Cabbage salad with chilli, mint and sesame seeds

I am rather fond of a cabbage salad and also quietly amazed at how far a single head of cabbage can go. On one particular holiday we discovered two heads of cabbage can last a very long time and the variations of salads you can make from it are endless. This version is great as you get a nice chilli flavour that balances well with the freshness and crispness of the cabbage. Because this salad is so simple, the way you cut the cabbage and the seasoning of it becomes very important.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  4 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 cups red cabbage, finely sliced
• 3 cups savoy cabbage, finely sliced
• 2 long red chillies, de-seeded and finely sliced on a slight diagonal
• 50 g parmesan, finely grated
• 30 ml olive oil
• 10 ml lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 bunch chives, cut into 2 cm batons

Instructions

Place the cabbage, chilli and parmesan in a large mixing bowl, season well and give it a good mix with your hand.

Add the olive oil and lemon juice, give it another mix and taste for seasoning.

Finally, add the sesames seeds and herbs and give it one more gentle mix before placing it nicely on a large plate to serve.

Note

• This salad can be made with any type of cabbage you desire but I do like to add the red because of it’s texture and because it looks pretty.

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Trish Heagarty. 

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.