Crispy and citrusy, this cabbage apple and fennel slaw is the perfect side salad to serve any time of the year. It’s great at barbecues and summer picnics, as a side dish with baked chicken or fish at home, or in a lunchbox with some added protein. You can make all the elements for this salad ahead of time and assemble it just before serving for extra freshness.
This cabbage, fennel and apple slaw salad is inspired by a green bean salad from Ottolenghi’s restaurant. I loved the orange dressing and hazelnuts with the green veggies, and I wanted to try making something similar at home.
I had some lovely Savoy cabbage, which I thought would pair nicely with crunchy fennel and apple. The whole ensemble worked really well, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you guys.
We had this salad with some grilled chicken sausages but it would make a perfect side dish with any protein of choice. If you want a lighter meal, then simply enjoy it as is on its own.
Tips For Making Cabbage Apple Slaw
You can use any type of shredded cabbage: white, red, Savoy, Napa/Chinese, Brussels sprouts or even chopped-up kale.
Savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale are quite hardy, so I recommend massaging the leaves with a little sea salt and lemon juice before combining with the rest of the ingredients. This will soften the fibres of the leaves slightly.
I used a little sesame oil to give the dressing a slight toasted, nutty flavour but if you can get your hands on some hazelnut oil, that would be even better.
As for hazelnuts, you can get already toasted nuts or toast the raw ones in the 200 C / 400 C oven for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. I think toasted nuts have much more flavour. Almonds would also work well in this salad.
More Gorgeous Salads Here:
- Broccoli Slaw With Cranberries & Celery
- Celeriac Slaw With Pancetta & Pine Nuts
- Moroccan Carrot & Beet Slaw Salad
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Ingredients
- 1/2 medium Savoy cabbage thinly shredded (or other cabbage of choice, about 4-5 cups shredded)
- A pinch of sea salt
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 small fennel root thinly sliced (or 1/2 large fennel)
- 1 medium apple core out, quartered and sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts toasted, roughly chopped (I used a little less than 1/2 cup)
For the dressing
- Zest of 1 medium orange
- Juice of 1 medium orange
- 1 clove of garlic grated or finely diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil or 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
- A generous pinch of salt and ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- If using something like Savoy cabbage, remove the first few layers of leaves, which are greener, and give them a good wash. Cut away the harder stems and shred the leaves thinly. Then, add a few of the more pale green and white leaves as well.If using regular white cabbage, simply remove the core and cut the cabbage half into quarter size chunks, before shredding them thinly. Add the cabbage to a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with a little sea salt and drizzle with juice of half a lemon. Using your hands, mix and massage the leaves gently for 10-20 seconds. Add the fennel, apple and hazelnuts.
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the slaw. Mix the salad well using your hands to make sure everything is well coated with the dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow, delicious! I had some fennel in my vegie box and don’t generally like it so was looking for something that lightens the taste. I made this with the wombok also in my vegie salad. It turned out beautifully. I didn’t have hazelnuts so swapped them for macadamia’s, that worked well. I added in some fried noodles to convince my 2 year old to try it – they worked really well with it. I now have a go-to fennel recipe 😀
Thanks, Kirstie 🙂
This recipe is another winner Irena! I made this and served alongside some sticky orange-soy-honey marinated salmon fillets and both were delicious!
I made this with extra lemon juice instead of orange, and used toasted almonds instead of hazelnuts, added pepitas and shredded coconut. Especially with the dressing, this was one of the best salads I’ve ever made/eaten! Thanks so much I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe!!
Thanks Rachel, I can see how it would work with all of those substitutions. Shredded coconut would give it a really fun flavour too.
Shared, what a lovely summer recipe with all the best flavours.
I shared this recipe the ingredients looked so lovely..
Love how fresh and crispy it looks! And I dig the inclusion of hazelnuts, I’ve been reading up on how sustainable they are…
Stunning salad! It sounds so flavorful, I love the added fennel <3
Thank you 🙂
A must make! Love how fresh and light this dish is! I have some hazelnut oil in my cupboard too, yay!!
We’re just starting into the season for local cabbage, we usually don’t get savoy here for some reason, but I can’t wait to try this out with Napa cabbage! I love the nutty touch from hazelnut/sesame oil, and the sweet savory combo going on!
As always fantastic recipes and inspiring to see what you’ve created. Love this!!!
I love fennel! And I’m always looking for more ways to eat it – thanks for a great recipe, can’t wait to try.
Oooohhh Hazelnut oil?? That sounds delicious!!!
This salad combo looks so refreshing and delicious ! I’m totally in love with fennel this summer and am going to try this recipe !
I love the combination of flavors! It looks so delicious!
What a gorgeous refreshing salad! I love all the ingredients.
such a wonderful salad! I like all the yummy goodies in it 🙂
Thank you!
Fennel in a salad is the best! This looks so crisp and delicious!
This slaw is gorgeous! I LOVE the fennel in there (my favorite!) and that citrus dressing sounds so delicious. Yum!
I am a slaw salad addict lately! I can’t get enough of them! Having this for lunch tomorrow! Thank you!
Enjoy! I am loving salads in summer too.
Lovely flavours, quite delicate, actually. I added a table spoon of honey to the dressing to bring the flavours up a little. We absolutely loved it, even my kids enjoyed it.
Thanks, Martina. It’s a lovely little salad.