Scrunched Cabbage Salad With Fried Almonds

Name: Scrunched Cabbage Salad With Fried Almonds
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 head green cabbage, tough outer leaves discarded (about 1 pound); Salt and black pepper; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup picked dill; 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 small lemon), or more to taste; 1 small garlic clove, finely grated; 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, or more to taste; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

By Cybelle Tondu

Published Jan. 3, 2023

Scrunched Cabbage Salad With Fried Almonds — Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 4(1,060)
Comments: Read comments

Crunchy and succulent, this hearty salad takes the humble cabbage and celebrates it as a leafy green. Raw cabbage can be tough and fibrous, which is why it is often thinly sliced for coleslaw. Massaging the leaves with salt — a technique common in kale salads — tenderizes the vegetable. The softened greens absorb the lemony dressing while nuts and seeds fry in olive oil. Store-bought roasted, salted almonds and toasted sesame seeds can be substituted, but adding freshly fried nuts and seeds to the salad while they’re still warm showcases their rich, earthy aromas. Serve alongside a fried chicken cutlet or on a plate with hummus and pita.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

½head green cabbage, tough outer leaves discarded (about 1 pound)
Salt and black pepper
2scallions, thinly sliced
¼cup picked dill
3tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 small lemon), or more to taste
1small garlic clove, finely grated
½teaspoon granulated sugar, or more to taste
3tablespoons olive oil
¼cup chopped raw almonds
1tablespoon sesame seeds

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
Cut cabbage half in half again through the core, then cut out and discard the core and any very tough ribs. Separate the leaves and tear or cut them into 2- or 3-inch pieces. In a large bowl, toss cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt with your hands until salt dissolves and cabbage begins to feel wet, about 2 minutes. Scrunch the leaves, firmly squeezing and massaging until they’re very tender and juicy, another 1 to 2 minutes. The leaves will appear glossy and slightly translucent. Pour out any liquid.
Step 2
Add scallions, dill, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and freshly ground black pepper to taste; toss thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, lemon juice and sugar if you’d like, then transfer to a serving dish and set aside.
Step 3
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add almonds and stir until light gold, about 2 minutes. Add sesame seeds and continue to stir until toasted, about 30 seconds. Season with a generous pinch of salt, spoon the mixture over the salad and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,060 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

kdekay2 years ago

Made this tonight and it as so delicious! I think next time I will make the dressing with sesame oil and cashews for the nuts for an Asian inspired salad.

rachel2 years ago

Picked dill is just dill fronds that have been picked off the plant. I liked this salad, it was really refreshing. Used shredded cabbage so skipped the salting (added salt to the dressing). My one note would be that this was very very garlicky - not at all a bad thing, but in the future I wouldn’t bother with the dill and scallions as they didn’t come across. Maybe my garlic is extra potent.

KB2 years ago

Yes, I interpret "picked" dill as the little fronds being picked/plucked from the tougher stems and left as is, as opposed to then being chopped.

Jennifer1 month ago

So delicious! I used pecans and black sesame seeds instead.

Lisa Metz2 months ago

I loved this recipe. I didn’t have almonds and used pecans which I toasted instead. I also sautéed salmon and chopped it up and added to the dish to make it a main course.

Amy2 months ago

LOVED this. The flavors and textures were SO more than the sum of their parts—bright, zesty, exactly the right amount of sweetness, garlic came through just enough, and the almonds made it sing. Will make this on repeat.

Private comments are only visible to you.