This Shredded Cabbage Salad with Apples has a creamy curry dressing and crunchy cashews! A healthy, paleo and whole30 side dish that everyone will love!
PIN Shredded Cabbage Salad with Apples
We interrupt your usual, December, Christmas–dessert-centered programming for a little something GREEN and VEGETABLY.
Liiiiike, I know we’ve been swimming in a sea of mango gluten free gingerbread cakes and sugar cookie gluten free greek yogurt cheesecakes lately, so I thought it was time for some food FROM THE EARTH.
And, when you taste the crunchy, RAW cabbage as it mixes and mingles with the CRISPY, juicy apples and chewy, sweet raisins with that CURRY KICK that just waaarrmmms up the back of your throat, ending with a salty, toasty cashew BANG?
You’re gonna understand EXACTLY why a raw cabbage salad HAS A PLACE among the whipped gluten free shortbread cookies and healthy ginger snap recipe phase of life that we are currently in.
I actually had to FIGHT MR. FFF for this bowl of “rabbit food” (as he usually calls anything green) because he WANTED to take it for lunch, and I wanted to keep it at home ALL FOR MEEEEEE.
We don’t fight often.
But, when we do?
It’s about this shredded cabbage salad with apples. Orrrr sometimes over a healthy chicken cobb salad recipe. So, fighting over something WITHOUT protein, is a VRY VRY big deal.
I should probably be grateful for this. I’m sure there could be worse things to fight over. Did I tell you that our first ever, all-out-screaming, RLY RLY angry fight was over HOW TO CUT A BELL PEPPER?
Oh, the silly things that you fight about in marriage. But, that’s a story for a different time.
Back to this easy cabbage salad recipe. Whether you’re making this salad or your own Oriental Coleslaw with Asian dressing, you need to know how to shred cabbage.
How do you make a cabbage salad?
Making cabbage salad is really easy once you learn how to shred a cabbage! So here’s how to do it:
- Remove the hard-outer leaves from the cabbage and cut the very hard bottom end off.
- Then, cut your cabbage in half, right down the middle. Then, cut your halves into halves, so you end up with 4 quarters of cabbage.
- Take one of the quarters and place it perpendicular to you, slicing it SUPER thin.
- While the sliced quarter is still perpendicular, slice it parallel until you have fine shreds! Do this over and over!
- Add all your fixing and dressing and toss until evenly coated. And you’re ready to go!
Friends of the internet variety, has your food-eating-life been graced with most delicious and ultra-yummy-and-magicalness that happens with you combine the naturally-perfect sweetness of apples with a spicy-middle-eastern-flavor-PUNCH of curry?
I discovered in in the coconut curry with almond butter and pretty much have been craving it SINCE. It’s spicy. It’s sweet. And it’s gonna make both of our inner wanting-to-be-healthy-but-why-is-CAKE-SO-GOOD souls actually VRY VRY excited to be eating salads with cabbage.
RLY RLY. I am NOT lying to you. You’re actually gonna be munching through an EPIC bowl of from-the-ground-NUTRITION, packed with CRISPY things! CRUNCHY things! And all other kinds of things that will make your inner-texture-freak FLIP, and be like HELLO, MORE PLEASE.
Also. I will totally not tell if you decide to invite a few extra cashews to the party. I’m pretty sure that cashews are proof that God loves and wants us to be happy.
WHY ARE THEY SO GOOD.
On the topic of things that are supremely delicious: that DRESSING THOUGH.
Do you remember how we made date caramel for the HomemadeTwix bars? That whole shenanigans is what put the idea in my brain that we could do a similar thing with golden raisins.
They’re both squishy. They both can absorb water. They both can be warmed up and blended.
SO WHY NOT TRY ‘ER OUT.
Uhhh, SPOILER ALERT: boiling golden raisins, and blending them to THICK and CREAMY goodness is going to be your newest favorite way to make salad dressing, WITHOUT having to use any kind of sugar to add a little sweetness.
The raisins? ALREADY GOT IT.
