Name: Red Cabbage Salad Recipe - Rotkohlsalat
Prep time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 small Head of Red Cabbage (or half of a large...); ½ cup Vegetable oil; ½ cup Red Wine Vinegar; 3 Tablespoons Sugar; 2½ Teaspoon Salt; ½ teaspoon Pepper; ¾ teaspoon Onion Powder; ¼ teaspoon Paprika; ¼ teaspoon celery seed

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Warm and comforting Rotkohl or Blaukraut, flavored with cloves, is a fairly standard side dish for so many German dishes, but in the summertime, I crave something cold and crisp. Something for my Salatteller (salad plate). This Red Cabbage Salad Recipe, or Rotkohlsalat, not only tastes delicious, but the jewel-like color of the cabbage looks beautiful on a plate. This isn’t just a cold version of Rotkohl! While both use vinegar and a little sugar, the salad uses slightly different seasonings (no cloves, so no Christmassy flavor).

No need to heat up the kitchen to enjoy one of your favorite veggies! For convenience, the salad should be made salad 12-24 hours before serving… but, if you are like me, and sometimes maybe not super organized (or you get last-minute requests) you can throw this together an hour before serving. It will be CRUNCHY! and then you can keep the leftovers to soften for the next meal.

Because it’s cabbage in a vinegar dressing, it holds up well when you take it somewhere, like on a picnic or to a potluck.

This might be a perfect summer side salad. Pretty, crunchy, and safe in the heat.

Red Cabbage Salad- Rotkohlsalat after 24 hours

Red Cabbage Salad Recipe – Rotkohlsalat

Serve the Rotkohlsalat alone or as part of your Salatteller (a Salatteller in Germany usually has several different vegetable salads together on one plate). I think it works well as a replacement for Coleslaw…and you don’t have to worry about mayo in the heat.

Red Cabbage Salad Recipe - Rotkohlsalat

Make this tasty and beautiful Red Cabbage Salad a few hours or a full day before you plan to serve it. The longer it sits, the more mellow the cabbage gets.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Course Salad

Cuisine German

Servings 8

Equipment

1 mixing bowl
1 Food Processor or Sharp Knife

Ingredients

1 small Head of Red Cabbage or half of a large...

Dressing

½ cup Vegetable oil
½ cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2½ Teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
¾ teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ teaspoon Paprika
¼ teaspoon celery seed

Instructions

Slice the Red Cabbage into wedges. Cut out the white core. Thinly slice the cabbage with a sharp knife or a food processor.
Put the cabbage into a mixing bowl
Mix all of the dressing ingredients
Pour over the cabbage and stir to coat completely.
Put the bowl in the refrigerator, and stir from time to time until you are ready to serve.
At 1 hour, the salad is still quite crunchy, with great flavor.
Any time over 4 hours, the cabbage starts to soften. By 8 hours it's fantastic.
You can store this salad airtight for days. The flavors will mellow, but it will still hold some crunch.

Notes

Don't have celery seed or paprika? Reduce the salt by 1/2 teaspoon, and add a 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt (like Lawry's) instead.

The Red Cabbage Salad keeps for days when stored in an airtight container. Stir it and taste before serving.

Keyword Red Cabbage Salad

Looking for a Recipe for Warm Rotkohl / Red Cabbage?

Find it here-> How to make Rotkohl

Easy German Cookbook

Looking for more easy German Recipes? Try my Easy German Cookbook! It’s packed with 80 traditional recipes made simple for the American Kitchen.
Order from Amazon… or order a signed copy from my online shop.

Easy German Cookbook: 80 Classic Recipes Made Simple Easy German Cookbook SIGNEDGermanGirl Shop

Mix the dressing ingredients into the Red Cabbage

I slice the red cabbage in a food processor, so it takes less than a minute.
You can pre-mix the dressing in a small bowl, then pour it over the cabbage…. or just take a shortcut, and add the dressing ingredients one by one over the cabbage. Give everything a good stir to make sure it’s completely mixed in.
I also like to stir the mix again after 15-20 minutes to insure that the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.

Then stir again before serving.

TASTE IT BEFORE YOU SERVE IT

Too bland? Add some vinegar or salt.
Too “strong”? Sprinkle in some sugar.

Red Cabbage Salad after one Hour

The salad is already delicious… if a bit crunchy.

Red Cabbage Salad after 24 Hours

The cabbage softens as it sits, and the purple color is more saturated. The cabbage still holds up with some light crunch! It’s not soggy.
Stir and taste before serving. Adjust flavors as you like it.

Store the salad airtight, and it will keep for a few days.

I love glass containers like these with snap lids. They keep food fresh (I’ve even kept sliced avocado from browning in them). And they look “nice” enough to put on the table when you are in a hurry.

AILTEC Glass Food Storage Containers with Lids, [18 Piece] Meal Prep Containers for Food Storage , BPA Free & Leak Proof (9 Lids & 9 Containers)