container and it will last for longer.

Variations

For this recipe, I am only using half a head of white cabbage, why not make a spicy coleslaw with the other half.

On a wooden cutting board, in the upper left hand corner a red gingham cloth napkin, in the middle a glass bowl with spicy coleslaw and one glass bowl with a white cabbage salad, with a fork to the left of the bowls
Two bowls of salads

I have several other salads that you can use as a side dish. My zucchini and couscous salad is another way to use up your zucchini.

On a wooden cutting board, a blue, textured folded cloth napkin, a blue small plate with a pile of cabbage salad
Print Recipe

Cabbage salad with balsamic vinegar

Crispy, crunchy white cabbage salad is a perfect side dish. The zucchini gives the salad a bright green addition and the balsamic vinegar, gives this salad a mellow taste.
Prep Time30 minutes
Resting time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: balsamic vinegar, cabbage, zucchini
Servings: 8 portions

Ingredients

  • ½ head of white cabbage thinly sliced
  • 1 zucchini grated
  • 50 ml balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp white pepper

Instructions

  • Shred the white cabbage using a cheese slicer or cut in thin slices with a sharp knife.
  • Shred the zucchini on the largest side of your cheese slicer.
  • Gently press the zucchini to get rid of any excess water, before adding it to a large bowl with the cabbage.
  • In a bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, oregano, sugar, oil, salt and pepper.
  • Pour the spice mix over the shredded vegetables.
  • Use your hands to massage the mix into the vegetables. Until all oil mix is integrated into the vegetables.
  • Let sit in the fridge for about thirty minutes.