Colorful, delicious, purple cabbage can also be served as a salad, perhaps enriched with other fresh and equally colorful vegetables that will make this very simple recipe even more inviting and scenic. Purple cabbage salad is a side dish that is completely vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose-free, to be eaten cold, very tasty and appetizing that can be paired with fried foods (fries, etc.), boiled or grilled meat and fish, or as a filling for tasty and rich sandwiches. Purple cabbage salad can be customized according to your own tastes.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 75 g.
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs purple cabbage
- 2 carrots
- to taste chopped parsley or fresh chives
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- 3.4 oz dry red wine
Steps
The presence of wine in this recipe is necessary because purple cabbage, when in contact with boiling water, would turn green, which is not aesthetically pleasing. The presence of an acid (either wine or vinegar or both) prevents this phenomenon, preserving the cabbage’s color, aroma, and flavor.
All the alcohol from the wine will evaporate during cooking.
1) Remove any outer leaves that are too hard, spoiled, damaged, and inedible. With a sharp knife, cut the purple cabbage into very thin slices (like sauerkraut, for instance), which we will then cut in half if they are too large. Also, remove the central white rib from the cabbage “slices” as it is inedible.
2) Transfer everything into a basin and wash it well; then let excess water drain off.
During this time, bring some water to a boil in a large pot. We do not need to fill the pot completely; the water, in fact, should just cover the purple cabbage.
3) When the water is almost boiling, salt it, let it return to a boil, then add first the wine and then the purple cabbage. Stir well, cover, and let the cabbage simmer for about 14 minutes on a medium flame on the small burner, without a lid.
4) At the end of cooking, the purple cabbage will retain a firm consistency, not mushy. Turn off the heat and drain the cooked cabbage immediately and thoroughly, and let it cool completely.
5) When cool, season it with a clove of garlic, without the internal sprout, chopped very finely, the peeled and julienned carrots and celery stalk; finally, finely chopped fresh parsley or fresh chives (as I did) and extra virgin olive oil.
Stir well, taste, and adjust the salt if necessary, since purple cabbage is rather sweet; serve it, or let our purple cabbage salad further marinate.
Leftovers of this tasty side dish should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for at least two days.
The extra idea. If you want to add a touch more, a more intense flavor, also add apple cider vinegar during cooking, along with the wine (2-3 tablespoons are more than enough, according to personal taste).
Bon appetit
