This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Apple cabbage salad with pecans is a crunchy and bright salad similar to cole slaw with just a hint of sweetness to satisfy all taste buds. This is a quick and simple side dish for just about any meal.
Something about September makes it such a fun time of year to cook. The summertime produce selections are still hanging around gardens, farmers’ markets, and grocery stores, while fall staples begin making their way onto the scene, too.
This crunchy and delicious apple cabbage salad with pecans epitomizes the perfect summer-to-fall side.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This apple cabbage salad with pecans is a real treat to enjoy with grilled or BBQ foods, like pulled pork sandwiches, or just by itself for a light, refreshing, crunchy, and colorful plate!
- I love this recipe because it’s simple, refreshing, and full of healthy goodness!
- This recipe is perfect during the heat of a late summer afternoon as they are in a slightly chilled evening that comes from early autumn.
Recipe Ingredients
- Green cabbage – grab a bag of “angel hair” pre-sliced cabbage or slice fresh cabbage very thinly
- Bag broccoli slaw – or chopped broccoli
- Large apples – one red and one green
- Green onions
- Pecans – plain or dressed up!
- Olive oil
- Cider vinegar
- Maple syrup or honey
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Easy Apple Cabbage Salad with Pecans
- Add all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- To make the dressing, add ingredients to a lidded jar and shake!
- Serve the salad and dressing separately or mix together.
Recipe FAQs
I like buying the bag of already-shredded “angel hair” green cabbage from the store because it saves time and dishes. If you can’t find the bagged version or want to shred your own, remove the outer layer of leaves from the cabbage, cut the head in half, and then slice it into thin strips until you get about 10 ounces, or 4 cups.
Undressed, this salad will last up to 2 to 3 days in the fridge. The apples might get a little brown from oxygen, but they should still taste fine if you eat it within a couple days. I’ve found that when you dress this salad, leftovers do get soggy. So if you expect you’ll have leftovers, plate the salad dry.
This salad is so fresh and simple! You’ll need sliced green cabbage, broccoli slaw, a green and a red apple, green onions, and pecans (either toasted or raw).
Yep! It’s got lots of good vitamins and minerals, and you can have it raw or cooked (say, in a soup or casserole).
Video of How to Make Apple Cabbage Salad
Expert Tips
- The addition of dried cranberries and some bacon would be fabulous.
- Not wanting to make a dressing? A store-bought vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing would be great on this.
- If you are serving this to a crowd, you may dress the salad just before serving. I have found that the leftovers of the salad don’t keep if they are dressed, though. It tends to get soggy.
More Salad Recipes to Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Apple Cabbage Salad with Pecans
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 bag "angel hair" finely sliced green cabbage, (about 10 ounces)
- 1 bag broccoli slaw, (about 12 ounces)
- 2 large apples, one red and one green, preferred, cored and chopped
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1 cup pecans, toasted if you’d like
For the dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl, and toss to combine. You could also add the cabbage and broccoli slaw, toss to combine, and then just keep the apples, onion, and pecans on the top so that it looks pretty before serving—it's up to you.
- To make the dressing, add the oil, vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), salt, and pepper to a small jar with a screw-on lid (like a mason jar), add the lid, and shake well to combine.
- Serve the salad and dressing separately, and let people dress their salad as they like.
Video
Notes
- Adding toppings like dried cranberries and bacon adds more texture and flavor!
- A store-bought vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing goes great with a salad like this and saves you more time
- If you are serving this to a crowd I recommend letting them add the dressing themselves.
- Leftovers store best for about 3 days in the refrigerator if the salad and dressing are stored separately.
This salad really needs a salty component, so if I make it again, I would definitely add bacon or even salted sunflower seeds. The dressing was too vinegar forward for my preference, so I added a little more honey which helped. All in all I would say make it but definitely try to get a salty component in.
Hello,
Is there mustard in the dressing for this recipe? And if so, how much? I was watching the video, and it looked like you added mustard, but I don’t see it in the recipe.
Thank you so much! This looks wonderful!
So yummy and so easy!