Warm and spicy curry + sweet, creamy golden raisins + apple juice for a little extra “apple-y action” +rich, heart-healthy olive oil = GONNA PUT IT ON EVERTHING FOREVER AND EVER THE END.
Buuut, start with THIS shredded cabbage salad with apples okay?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Ingredients
For the salad
- 7 Cups Green Cabbage, Shredded (about half a 2 1/2 lb head)
- 2 Apples, Roughly Chopped
- 1 Cup Roasted Salted Cashews
- 1/2 Cup Golden raisins
- 1/2 Cup Cilantro , Chopped, packed
- 1 pinch Salt
For the Dressing
- 1/2 Cup Golden Raisins, loosely packed (75g)
- 1/4 Cup Apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Apple Juice (not from concentrate)
- 1 1/2 Tsp Curry powder
- 2 Tbsp + 2 Tsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Add the cabbage, apples, cashews, raisins, cilantro and salt into a large bowl and mix well.
To make the dressing:
- Boil raisins with apple cider vinegar and apple juice. After they have come to a boil, transfer them to a high powered food processor and blend, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, until well mixed. Add in the curry and salt and blend until well mixed - a little bit of chunkiness in the raisins is fine.
- While the food processor is running, stream in the olive oil, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.
- DEVOUR.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PER SERVING: SMART POINTS: 8 POINTS+: 5. OLD POINTS: 3
(per 1/8 of the salad)
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Melissa Griffiths says
Cabbage salads are my favorite right now. I’m definitely going to have to try this one!
Taylor Kiser says
Mine too! Hope you love!
Emily says
This looks EPIC. I love cabbage salad, and it sounds like/looks like you took it to the next level with how much you and Mr. FFF like it. 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
You must try it friend! you would love all the flavors going on!
Sue says
When you transfer the raisins to the blender, is with or without the liquid?
Taylor Kiser says
with! 🙂
Hayke says
This is soooooo delish!!! Cut back on the raisins I added to the salad and topped with grilled chicken breast. Couldn’t get enough!!!
Taylor Kiser says
Isn’t it SO yummy?! SO glad you liked it!!!
Karen says
Hey! This is my first time visiting your page and I’m LOVING the sound of this salad. I want to make it for an upcoming gathering and want to ask if it’s okay to make ahead and how well it sits when made, for like 3-4 hrs. I like to make heavier salads for gartherings to reduce the chances of wilting, how does this one stand up to time?
Taylor Kiser says
Totally will stand for 3-4 hours!! It’s heavy and perfect for that! Let me know what you think!!
Manjiri Mulekar says
Which curry powder? Can u share ingredients,so I can make it
Taylor Kiser says
The full recipe is at the bottom of the post 🙂 It’s just yellow curry powder.
Beth says
Hi! Very funny intro to recipe, thanks! In our house, people really fight over rice,.specifically over how to cook it. I will not cook rice because it is too contentious!! I have a question about the recipe : can I use normal raisins instead of golden raisins? Thank you very much. God Bless you.
Taylor Kiser says
RIGHT?! It’s so funny how people have such strong opinions!
PROBABLY, but I haven’t tried it so can’t guarantee how it will affect the flavor! let us know if you try!
Diane says
This was a delicious and fulfilling salad. The flavors really stand out. Thanks for posting.
Taylor Kiser says
I am SO glad you liked it! 🙂
arlene smith says
The curry ruined it. WAY too powerful a flavor for this recipe
arlene araujo says
I think you only accept positive ratings. that isn’t fair
Taylor Kiser says
Nope I don’t! I just moderate comments which is why they don’t show up right away. Sorry you didn’t love the curry – it really can vary person to person as many people love this salad!
Jen says
I think it’s amazing! Curry and all! Love curry! ❤️❤️❤️ The crunch of the cabbage and apples with the saltiness of the cashews, tang of the apple cider vinegar and sweet of the sultanas (I don’t get golden raisins in England). Husband and kids loved it too!
Taylor Kiser says
YAY!!!! I am SO happy that you love it! <3