Chopped Vinegary Green Cabbage Salad with Dill

This chopped vinegary green cabbage salad with dill makes the best fresh side dish and comes together in less than 30 minutes! Made with roughly chopped crunchy green cabbage, rice vinegar, fragrant dill, olive oil, and salt and pepper. It’s simple ingredients come together to make an outstanding slaw-like salad that’s perfect for everything from bowls to a BBQ spread. The recipe is plant based, dairy free, gluten free, and Whole30 friendly!

The best green cabbage salad

Eating fresh veggies becomes so much easier when you find simple preparations that can be made quickly and still pack a substantial measure of flavor into each bite!

That’s why we’re so in remarkably in love with this simple side dish.

And it comes together in well under 30 minutes and only requires a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients to make (<– OKAY)!

The texture of this salad is crunchy and inviting. And the pop of tangy vinegar and fresh dill make it a true delight for your taste buds!

We love making it to add to a rice bowl like we do with these Greek Chicken Meatballs, but it would also make a fabulous dish for a potluck, a simple dinner with friends, or alongside a BBQ spread instead of coleslaw with these Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs!

It’s bright and light flavors are such a great match for heartier fare!

The recipe is also versatile and can be modified to suit what you have on hand.

Different herbs, vinegars, and types of oil can all be swapped in and out to make it your own.

If you love the idea of this fresh & easy cabbage salad you’ll also want to check out our recipes for A Simple Arugula and Radish Salad, Lemony Chickpea Feta Salad, and Dairy Free Coleslaw with Mayo Dressing!

Recipe testing notes

Why you should add the salt and vinegar before olive oil

Adding salt and vinegar to cabbage and allowing it to sit for a short period of time before adding the oil helps to draw out moisture from the veg, and results in a crispier texture.

If you add the olive oil at the same time, it will prevent the salt and vinegar from penetrating the cabbage leaves and the texture won’t be quite as crunchy.

You don’t have to let it sit long, just 10-ish minutes in the refrigerator is enough time to achieve that nice crunch!

You may need more salt and vinegar than you think

Cabbage tends to absorb salt and vinegar quite eagerly. So I suggest adding what is recommended in the recipe and then seasoning again with more to taste before you dig in.

You want the no-fuss flavors to feel bold and punchy!

Ingredients

This quick cabbage salad is made with just a handful of simple ingredients! You can find the full list of ingredients, along with measurements, in the recipe card below. These are my ingredient notes and recommendations!

Green cabbage

One small head of green cabbage is the perfect amount to make 4-6 servings of this salad. It will likely seem like a lot of cabbage, but it shrinks considerably once dressed.

You could use red cabbage instead, but I find that green cabbage tends to be a bit more mild and sweet, and makes a better pairing with the fresh dill!

Kosher salt & rice vinegar

These two ingredients are tossed together with the cabbage before adding the olive oil to penetrate the cabbage with flavor and enhance the crunchy texture.

If you don’t have rice vinegar white wine vinegar is a good substitute.

Fresh dill

The combination of fresh dill with cabbage is one I don’t think I’ll ever get bored eating.

But if dill isn’t your thing, other tender herbs like parsley or cilantro can be used instead.

Olive oil

Because the ingredient list for this salad is so short, using the best quality that you can for each ingredient will result in a better tasting dish.

If you have a fancy olive oil on hand, this recipe is the perfect time to use it!

Black pepper

I’ve made this recipe with and without black pepper, and both ways are delicious!

If you do use black pepper the flavor is quite distinct, so feel free to try it without before adding it to see which your preference is.

Optional add-ins

We genuinely love this salad just the way it is, but if you want to add something else to the mix some yummy options are:

• Thinly sliced red onion
• Green onion
• Additional herbs
• Chili flakes
• Thinly sliced cucumber
• Shaved celery or fennel
• Nuts or seeds

How to make a chopped vinegary green cabbage salad

This slaw-like salad can be made in well under 30 minutes, and most of the time is hands off! I always suggest reading through the recipe at least once before you begin so that the recipe flows smoothly.

Step 1: Chop the cabbage

You can either shred or roughly chop the cabbage for this salad. I prefer chopping it into bite sized pieces because it’s a little bit less time consuming.

To prep the cabbage:

1. Cut the cabbage in half
2. Remove the stem by cutting it out in a triangle shape.
3. Flip each half over and cut into 1/2 inch thick strips, and then cut the strips into little pieces.

It’s okay if the pieces aren’t all exactly uniform in size!

Step 2: Toss the cabbage with salt and vinegar

Add chopped green cabbage to a large bowl and add kosher salt and rice vinegar. Toss to combine and move to the refrigerator to sit for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Finish assembling salad

Remove from the refrigerator and add chopped dill, black pepper, and olive oil and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed.

Storage recommendations

This salad is definitely of the “sturdy” variety, and should keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

But for the best flavor and texture I would recommend eating it within 6 hours of making!

Serving suggestions

You can serve this cabbage salad in just about any way that you would serve a simple slaw!

We love eating it with these Baked Greek Chicken Meatballs in a bowl with rice and Pickled Red Onions. It’s equally delicious with a BBQ spread or as a side dish to share with friends at a get-together.

And if you swap the dill for cilantro it would be the perfect pairing for tacos!

If you enjoyed these baked greek chicken meatballs, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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