Ingredients

  • 3 cups cabbage; I use either red or green. Note: Red cabbage will give the salad a pinkish hue when mixed with dressing, which is sometimes fun for a party or to bring to guest's house
  • 1/3 cup light mayo
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • just shy 1/3 cups apple cider vinegar
  • splash of lemon juice; fresh squeeze if possible
  • at least 1 teaspoons celery seed; to taste
  • 1 apple, diced; gala or fuji is what we usually have in the house. Any apple that has a crisp and firm texture when raw is good
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • fresh cilantro, chopped; optional, but is fun to have that dark green color mixed in and the fresh taste

Method

  • Rinse cabbage. I cut sections off of the head so its easier to work with. I hack off about a quarter of the head to start with; which will be like a dome shape of cabbage. I cut that in half so i have two wedges. Then I will slice against the wedge the short way, so I get short (~3in longest) pieces of shredded cabbage. I cut it until I get about 3 cups.
  • Dice onion and dice apple and add to cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Toss so everything is mixed. Apples and onions tend to settle at the bottom, which is fine for now, but remember to mix really well before serving, so no one misses out on the onions/apples.
  • Make the dressing: In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and mayo. I add them to the bowl in that order so I can use the same measuring cup for all three ingredients without having to keep washing every time. Add a splash of lemon juice. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are blended together. At first the mayo will look a little clumpy, but keep whisking; it will smooth out. Also, make sure all the brown sugar is whisked in well. The sugar has a tendency of sinking in clumps at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Slowly pour the dressing over the cabbage/apple/onion mixture. Toss salad with the dressing. I usually just use a big fork and just mix everything together.
  • When mixed thoroughly, go ahead and add the celery seed. If you want, this is where I add the chopped fresh cilantro. Mix well one last time.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to get all the cabbage to start soaking up the dressing. I like to make this the night before or in the morning for dinner, so I have at least 6 hours in the fridge. Mix really well before serving. I would say this would last 2-3 days in the fridge, but it won't last that long before someone eats it all!!