The red and white cabbage salad is a simple, affordable German dish for anyone who enjoys raw vegetables. In German this style is called “Rohkost,” meaning the vegetables are served raw. While cabbage is often cooked, using it raw in a salad is a fresh and healthy way to enjoy its flavor and texture. Keeping the vegetables uncooked preserves enzymes and nutrients that can be lost with heat, making this salad a nutritious choice for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients Red and White Cabbage Salad
500 g white cabbage and 500 g red cabbage
2 hard‑boiled eggs
2 small onions
100 g German bacon (Speck) or smoked bacon
2 tbsp mustard
6 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
6 tbsp neutral‑flavored oil (canola or sunflower oil)
2–3 tbsp chopped chives
Cooking Instructions
– Trim cabbage quarters and remove the core.
– Slice the cabbages into fine shreds or grate them. Keep the red and white cabbage separate for now.
– Hard‑boil the eggs, cool them briefly in cold water, peel and slice.
– Cut the onions into small dice.
– Cut the bacon into thin strips and fry in a skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve. In the same skillet, lightly fry the diced onions in the remaining bacon fat until softened and translucent.
– Whisk together mustard, white wine vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and sugar; stir in the fried onions along with the cooking fat for extra flavor.
– Toss half of the dressing with the red cabbage and let it sit for about 30 minutes to soften and absorb flavor. Do the same with the white cabbage using the remaining dressing.
– Finely chop the chives.
– Arrange the dressed red and white cabbage separately on a serving plate, garnish with bacon pieces, sliced eggs and chopped chives, and serve.
This salad is versatile: adjust the amount of vinegar and mustard to taste, or add a splash of apple cider vinegar for a fruitier note. For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and sauté the onions in oil until golden. Serve chilled or at room temperature for best flavor and texture.