This easy kebab shop salad recipe is a shredded red cabbage salad combined with some extra classic salad vegetables, just like the Turkish kebab salad you get with a takeaway from your local kebab shop.
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Turkish kebab salad
I love the crisp, crunchy salad that is served with a kebab or mixed grill from my local kebab shop. It’s a really basic salad of shredded red cabbage, tomatoes, iceburg lettuce and cucumber, but it tastes so, so good.
This is one of those dishes that is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s so easy to make at home for an easy, effortless fakeaway. Serve it with homemade kebabs, kebab shop chilli sauce and garlic sauce.
Making takeout favourites at home is a great way to keep costs down and eat fresher. This rainbow salad looks as good as it tastes and will tempt everyone to dig into the veg.
Serve this salad with any grilled meats and with a spread of Turkish, Greek or any Mediterranean food.
Kebab shop cabbage
There are a couple of secrets to getting the flavour and texture of the cabbage in a Turkish style salad.
- Salt the cabbage – This will draw water out of the cabbage and make it softer.
- Marinade the cabbage – Leave it in the dressing for at least 30 minutes (ideally a couple of hours) so it soaks it up.
Both these steps are really easy, and largely hands off. You need to be a bit more organised but it’s well worth the effort!
Why make kebab shop salad?
- It is easy, fuss free and effortless!
- This delicious Turkish style salad goes perfectly with homemade kebabs and grilled meats.
- The ingredients are super simple, frugal, readily available and last well in the fridge. There are no fancy overpriced bags of mixed leaves or speciality vinegars needed. Better still, a little goes a long way.
- It counts as two portions towards your 5 a day.
Kebab shop salad ingredients
- Cabbage – a wedge of red cabbage (white works as well, by red looks so much better)
- Lettuce – a wedge of iceberg is perfect here, or choose another crunchy variety such as romaine
- Cucumber – plain and simple
- Tomatoes – everyday salad tomatoes are fine
- Salt – Use ordinary cooking salt. If you need to avoid salt, see my tip on using sugar below.
- Lemon juice – adds acidity and flavour
- White wine vinegar – Nothing fancy. It adds acidity, and also makes the red cabbage a more intense colour. (Mine looks quite dark as the bottle had been in the cupboard for a while.)
- Olive oil – basic olive oil, nothing fancy
How to make shredded red cabbage salad – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Cut the red cabbage into a wedge and slice as thinly as you can with a good heavy sharp knife. You can also use a mandolin or a food processor (handy if you are bulking up the recipe to cook for a crowd).
Step Two – Stand a sieve over a bowl. Then put the cabbage into the sieve and sprinkle the salt over. Give it a quick mix with your hands, and then leave to stand for at least half an hour and up to two hours.
The salt will draw water out of the cabbage, and make the texture more tender.
Step Three – Grab a couple of pieces of kitchen paper and give the cabbage a good squeeze to remove the excess liquid.
Rinse the bowl to remove any salt and water.
Step Four – Put the vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice in the bowl and mix. Add the cabbage and combined well. Cover and allow to stand for an hour, so that the cabbage absorbs the dressing.
At this point you can pack the cabbage into an airtight box and keep in the fridge for up to two days.
Step Five – When ready to serve, finely shred the lettuce, and slice the cucumber and tomato. (I do this whilst my kebabs are cooking.) You can also add some grated carrot if you like.
Arrange on a platter with a wedge of lemon.
Serving suggestion
Serve with homemade fakeaway kebabs, like my lamb shish kebabs or chicken shish kebabs, as well as kebab shop chilli sauce, and garlic sauce. If you love to eat kebab shop meals all the time, make a pot of my kebab seasoning so you can whip up your kebabs in no time.
Variations
- You can swap the red cabbage for white, though the red does look more decorative.
- Add some grated carrot.
Storage
Generally, salad does not do that well the next day. This kebab shop red cabbage salad, however, is pretty robust. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Drain any excessive juice off before serving.
