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By Beckie Hemmerling · Zero AI content
You are here: Home » Salads

Spiciness: Mild

Kale and Red Cabbage Salad with Pecans

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This vibrant chopped kale and red cabbage salad recipe has shaved carrots, watermelon radish, red peppers, brown rice, pecans and your favorite salad dressing.

Chopped Kale & Red Cabbage w/ slices of raw red peppers, shaved carrot, sliced green onions w/ brown rice & cilantro in a white bowl with a side of brown peanut salad dressing this …

Kale and red cabbage salad is full of color, energy, and flavor.

Kale Salad with Cabbage Ingredient Substitutions

Use any variety of kale for the salad.  Lacinata or dinosaur kale is my current favorite and is in the picture. Lacinata is a strong flat kale, but curly or red Russian kale work too.

Can't find a watermelon radish?  Cool.  Use a couple regular radishes, turnips, or a piece of daikon (longer white radish).

Don't want to make the cabbage and kale salad dressing?  Don't stress.  Buy something similar and move on!

Use any leftover grain or starch.  If you don't want to make the rice, you could use quinoa, farro, or pasta with this kale cabbage salad.

Chopped Kale & Red Cabbage w/ slices of raw red peppers, shaved carrot, sliced green onions w/ brown rice & cilantro in a white bowl with a side of brown peanut salad dressing. Vertical view.
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Chopped Kale & Red Cabbage w/ slices of raw red peppers, shaved carrot, sliced green onions w/ brown rice & cilantro in a white bowl with a side of brown peanut salad dressing

Kale And Red Cabbage Salad with Pecans

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EatSimpleFood.com

This vibrant chopped kale and red cabbage salad recipe includes shaved carrots, watermelon radish, red peppers, brown rice, nuts and a peanut ginger tamari salad dressing. 

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 head kale, chopped
  • ¼ head red cabbage, chopped
  • 2 carrots, shaved
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 watermelon radish, sliced
  • 3 green onions, lightly smashed and sliced
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves - as garnish
  • ½ cup chopped nuts - as garnish
  • ¾ cup store bought or pre-made peanut ginger dressing

Instructions

  1. Cut the green onions (white and green parts) lengthwise into 1 ½" pieces.  Smash the green onions gently (and carefully!) with the back flat edge of a chef's knife.  It doesn't have to be hard - just try to smash them enough so that you can level them out a bit and safely slice them. (Don't want to do this? Simply slice the onions instead).
  2. Peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler.  Throw the "first peels" away and then continue "shaving" them with the vegetable peeler.
  3. In a large bowl add the rinsed kale, red cabbage, carrots, pepper, radish, and green onions.  Toss together and plate. 
  4. Add brown rice to center of plate.  Add salad on top of rice. 
  5. Top with cilantro and pecans and add desired amount of dressing.

Notes

  • Use any kale you got.  Lacinata or dinosaur kale is my current favorite and is in the picture.
  • Can't find a watermelon radish?  Cool.  Use a couple regular radishes, turnip, or daikon.
  • Don't want to make the dressing?  Don't stress.  Buy something similar and move on!
  • Use any grain or starch you have cooked or as leftovers.  If you don't want to make the brown rice, you could use quinoa, farro, or white rice.
  • Author: beckie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish / Salad
  • Method: No Cooking Involved
  • Cuisine: Thai Inspired
  • Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Things In My Kitchen:

  • Salad Spinner - Clean up your greens, always dirt or bugs hiding in there.
  • Vegetable Peeler - For shaving the carrots thin
  • 18 x 14 Teak Cutting Board - Sustainably managed plantations, easy on knives, and has a juice groove.

As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Like

If you like kale and red cabbage salad then you may also like one of these kale recipes.

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    Kale and Almond Salad with Lemon Dressing

Serving Suggestion

Serve this Kale and Red Cabbage Salad recipe with some hummus for a light meal. Or you can serve it with 13 bean soup, or with a main dish like crab cakes or pan fried chicken thighs.

  • Small blue bowl of off white hummus with a mint garnish. Spoon inserted into hummus.
    Simple and Easy Homemade Hummus
  • Side View of 13 bean soup in a red tomato sauce on a white wood table. side view. white bowl. Thyme sprigs in the back ground
    Simple Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup
  • 3 Cooked Pan Fried Easy Crab Cakes Recipe On White Plates. Side View.
    Easy Crab Cakes with Panko
  • 5 seared cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs in a black pan on a white table. Top down view.
    Easy Pan Fried Boneless Chicken Thighs

More Salad Recipes

  • Wood oval plate with crispy romaine lettuce with cooked chicken, sliced almonds, diced carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and ginger.
    Chinese Chopped Chicken Salad
  • Chunked Romaine Lettuce on a white platter dusted with Parmesan cheese. Tongs on side. 2 glasses of empty wine glasses on side.
    Vegetarian Caesar Salad
  • Egg Salad mixed with mayonnaise and topped with chopped parsley in a white bowl with a wood spoon with a white napkin underneath the bowl. Very Close up.
    Simple Chunky Egg Salad with Mayonnaise
  • Close up of halved cucumbers with seeds taken out tossed in a soy / sesame oil sauce and topped with sesame seeds and cilantro.
    Simple Asian Cucumber Salad

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Hey y'all!

I’m Beckie Hemmerling. I love food and glorify it sometimes but also think of it on a basic level of providing strength & nourishment. Cooking has helped me *try* to figure out life, not just my own, but also other peoples. I have cooked through many joys / sorrows and cooking has always been a meditative place through these highs & lows. As a professional cook, I have been a “food therapist” to each one of my clients. My clients keep me on my toes and contribute to my personal & professional growth more than words can say…. More background info →

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