Romanian Cabbage Salad

A semi traditional Romanian Cabbage Salad! A really easy salad to whip up in no time at all. If you eat it straight away, it’s tasty & if you prepare it beforehand the flavours just intensify. Delicious either way. Romanian cabbage salad, which is often tart in flavour (thanks to vinegar & lemon juice), helps balance the heavy, meaty, meals that are true to Romanian cuisine. I’ve added walnuts as I think they are a tasty addition.

Ingredients

1/2 head white cabbage, finely sliced

1-1.5 tbsp sunflower/vegetable oil

Generous drizzle of white wine vinegar, to taste

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Handful parsley, dill or thyme, finely chopped

Salt, generously to taste

Pepper, generously to taste

Walnuts, handful, finely chopped (optional)

Method

Mix all ingredients in a large salad bowl & toss to combine.

Taste for seasoning & adjust to your liking.

Serve immediately or cover in the refrigerator until needed.

Notes:

Stick to a neutral oil, like sunflower or vegetable for this salad. I have made this once with olive oil and the flavour was too intense, and it took away from other flavours in the salad.

The salt will draw out some moisture from the cabbage, if needed drain any liquid that is released.

Use fresh herbs for the best flavour.

You could also add in pickled cucumbers and cranberries if you like to jazz it up even more. Not quite true to an original Romanian cabbage salad, but it’s your salad - go for what you’re feeling!

This could be served alongside any rich meat dishes that are grilled or roasted, as it balances out inherently ‘heavy’ foods beautifully, with its tartness.

If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can substitute white wine or apple cider vinegar.