Hints and Tips
- A little red cabbage goes a long way once it is shredded. A quarter cabbage does the two of us as a side salad, or slaw for several meals. Cover the rest of your cabbage with some clingfilm and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge until you are ready to use it. It is good for a couple of weeks.
- For best results, slice the cabbage as thinly as you can. If your knife skills aren’t that great, then use a mandolin or food processor. I’ve got an amazing electric salad/cheese grater, which grates and slices and makes salad preparation a breeze.
- Don’t be afraid to really squeeze the red cabbage. You want to remove as much of the water and salt as you can, so the cabbage absorbs the dressing. This will also tenderise it.
- If you have been told to cut down on salt, you can use a little sugar to draw the water out of the cabbage. Just follow the instructions using the sugar instead of the salt.
FAQS
If you find yourself eating this type of salad with kebabs when you don’t normally bother, it’s probably the marinade that makes all the difference. It really is worth the extra step to make the most of your cabbage.
No, and this means it retains so much more of the nutrition. It’s the salting and marinating that does the job.
I don’t. I like a bit of acid bite to my cabbage as it cuts through the richness of the meats, and I don’t feel it needs it. Obviously, you can add a pinch of sugar or a taste of honey if you like.
Of course! Grated carrot is an obvious choice, either dressed with some lemon juice and separate on the plate, or mixed in with the red cabbage. Finely sliced onion works too.
Yes. In fact, it’s vegan. If you need a veggie option, you could serve it with grilled halloumi cheese, falafel or veggie burgers instead of kebabs.
Recipes using red cabbage
Use up the rest of that red cabbage:
- No mayo coleslaw – an easy vinegar slaw, that is light, crunchy, colourful and bursting with vitamins.
- Asparagus Salad – A healthy asparagus salad with no mayo, made with a light, citrus based dressing.
- Slow cooker red cabbage – easy slow cooker red cabbage. Leave out the festive spices to serve all year round.
More salads
- Carrot Salad – Make this French classic the traditional way, or try one of my twists.
- Tomato and Mozzarella Salad – Marinating the mozzarella takes this simple salad to another level.
- Boiled Egg Salad – The classic potato and egg salad.
Kebab Shop Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ red cabbage
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (a good squeeze from half a lemon)
- ¼ iceberg lettuce
- ¼ cucumber
- 2 large tomatoes
To serve
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Cut the red cabbage into a wedge and slice as thinly as you can with a good, sharp, heavy knife. Alternatively, you can use a mandolin or a food processor.¼ red cabbage
- Stand a sieve over a bowl. Put the cabbage in the sieve and sprinkle with salt. Mix with your hands, and then leave to stand for at least half an hour and up to two hours.¼ tsp salt
- Squeeze the cabbage with kitchen paper to remove any excess liquid. Rinse the salt and liquid from the bowl, ready to use for the dressing.
- Put the vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice in the bowl and mix. Mix in the cabbage. Cover and allow to stand for an hour, so that the cabbage absorbs the dressing.1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- When ready to serve, finely shred the lettuce, and slice the cucumber and tomato.¼ iceberg lettuce, ¼ cucumber, 2 large tomatoes
- Arrange all the vegetables on a platter with the lemon wedges to serve.lemon wedges
Notes
- Store leftover shredded red cabbage in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Drain any excessive juice off before serving.
- A little red cabbage goes a long way once it is shredded. A quarter cabbage does the two of us as a side salad, or slaw for several meals. Cover the rest of your cabbage with some clingfilm and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge until you are ready to use it. It is good for a couple of weeks.
- For best results, slice the cabbage as thinly as you can. If your knife skills aren’t that great, then use a mandolin or food processor. I’ve got an amazing electric salad/cheese grater, which grates and slices and makes salad preparation a breeze.
- Don’t be afraid to really squeeze the red cabbage. You want to remove as much of the water and salt as you can, so the cabbage absorbs the dressing. This will also tenderise it.
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