Home • Recipe Finder • Salads

Cabbage Cucumber Salad

by Katerina Petrovska

4.89 from 9 votes

Mar 31, 2022, Updated Nov 24, 2025

Pin RecipeJump to RecipeComments

Cabbage Cucumber Salad is a classic salad recipe made with a homemade vinaigrette dressing and plenty of cool, crisp veggies. Easy and quick to make! It’s perfect served alongside beef barley soup or baby back ribs!

A Tangy, Crunchy Cabbage Salad Recipe

Cabbage Salad is just about the perfect side dish, bursting with fresh veggies and nutrition. The only downside to any salad is that the ingredients are often on the delicate side, from tender lettuce to fresh tomatoes, or even fruit. Those ingredients can be amazing, of course, but they often don’t store or travel very well.

Enter the humble cabbage. Cabbage is one salad item with plenty of staying power, maintaining its crispy crunch no matter how much dressing you throw at it, and storing well in the fridge for days at a time!

If you are a fan of coleslaw, then you’ll love this easy cabbage cucumber salad. There’s no dairy or mayo in this, but there is plenty of tangy, savory goodness in the form of a homemade Dijon vinaigrette with white vinegar, olive oil, and fresh parsley. Best of all, it’s super easy to make!

This Recipe Is Awesome Because…

• You can make it ahead, if desired, because the flavors and textures actually improve with a couple of hours of chilling.
• Crisp and tasty. It’s ultra-crisp and flavorful! The tartness of cabbage and cucumber salad pairs perfectly with almost any rich, savory, or saucy dish.
• Nutritious and easy. It’s made with fresh veggies – no junk food or processed ingredients here. No complicated processes or steps, either. And it stays fresh for days in the fridge!

What You’ll Need

So just what goes into this simple salad? Besides the veggies, the ingredients are essentially seasonings and condiments which make up the vinaigrette. Let’s do a quick rundown:

• Olive Oil: You’ll need a generous amount of  extra virgin olive oil for the vinaigrette mixture.
• Vinegar: White vinegar is nice and sharp, perfect for dressing cabbage, which has a strong taste..
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds a little bite. It will mellow slightly while the cabbage cucumber salad chills.
• Parsley: Chopped fresh parsley gives the flavor profile a lift, with its clean, fragrant taste.
• Dijon: I really recommend Dijon mustard in this recipe. It has a special flavor that is very wine-like, with an unusual umami depth as well. If you need to substitute another kind of mustard, that will work, but Dijon is definitely my preferred ingredient!
• Honey: Use a little bit of honey to balance the vinaigrette, or substitute maple syrup, sugar, etc.
• Salt and Pepper: To taste.
• Cabbage: Shred up a small head of cabbage – about 8 cups total. This recipe is fantastic with regular green cabbage, but you can also use savoy cabbage or napa cabbage. Red cabbage could technically be used, but the vibrant color may fade or bleed into the cucumber slices.
• Cucumber: I like to use an English cucumber, cut into half-moons. If you use a smaller variety of cucumber, you may want to slice up two of them to have the right amount.

How to Make Cabbage Cucumber Salad

Once the cabbage is shredded, the cucumber is sliced, and the parsley is chopped, this recipe is as easy as can be to pull together. Here’s how to do it:

• Mix the Vinaigrette Ingredients. Into a large serving or salad bowl measure the oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Use a whisk to mix this all together into a smooth dressing.
• Toss the Dressing and Veggies Together. Dump the shredded cabbage and cucumber slices into the bowl with the vinaigrette mixture, and use two large spoons or salad tongs to mix and coat. 
• Taste and Chill. Taste the salad and adjust the salt, vinegar, honey, and other ingredients to your taste. Then, for best results, refrigerate the salad for an hour or two before serving. This will allow the cabbage to soften slightly.
• Enjoy! Before serving, lightly toss the ingredients again.

Irresistible Serving Ideas

Cabbage cucumber salad is a super versatile side that goes with almost anything — fried chicken, pork schnitzel, beef dishes, vegetarian meals, you name it. It’s always a hit at picnics and potlucks, especially with anything barbecue. That bright, tangy crunch pairs perfectly with pulled chicken, barbecue beef, or my personal favorite, pulled pork mac and cheese!

It’s also great alongside my smoked turkey sausage and noodles. And since cabbage and potatoes are always a winning combo, a warm dish of potatoes au gratin is another delicious match.

How to Store

Cabbage salad is best served right away, but you can store leftover salad in the refrigerator, well covered, for a day. If you feel that the flavor is not quite as bright, sprinkle a little more salt or vinegar (or both) before serving it again.

SaveSaved Pin Print

4.89 from 9 votes

Cabbage Cucumber Salad

by Katerina Petrovska

This cabbage cucumber salad is an easy, classic salad recipe made with a homemade vinaigrette dressing and plenty of cool, crisp veggies. Easy and quick to make!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ¼ cup tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• ▢ 1 small head cabbage, shredded (about 8 cups shredded cabbage)
• ▢ 1 English cucumber, cut into half-moons

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save Recipe

Instructions 

• Make the dressing. In a large serving/salad bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until thoroughly incorporated.
• Combine the ingredients. Add the shredded cabbage and cucumber slices to the bowl; toss to coat. Taste and adjust accordingly.
• Refrigerate. For best results, refrigerate salad for about 1 to 2 hours before serving. This gives the cabbage time to soften.
• Finish and serve. Toss again and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 426IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Did you make a recipe? Leave a rating

More Salad Recipes

• Spring Vegetable Potato Salad
• Southwestern Orzo Salad
• Very Berry Avocado Salad
• Shopska Salad
• Fall Apple Salad