Red Cabbage, Pomegranate & Toasted Seed Salad
Shredded red cabbage with ruby pomegranate, toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds and a balsamic-honey dressing — crunchy, sweet-sharp and vivid.
Per serving, as written.
The side that actually looks like something: deep purple cabbage, ruby pomegranate, a scatter of golden seeds. It’s built for contrast — crunch against juice, sweet against sharp — which is exactly what a rich, warm main is missing. Set it next to a beefy chili or a delicate baked fish and it does the job a heavy side never could.
It also quietly pulls its weight nutritionally, which most sides don’t: cruciferous cabbage, vitamin C from the pomegranate, and fats from the seeds. Cuisine-neutral by design, so it fits wherever a plate needs a fresh, cold counterpoint. If you want it lighter, ease back on the oil and honey; everything else is close to free.
Ingredients
- 400 g red cabbage, finely shredded
- 80 g pomegranate seeds
- 20 g pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 small handful fresh mint, chopped
- salt and black pepper
Method
- Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds together in a dry pan over medium heat until they smell nutty and the pumpkin seeds start to pop, then tip out to cool.
- Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper into a dressing.
- Put the shredded red cabbage in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss well with your hands, working it in for a minute so the cabbage softens slightly.
- Scatter over the pomegranate seeds, toasted seeds and mint, toss once more and serve. It holds up well, so it's just as good made an hour ahead.
Free to start · no credit card required.