This Savoy Cabbage Slaw is a crunchy, colorful cabbage salad made with apple, smoked tofu, and a tangy dressing. It's hearty enough for lunch, sturdy enough for meal prep, and is one of those salads that gets even better after a day in the fridge.
It's crunch time
You know how some salads are best eaten immediately? This is not one of them. I have a special place in my Nutrition Lady heart for salads that don't wilt the second they're dressed, and this Savoy Cabbage Slaw is one of my favorites.
Unlike my Spicy Coleslaw recipe made with white cabbage, this one is made with tender Savoy cabbage, sweet apple, and a bright, tangy miso dressing. It's the kind of salad that settles in and somehow gets even better after a day or two in the fridge.
I do take the time to caramelize a generous pile of shallots for this recipe, and I think you'll find the sweetness they bring is well worth the effort. But if you're short on time, feel free to skip them. I also like to toss in cubes of smoked tofu for a little protein and smoky flavor, but those are entirely optional too.
Everything else comes together quickly with a bit of chopping and shredding, making this a perfect meal-prep salad for lunches, easy dinners, and busy weeks. It's the kind of salad you'll be happy to find waiting for you when lunchtime rolls around.
Leftover cabbage? I highly recommend making this easy and nourishing Japanese Cabbage Pancake (Okonomiyaki) to use it up!
Let's make Savoy Slaw together!
Alrighty friend, let's do this! You'll find specific quantities and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. For now, join me for a visual walk-through, and I'll show you how it works step by step.
Step 1: caramelize the shallots
This step isn't hard, but it does take a bit of time. Trust me, though, the deep, golden sweet and slightly sticky flavor of the caramelized shallots is well worth the time.
Step 2: make the dressing
This dressing is the bomb dot com. Miso, nutritional yeast, rice vinegar, and sesame oil bring layers and layers of flavor. All you need to do is whisk everything together in a bowl and you're good to go.
Step 3: make the slaw!
Now for the fun part! All you need to do now is get everything into a nice big bowl to combine it, then mix it on up!
Now all you need to do is pour the dressing over top and give it another mix.
You'll want the slaw to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Step 4: serve!
You may want to add a little bit of extra dressing when you serve it. I usually do.
Savoy Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 4 large shallots thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium savoy cabbage thinly sliced or shredded
- ½ small red onion finely diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and grated
- 1 large apple peeled and grated
- 8 ounces smoked tofu sliced into small cubes
- 2 Tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and the sliced shallots and cook, stirring only every once in a while, for about 15 minutes or until the shallots are deeply browned.4 large shallots, 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- While the shallots are cooking, prep the rest of the slaw. Shred the cabbage, dice the red onion, grate the carrot and apple, and cube the tofu. Place everything into a large bowl.½ medium savoy cabbage, ½ small red onion, 1 large carrot, 1 large apple, 8 ounces smoked tofu
- In a small bowl whisk together the miso paste, nutritional yeast, rice vinegar, olive oil, and sesame oil. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed.2 Tablespoons white miso paste, 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast, ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste
- Once the shallots are browned remove them from the heat to cool slightly, then add to the bowl with the rest of the slaw ingredients. Toss to combine well.
- Pour some of the dressing over the slaw (you may not need all of it) and toss to combine well. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, toss again, and serve.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- I find that this slaw generally uses up about ¾ of the dressing. I like to reserve a bit for pouring over individual plates when I'm ready to serve.
- I love this salad both with and without the smoked tofu. With the tofu mixed in, it makes a great vegetarian main dish.
- If you're packing for lunches and are not going to dress the slaw in advance, squeeze the moisture out of the grated apple and sprinkle with a bit of rice vinegar to prevent it from browning too much.
Nancy Fischer says
What do I sub if I can’t find smoked tofu?
Katie Trant says
Hey Nancy! You can either leave the tofu out, or you could sub cubes of regular or marinated tofu. I used to make this recipe with cubes of tofu I'd marinated in soy sauce and then pan-fried until crispy, but realized it was way less work to cut up a cube of smoked tofu.
Nancy Fischer says
That's kind of what I suspected, thank you
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
This slaw looks delicious. Love the flavours- very tasty & most of all fresh! YUM.
Katie Trant says
Thanks Jess!
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says
Marvelous! This sounds so tasty 🙂 I would love to see more of your dinnery fridge salads!
Katie Trant says
Maybe I should do a roundup of them!
kellie@foodtoglow says
Want. That is all. Goodnight. 😉
Katie Trant says
Haha, thanks Kellie!
Linda @ Veganosity says
It's so reassuring to hear that I'm not the only one who does that. I can't tell you how many times I've driven around the block to make sure I closed the garage door.
This is a gorgeous salad Katie. I love the addition of smoked tofu. Thanks for the info on the cabbage, I knew it was healthy but I didn't know that it helped lower cholesterol via the liver.
Katie Trant says
Oh man, I do that almost daily! And yup, cabbage is great stuff!