Keto Cabbage Salad Recipes: A Comprehensive Guide

Cabbage salads offer a refreshing and versatile way to incorporate more vegetables into a keto or low-carb diet. They are easy to prepare, customizable, and can be enjoyed as a side dish, a light meal, or even as a topping for other dishes. This article explores various keto cabbage salad recipes, highlighting their ingredients, preparation methods, and nutritional benefits.

Understanding Keto and Cabbage

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates for energy. Cabbage is an excellent choice for keto dieters because it is low in carbs and high in fiber and essential nutrients. It provides a satisfying crunch and can be paired with various dressings and ingredients to create flavorful and filling salads.

Keto Asian Cabbage Salad

This crunchy slaw is packed with colorful vegetables and tossed in a delicious low-carb Asian dressing, making it a perfect keto side dish for busy weeknight dinners or a crowd-pleasing option for parties and picnics.

Ingredients:

• Salad Base: Chopped Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced red onions, chopped fresh cilantro, and thinly sliced sweet bell peppers.
• Keto Asian Salad Dressing: Soy sauce (or coconut aminos), sesame oil, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic chili sauce, and Swerve brown sugar sweetener.

Preparation:

1. Thinly slice the red onion and bell peppers.
2. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce (or coconut aminos), olive oil, sesame oil, vinegar, Swerve brown sweetener, and garlic chili sauce.
3. Place the shredded cabbage and sliced vegetables in a large salad bowl.
4. Pour the Asian dressing over the cabbage salad and mix well.
5. Fold in the cilantro.
6. Top with chopped peanuts (optional).
7. Serve immediately or refrigerate to allow the salad to marinate.

This salad can be made a day in advance and will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Quick and Simple Keto Cabbage Salad

For a quick and easy low-carb salad, this recipe combines green and purple cabbage with cucumbers and radishes, dressed with a tangy vinaigrette.

Read also: Bacon Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

• Finely sliced green and purple cabbage
• Sliced cucumbers
• Sliced radishes
• Low-carb sweetener (optional)
• Dressing ingredients (vinegar, oil, herbs, spices)

Preparation:

1. Slice the cabbage, cucumbers, and radishes thinly. A mandolin can be used for consistent slicing.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
3. Combine the sliced vegetables in a large bowl.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently.
5. Add salt to taste.

The cabbage can be pre-cut up to 2 days in advance and stored in a zip lock bag in the fridge. The salad can also be made up to 2 days in advance, allowing the flavors to meld.

Creamy Keto Coleslaw Salad

This recipe offers a creamy and flavorful coleslaw without added sugar, making it a perfect side dish for fish, seafood, barbecued chicken, or grilled meat.

Ingredients:

• Shredded green and red cabbage (3:1 ratio)
• Shredded carrot
• Dressing: Mayonnaise, sweetener (such as Sukrin Melis or Powdered Erythritol), Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, lemon juice, mustard (Inglehoffer Stone Ground or Dijon), and celery seed.

Preparation:

1. Shred the cabbage and carrot. A food processor can be used for the carrots, but it's recommended to slice the cabbage by hand to avoid a confetti consistency.
2. In a large bowl, prepare the dressing by combining mayonnaise, sweetener, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and celery seed. Adjust the ingredients to taste.
3. Add the shredded cabbage and carrot to the bowl with the dressing and mix well.
4. Refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend.

For an easier preparation, bagged coleslaw mix can be used. The leftover dressing can be used as a simple salad dressing for lettuce salads.

Avocado Cabbage Slaw

This slaw features crunchy cabbage and cucumber tossed in a creamy, zesty avocado sauce, providing a healthy and delicious complement to many main dishes.

Ingredients:

• Cabbage
• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Lime juice
• Cilantro
• Keto-approved sweetener (stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol, optional)

Preparation:

1. Scoop out the avocado and place it in a small bowl along with the lime juice and cilantro. Mash the ingredients together with a fork or combine in a blender.
2. Add the cabbage and cucumber to a medium bowl and gently mix in the avocado mixture until evenly combined.
3. If desired, add a keto-approved sweetener to balance out the tartness from the lime.

The prep work can be done ahead of time.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Cabbage Salad with Cashews in Creamy Dressing

This raw cabbage salad recipe is both healthy and low-carb, featuring a light and creamy dressing and a variety of crunchy ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Both green and red cabbage
• Carrots
• Bell pepper
• Roasted cashews
• Sesame seeds
• Cilantro
• Dressing: Lime juice, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey (or keto-friendly alternative), and Greek yogurt.

Preparation:

1. In a large salad bowl, combine both cabbages, the carrots, bell pepper, and cashews.
2. Whisk together the lime juice, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey (or keto-friendly alternative), and Greek yogurt.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with sesame seeds and cilantro leaves.

This salad can be enjoyed on its own or with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Tips for Making the Best Keto Cabbage Salad

• Cabbage Variety: Experiment with different types of cabbage, such as green, red, Savoy, or Napa, to find your preferred flavor and texture.
• Add-Ins: Customize your salad with other low-carb vegetables like bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, and celery. Nuts and seeds, such as peanuts, cashews, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds, can add extra crunch and nutrients.
• Dressing: Choose or create keto-friendly dressings using ingredients like olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and low-carb sweeteners.
• Make Ahead: Cabbage salads often taste better after they have had time to marinate in the dressing. Prepare the salad a few hours or even a day in advance for optimal flavor.
• Storage: Store leftover cabbage salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Nutritional Benefits of Cabbage

Cabbage is a nutritional powerhouse, offering a variety of health benefits:

• Low in Carbs and Calories: Cabbage is very low in carbohydrates and calories, making it an excellent choice for weight management and keto diets.
• High in Fiber: Cabbage is a good source of dietary fiber, which promotes digestive health and helps you feel full and satisfied.
• Rich in Vitamins and Minerals: Cabbage is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium.
• Antioxidants: Cabbage contains antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

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