Everyday Healthy Recipes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Cookie Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Soups/Salads

    Pickled Red Cabbage Slaw with Pear

    July 14, 2016 By Monika Last Updated July 25, 2022 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This colourful, zesty Pickled Red Cabbage Slaw with pear and walnuts is full of flavour yet contains only a handful of ingredients. It's a healthy, delicious, perfect for any occasion.

    Pickled red cabbage slaw with walnuts, cilantro and pear slices on top of white plate.

    This Pickled Red Cabbage Slaw is zesty, sweet and savoury, full of crunch and incredible colour! Everything a good slaw should be.

    Why this recipe works

    Red cabbage is a very nutritious vegetable but I tend to avoid it in salads because of its tough often stringy texture.   As I recently discovered, however, this problem disappears if the cabbage is left in a light pickling mixture overnight.  It can be used already the following day!  

    In this red cabbage slaw pickling infuses the cabbage with flavour (sweet, sour and salty) and the salad doesn't require any dressing other than maybe a little drizzle of lemon juice or olive oil just before serving. This makes preparation simpler and shorter.  All that's left to do is combine the pickled cabbage with the rest of the salad ingredients and serve.

    Chopped red cabbage, pear slices, walnuts and herbs in bowl, with large spoon to the right, walnuts and lemon wedge to the left.

    The process of pickling gives the cabbage a vibrant purple colour.  It is so much more appealing than a faded purple greyish it would eventually turn without being pickled!

    Another plus of pickling the cabbage is that it makes it more tender, but not soggy, still allowing it to retain some crunch, as it is pickled for a fairly short time.  This red cabbage slaw recipe does not share the life cycle of most salads made with raw ingredients (i.e. from crunchy to soggy).  If left to stand for a while, its texture will not change dramatically.  So you can leave leftovers in the fridge for a few hours and enjoy them later!

    Another salad where I've used lightly pickled red cabbage is festive Christmas slaw with maple glazed pecans.

    Pickled red cabbage slaw ingredients

    There are 2 sets of ingredients in this recipe.  The first consists of the red cabbage along with the pickling ingredients including salt, sugar, vinegar and oil. 

    The second are the remaining ingredients that go into this salad.  They are: pears, red onion, walnuts, lemon juice, cilantro and oil. 

    How to prepare the red cabbage

    This is very easy to do.  Remove the tough middle bit from the cabbage and slice it very thinly.  Add the salt, sugar, oil and vinegar, stir thoroughly, cover and refrigerate overnight.  The following day simply give a good stir and make the salad!

    Red cabbage salad with spoon in mixing bowl.

    Assembling the recipe

    This simple red cabbage and pear salad is really quick and easy to put together.

    1. Combine the pickled cabbage with the pear, red onion, walnuts and cilantro.

    Peeled, chopped pear, cilantro, walnuts, sliced red onion, lemon and red cabbage slaw in bowl at the top.

    2. Drizzle with a little oil and lemon juice, stir, season to taste and enjoy!

    Chopped pear, walnuts, herbs and red cabbage in mixing bowl with spoon and lemons to the right.

    Top tips

    • You could either slice the cabbage very thinly, as I have done, or shred it. Whichever method you choose your pickled red cabbage will have a lovely texture, a little crunchy but not tough.
    • Storing: Any leftover pickled cabbage can be kept in the fridge in an air tight container for 3-5 days. The salad itself can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
    • Not suitable for freezing.

    Serving suggestions

    This pickled red cabbage slaw goes well with chicken, turkey or pork dishes including leftover meat, in a sandwich (such as turkey salad sandwich) or in tacos and wraps. It's also delicious with fish cakes as well as salmon dishes.

    Substitutions

    • Pear: Substitute sweet tasting apple if preferred.
    • Walnuts: Use pecans, chopped almonds or hazelnuts.
    • Cilantro: Fresh parsley or chives would work well, too.
    • Oil: I used vegetable oil for its neutral flavour but mild tasting olive oil is a good alternative.
    Shredded red cabbage with pear, walnuts and herbs in mixing bowl with spoon to the right, lemon ,pear, red cabbage piece and knife in background.

