If you haven't had cabbage salsa before (also known as Mexican Coleslaw), you're missing out! This crunchy, spicy, tangy salsa is a real treat – eat it with tortilla chips, or serve as a delicious side or topping for tacos. We first had it at a Mexican restaurant in Colorado a few years back and it was so good we had to find some recipes. Here's our version that we make every summer now:
Cabbage Salsa / Mexican Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped or shredded cabbage
(we use a whole cabbage head and make a big batch!) - 2+ cups diced tomatoes
- 1 diced red onion (you can also use green onions)
- 2-3 hot peppers of your choice
(jalapenos, serranos, or fruity hot peppers like aji amarillo, or go hotter with super hot peppers if you dare. Use fresh peppers or dried peppers, whatever you have available.) - 1-2 limes (squeezed for juice)
- 4-6 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste, pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped cilantro (we like to use a whole bunch!)
Instructions
Dice red onion, tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic and cilantro, gently mix in a large bowl. Chop or shred the green cabbage, add to tomato mixture along with lime juice, and stir gently to combine.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for an hour or more. It's crunchiest when eaten the same day as it's made, but it's still delicious for several days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy with chips or on tacos or as a spicy side dish.
Shown above is this Cabbage Salsa made with purple cabbage – what a colorful treat! You can also use scissors or kitchen shears to "cut" dried peppers up for adding to this recipe if you don't want to break out the Molcajete or food processor! We find this is a great way to quickly break up dried peppers for use in recipes, and you can keep the peppers whole until ready for use which helps preserve their flavor.
Grow Cabbage from seeds!
Brunswick cabbage is a cold-hardy fall/winter variety that is also heat resistant. It has good flavor fresh and is a favorite for making sauerkraut and this Cabbage Salsa recipe! The solid heads can weigh 6-10 lbs.
