The Mother Superior's Cabbage Salad

This old-world cabbage salad pairs finely grated cabbage with grated red apples for a crisp, sweet-tart combination dressed in thick sour cream. It has that unmistakable Eastern European character where the dressing is tangy, slightly sweet, and creamy all at once.

Grating the cabbage and apples rather than chopping them is what sets this apart from a standard coleslaw. The fine texture means the sour cream dressing coats every strand, and the grated apple practically melts into the cabbage rather than sitting in distinct chunks. The minced onion adds sharpness without the crunch that sliced onion would bring.

Chilling both the salad and dressing separately for 20 minutes before combining lets the cabbage soften just slightly from the salt, while the dressing flavors meld. Toss everything together right before serving so the sour cream stays thick and doesn’t thin out from sitting too long.

Chef Tips

• Use a box grater on the large holes for cabbage and the medium holes for apples. Too fine and everything turns to mush.
• Leave the apple skin on. Red apple skin adds flecks of color throughout the pale salad.
• Taste for salt and vinegar balance after mixing. The apple sweetness varies by variety, so you may need more vinegar to keep the tang.
• Serve within an hour of dressing. The cabbage releases water over time and dilutes the sour cream coating.

Variations

• Carrot addition: Grate in a small carrot for extra color and natural sweetness.
• Dill sour cream: Stir chopped fresh dill into the dressing for an herby, Scandinavian-leaning twist.