I was talking with my best friend about how much I like the combination of grapefruit and anise seed that I used in the salad the day before and speculated that it could be tasty with just about anything. We were talking about different options and it occurred to me that a cabbage slaw might be delicious. She thought brining the cabbage might work really well, but I decided for something simpler and crunchier. I hope she tries her own flavor combo. If she does and she shares, I will tell you how it goes.
For this, I shredded about 1/4 of large head of red cabbage. This was about 8 cups or so of shredded cabbage. I sprinkled salt on it, stirred and let it set for a few hours. Then I drained the liquid from the cabbage. This softens the cabbage and removes a lot of liquid so that it holds up better.
I then added 1 small red onion, sliced thin on a mandolin and chopped into smaller pieces. I loved the color combo with the cabbage. The onion is white with pruple while the cabbage is purple with white. They look beautiful together. I added 2 small carrots, shredded and 2 tsp of anise seed, 1 TBSP of olive oil and 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar. I mixed it all well together and let sit for 30 minutes to marry.
I supremed a grapefruit, removing all pith, skin and peel. I squeezed all the juice out of the skin remnants and stirred it in, then sliced the segments into thirds and tossed lightly.
This makes a very pretty salad that is light and crunchy with a subtle citrus flavor balanced with sweetness of anise seed and the heartiness of carrots and cabbage and the tang of red onions. It’s a burst of flavor in your mouth and will only improve for tomorrow and the next day. This made 8 servings of salad, but it keeps beautifully.
Single Servings 