I like to think of this Holiday Salad with Cabbage and Kale as a winter season coleslaw! It’s packed with lots of delicious ingredients and would be a perfect side dish or potluck dish this holiday season!
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I love making big chopped salads that can easily work as a dinner side salad and a hearty lunch. This Holiday Salad with Cabbage and Kale is perfect for both occasions!
This Holiday Salad would also be great to bring to a holiday potluck this time of year. It’s packed with lots of nutritious ingredients plus tons of flavor and textures!
Holiday Salad with Cabbage and Kale Ingredients and Substitutions
- Green Cabbage – I like to use a small – medium sized green cabbage. You could also get a bag or two of shredded cabbage. I used green cabbage in my salad but purple cabbage would work just as well and be pretty!
- Kale – I used some curly kale from the garden but you could also use Dino or purple kale. If you don’t like kale you can substitute spinach or just leave it out add add a little extra cabbage.
- Chickpeas – The chickpeas are optional and not as needed if you’re making this as more of a side salad, but I like to add a can or two of chickpeas in to make this salad hearty enough to eat for lunch.
- Apple – I used a sweet red apple but a tart Granny Smith would be great too! I mainly liked the pop of red that the apple gave the salad!
- Red Onion – I put red onion in almost all of my salad recipes, so this one was no different! It adds some crunch and a nice onion bite. You can omit them or run them under cold water after chopping to take some of that strong flavor away.
- Feta Cheese – The feta cheese and apples go together so well in this salad! You could really use any kind of cheese you like, just cut it up into small chunks. Parmesan would be great too! If vegan, use a vegan cheese or omit the cheese.
- Toasted Nuts – I add some toasted walnuts but any kind of nut/seed would be great. You could use: sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, toasted pecans or any candied nut would be good too.
- Dried Cranberries – The dried cranberries are chewy and tart. They go great with the apple and the fall/winter flavors!
- Dressing – I made an easy dressing using olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper.
How To Make The Best Holiday Salad
- Start by chopping your cabbage and kale into small, bite sized pieces. You want to make sure each piece is similar sized but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Add cabbage and kale to a large bowl.
- Next, add all salad dressing ingredients to a medium sized bowl and mix until combined. Pour dressing over cabbage and kale and mix together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to let the dressing soften the cabbage and kale.
- Add in the chickpeas, apples, feta cheese, walnuts, red onion and dried cranberries. Mix everything together well until it is fully combined.
- Holiday salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this Holiday salad gluten free? Yes!
- Is this recipe vegan? No, I used regular feta cheese but it can easily be made vegan by using vegan cheese or omitting the cheese.
- Can I make the salad ahead of time? Yes, you can make the salad to completion to serve later in the day or the next day. If needing to make more than one day in advance, I would suggest adding all ingredients but making the dressing in a separate bowl and waiting until ready to serve the salad to dress it.
- Is there a bottled dressing I could use? Yes, I would suggest a honey mustard, onion poppyseed or mild Italian. Really, you can use anything you like though!
- What can I use besides the kale? I would recommend using fresh spinach or omitting the kale.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Holiday Salad with Cabbage and Kale
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Holiday Salad with Cabbage and Kale is perfect for a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish but is also hearty enough to eat for lunch!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small-medium sized green cabbage
- 1 small bunch curly kale
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 large apple, cored and diced (red or green)
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, or nut of choice
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove a few of the outer leaves and core from the cabbage and chop it into bite sized pieces. Remove the stems from the kale and chop the leaves into bite sized pieces. You want to make sure each piece is similar sized but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Add cabbage and kale to a large bowl.
- Next, add all salad dressing ingredients to a medium sized bowl and mix until combined. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over cabbage and kale and mix together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to let the dressing soften the cabbage and kale.
- Add in the chickpeas, apples, feta cheese, walnuts, red onion and dried cranberries. Mix everything together well until it is fully combined.
- Holiday salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Salad, Lunch, Vegetarian
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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