Crunchy, salty, sweet, and vinegary, this is more of a salad than a slaw. Massaging the cabbage with salt not only seasons it, but also softens the leaves. Pistachios tossed with orange zest and sugar bring an unexpected floral note to the dish. This recipe is from Drifters Wife in Portland, ME, our No. 9 Best New Restaurant 2018.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1½
½
1
½
1
½
½
2
2
1
1
3
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Place cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1½ tsp. salt. Toss, massaging with your hands, to soften a bit; set aside.
Step 2
Toss pistachios and 1 tsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Add thyme, orange zest, and sugar and toss to combine. Let cool; discard thyme sprigs.
Step 3
Whisk vinegar, honey, and ½ tsp. pepper in a small bowl to combine; season with a pinch of salt. Drizzle over cabbage and add parsley, chives, 3 oz. Parmesan, ¼ cup pistachios, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Toss to combine, then taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Step 4
Transfer cabbage salad to a platter and top with more Parmesan and remaining pistachios. Season with pepper and drizzle with some more oil.
Step 5
Do Ahead: Cabbage can be massaged up to 3 hours in advance. Cover and keep chilled.
How would you rate Napa Cabbage Salad with Parmesan and Pistachios?
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Reviews (19)
Back to TopThis was delicious! Simple to make and packed with great flavors!!
Atlanta GA
9/20/2018
This is amazing! It's so good.
Anonymous
Dallas
9/15/2019
Good salad, but I found it way too salty. I would cut back on the amount of salt used to soften the cabbage.
Anonymous
SD
11/27/2019
This salad was terrific; I did cut the salt and it was still a little salty. The orange zest was refreshing. A win for the guys in my family who don’t care much for salad. Thanks
Donna E
Pa
1/6/2020
Absolutely outstanding. Two suggestions: 1) definitely let the cabbage settle for a couple hours after the "messaging" to give time for the salt to soak into it rather than sit on the surface; 2) I used half the amount of salt called for and it was plenty. Maybe "flakey" sea salt is the key but I used normal sea salt grated coarsely. Remember people can always add more salt so err on the side of less.
Anonymous
Chicago
3/16/2020
It was tasty but don’t think the Parmesan worked. I’d appreciate it I’d bon appetit would provide the nutritional info for all their recipes.
ncohen11
Toronto
4/11/2020
I made half of the recipe for the 2 of us last night...outstanding recipe! What I ended up doing was weighing out 7 oz. net weight of the cabbage, after hand tearing. My choice was to not have any of the thick white centers of the Napa cabbage. I did the salt massage, and then added the parsley and chives. Did this a few hours in advance and kept chilled under dampened paper toweling. As for the pistachios, I had roasted and salted at hand. I simply chopped, and combined with the teeny bit of oil, and other components, leaving it covered at room temperature. As for the dressing, I also combined in advance and kept chilled. For serving, all was tossed together, and I ended up using 2 oz. of shaved Reggiano for the final toss. There was no sprinkling of anything over the salad....crazy easy to throw together and serve. We LOVED it.
Jeff Winett
Sherman Oaks, California
6/25/2021