Last Updated on 3 years by Tim
I’ve already introduced you to German cabbage salad with cream. And as delicious as this salad is, there’s another equally delicious way to prepare German cabbage salad. Whenever you pour hot beef broth over a vegetable, it will make it incredibly more delicious. This statement is very true for this cabbage salad with broth.
The practice of using broth as a vinaigrette for salads is widespread in the Southern parts of Germany, whereas the people from the North seem to have a preference for mayonnaise or cream-based dressings. So today, I’m going to introduce you to the cabbage salad the way my family has made it for decades. It’s light, tangy, and has an incredible depth of flavor from the broth.
Table of Contents
The ingredients that go into my cabbage salad with broth
Looking at the ingredient list, you might notice that I used shallots instead of regular onions. Of course, it would be fine to just go with regular onions if you can’t source any shallots. However, shallots are sweeter and more delicate in flavor. I highly recommend you to use them if possible as real onions have a very sharp taste that can easily overpower more delicate flavors.
As in my other cabbage salad recipe I use pointed cabbage instead of regular white cabbage. Pointed cabbage has a sweeter aroma and more delicate leaves than white cabbage. You can substitute regular white cabbage if you can’t source pointed cabbage. Make sure to prepare some more vinaigrette then, as regular white cabbage is considerably bigger than pointed cabbage. The steps of salting and then pouring the hot broth over the cabbage help to soften the tough leaves.
Cabbage salad with broth is a great salad to prepare ahead of time because its taste will improve the longer it sits. It pairs perfectly with grilled meat but can also be used as a side dish for goulash or pork pot roast.
Cabbage Salad with Broth (‘Gebrühter Krautsalat’)
Ingredients
- 1 head pointed cabbage, shredded or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 shallots, finely minced (about 4 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup beef or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 5 tablespoons white wine or herbal vinegar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- Salt the shredded cabbage and mix everything well. Place a plate on top of the cabbage and put some weight on top to compress the cabbage. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the vinaigrette. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat and sweat the shallots for 2-3 minutes until they turn slightly translucent. Then add the broth, sugar, and vinegar. Let the vinaigrette come to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- With your hands, massage the cabbage and squeeze out as much water as possible. Pour the hot broth over the cabbage and add the rest of the oil. Mix everything well and let the cabbage salad sit for at least 20 minutes in the fridge to let the flavors mingle. Shortly before serving, take it out of the fridge and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
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