Growing up in the South, cabbage was served in one of two ways… coleslaw or boiled. To be honest, I wasn’t really ever a huge fan of either. I like coleslaw on my barbecue sandwich and with friend catfish. I like boiled cabbage basically never. So, when I moved to Nicaragua in 2015 and cabbage was everywhere, I decided to give it a chance. Now, almost 8 years later, cabbage is the one vegetable that you will always find in my house. Ok, one of two vegetables. I also always have onions. The reason is this Nicaraguan cabbage salad. It is fresh, light, crunchy and tart thanks to a simple dressing of lime juice and salt. In Nicaragua, this salad is served with almost everything. Tacos, pollo asado, vigaron, you name it. It became one of my favorite dishes while living there and now makes a regular appearance on my weekly menus. It can be eaten as a side, as a crunchy topping to fish tacos, with beans a rice for a meatless Monday meal with some Latin flavor, the options are endless. I know if I make this salad, I better double it because there will be no leftovers. It only takes about 10 minutes and 4 ingredients, 5 if you count the salt. If you’ve got some cabbage that you aren’t sure what to do with or are looking for the perfect side to take to a picnic or cookout, give this a try.
Cabbage… the star of the show
For this slaw, you need finely shredded cabbage. If you want to prep this yourself, you will need a mandolin. My sister-in-law gifted me this one, because no Nicaraguan kitchen is without one. I’ve always been scared of slicing my finger off while using one and if that is your fear, they make gloves and protectors. I was also concerned if I was actually going to use my mandolin. Now that I’ve had it for a while, I can say other than my knives and cheese grater, it is my favorite kitchen utensil. I use it almost daily to finely slice veggies for salads, quick pickles, or to prep my cabbage for this slaw. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can also buy bagged finely shredded cabbage at the supermarket. There is one step that you absolutely should not miss and, PSA, you should always do this with your lettuce, even if it says tripple washed. Please, wash your lettuce. Now, I’ll be honest. I personally think that removing the outer leaves of a head of cabbage is sufficient. It is such a dense vegetable, that dirt and sand don’t get between the leaves like other lettuces. But, my husband insists we wash the cabbage and marriage is about compromise, so I also wash the cabbage. Just drop it in a large bowl of cold water, swoosh it around with your hands, let it sit for 5 minutes and gently scoop it out of the water and place on paper towels or a tea towel to dry. You can pat it dry to speed of the process if you’d like.
Tomato time
To prep the tomatoes for this salad, I like to remove the seeds. If you have never removed the seeds, I find that the easiest method is to cut from top to bottom in a few slices and using your thumb, gently push out the seeds. Once you have removed the seeds from your tomatoes, dice them small. I use mostly roma tomatoes, but you can use whatever tomatoes are in season for you or look the freshest at the supermarket. Because the ingredients for this cabbage salad are so simple, it is important to use the freshest and most flavorful version of each ingredient.
Final touches
In addition to our tomatoes, we also need some shredded carrots. Again, you can use bagged, but for the best crunch and most flavor, I suggest using whole carrots and shredding them on your grater. If you have kids that want to help in the kitchen, this would be a great step for them to help out with. That’s it. Cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes. Add your lime juice and salt and toss everything together. You can start with less salt and increase if needed. Did you know your salt matters? If you love kosher salt and prefer to use it your recipes, you will need a different amount than with table salt. Because the granules are lager, it will take a larger volume of kosher salt to provide the same level of saltiness as table salt. This is also true for flaky salt and all other kinds of salt. So, I encourage you to taste as you go and start with less. I try to specify the type of salt for each recipe, but if you are cooking with a different type of salt than what is specified, keep in mind the saltiness may be different.
Storage and leftovers
This salad is one of my favorites, espcially during the summer or to take to potlucks. Why? Because it has no dairy, raw onion, or mayonnaise. That means if it sits out for a while, it is unlikely to cause any foodborne illness. It should still be stored in the refrigerator once it is prepped, of course. It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, although you should note that the texture will change. It will be sort of fluffy and crunch when recently made, but the texture becomes similar to sauerkraut after a few days. On day one, I love to serve it as a side with a burger or chicken and some simple crispy roasted potatoes. If it has been sitting for a day or two, it makes the perfect topping for fish or shrimp tacos! No matter how you serve it, it’s a delicious way to enjoy fresh veggies!
To make this refreshing Nicaraguan Cabbage Salad, this is all you need…
Nicaraguan Cabbage Salad
Equipment
- 1 mandolin, this is perfect for shredding your cabbage
Ingredients
- 6 cups cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1.5 cups tomatoes, finely diced
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 1/4 tsp table salt, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the shredded cabbage. Allow to soak for 5 minutes and gently remove to paper towels to drain. Pat dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- How much cabbage is 6 cups? Approximately 3/4 of a medium size head of cabbage.
- Want a shortcup for shredded cabbage? Buy bagged finely shredded cabbage, just don’t forget to wash it before using.
- If you have a salad spinner, simple substitute washing your cabbage using the salad spinner for washing in a large bowl and drying with paper towels.