Spring is just around the corner (and so is Saint Patrick’s Day!). This warm red cabbage salad is springtime on a plate! I shave red cabbage and toss it in a warm shallot vinaigrette, topping the salad with handfuls of homemade crispy fried onions.

This cabbage salad is bright and cheery while still holding onto some of the warm flavors of winter. Make it for Saint Patrick’s Day to take cabbage from plain to perfection!

My STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO below will help guide you through the recipe. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for recipe videos every week!

 

 

 

Makes: appetizer or side for 4 people

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 55 minutes

The Ingredients

1 medium red cabbage (roughly 5 inches wide), cored and cut into quarters

1 large shallot, cut into thin rings

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons + 1-2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar (or sub red wine vinegar)

Salt & pepper

For crispy fried onions:

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if possible)

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup all-purpose flour (you can sub gluten-free flour if needed)

2-3 cups vegetable/canola oil

 

 

 

The Steps

Let yellow onion slices soak in buttermilk for 20 minutes.

While onions are soaking, use a mandolin or very sharp knife to cut thin slices of cabbage. Set cabbage shavings aside in a large salad bowl.

Remove onions from buttermilk, shaking off excess buttermilk. In a separate bowl or plate, dredge onions in flour, separating onion slices from each other as best as possible.

For crispy fried onions: in a medium skillet, add ½ – ¾ inch of vegetable/canola (about 2-3 cups of oil). Use a meat thermometer to heat oil to 325 to 350 degrees. I find that you can maintain this temperature by keeping your burner on medium/high heat.

Fry onions in small batches for 3-6 minutes per batch, using a slotted spoon to flip onions occasionally for even browning. Remove onions from oil at desired golden brown color with slotted spoon, letting fried onions rest on a paper towel lined plate. Season generously with salt.

NOTE: a medium yellow onion will yield quite a lot of fried onions. You can make a half-batch if you prefer to not have leftover fried onions! Feel free to mail me leftover fried onions LOL!

For shallot vinaigrette: add shallot rings, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to a small saucepan. Let vinaigrette heat over medium/high heat for about 3 minutes, until shallots soften. Pour vinaigrette over cabbage, and toss. Add 1-2 more teaspoons of vinegar, depending on how tangy you like it!

To serve: Top salad with crispy fried onions. Serve immediately, while salad is still slightly warm, or at room temp.

 

 

 

The Steps with Video