    You might also like

    • Red Cabbage Juice 3 Ways
    • Quick Braised Red Cabbage with Apple & Beetroot
    • Red Cabbage Winter Vegetable Soup
    • Healthy Crispy No Mayo Coleslaw (Dairy Free)
    • Red Cabbage Patties

    Keep in touch!

    Have you made this pickled red cabbage salad? I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Recipe

    Pickled red cabbage slaw with walnuts, cilantro and pear slices on top of white plate.

    Pickled Red Cabbage Slaw with Pear

    This colourful, zesty overnight pickled red cabbage slaw with pear and walnuts is full of flavour yet contains only a handful of ingredients.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Lunch, Salad
    Cuisine: International, vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Curing time Overnight: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 169kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Ingredients

    • 12.35 ounces (350 g) red cabbage about ½ medium sized cabbage, shredded or sliced thinly
    • 2 medium pears ripe but firm, peeled, cubed or sliced
    • 1 small red onion very thinly sliced
    • ½ cup (65 g) walnuts roughly chopped
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro/fresh coriander chopped
    • A drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil plus zest of ½ lemon
    • Pepper to taste

    For the pickling mixture

    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar

    Instructions

    • Coarsely grate or slice (thinly) the cabbage (without using the tough middle bit of the cabbage which can be chopped up and added to soup).  Combine the pickling ingredients and pour over the cabbage stirring thoroughly. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
    • To make the slaw combine the cabbage with the pears, cilantro, red onion, walnuts, season to taste and drizzle with oil and lemon juice. Scatter the lemon zest over the top and serve.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 675IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!

    More Soups and Salads

    • Top down view of Polish mushroom soup in white bowl with spoon.
      Simple Polish Mushroom Soup (Zupa Pieczarkowa)
    • Top down view of creamy dill pickle egg salad in black bowl with spoon.
      Healthy Dill Pickle Egg Salad
    • Top down view of creamy butternut squash tomato soup with croutons in grey bowl with spoon on right.
      Easy Butternut Squash Tomato Soup
    • Top down view of cottage cheese egg salad in grey bowl with spoon.
      Simple Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
    546 shares

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Honest Mum says

      July 15, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      This looks so tasty, refreshing and healthy. Love the photos.

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        July 15, 2016 at 5:57 pm

        Thanks Vicki! It was all of those things plus easy to make:)

        Reply
    2. Eileen says

      July 14, 2016 at 11:28 pm

      I love this idea. Not only is the salad gorgeous, but I'm sure it will taste great. I just got a big head of red cabbage in my farm share today. Now I know what I'm going to do with it. Thanks! #recipeoftheweek

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        July 15, 2016 at 6:43 am

        Thanks! I was surprised myself how well it turned out, it was just a little experiment, I'm so glad it worked! Hope you like it:)

        Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

    Find out more about me →

    Popular Posts

    • Side view of 3 plesniak cake slices on top of wooden surface.
      Polish Pleśniak Cake
    • Top down view of pierogi in bowl, making pierogi and dough.
      5 Traditional Pierogi Recipes (plus tips for serving, freezing)
    • Top down view of cottage cheese egg salad in grey bowl with spoon.
      Simple Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
    • Top down view of meatballs in mushroom sauce in large pan.
      Healthy Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce

    Polish Recipes

    • 4 colourful Polish soups in bowls.
      28 Traditional Polish Soups
    • Sauerkraut stew in green bowl with spoon with hands holding it, and grey pot with stew in background.
      Authentic Polish Bigos Stew Recipe
    • Top down view of cabbage rolls in large white shallow pan.
      Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golabki) in Tomato Sauce
    • Close-up view of Polish potato dumplings in green bowl.
      Authentic Polish Potato Dumplings (Kopytka)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • About

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for recipe updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 · Everyday Healthy Recipes

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required