This refreshing and crunchy Malfouf salad is a Lebanese cabbage salad with mint and parsley, mixed with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. This light and refreshing slaw is a popular choice for barbecues, potlucks and picnics, as well as Middle Eastern feasts.
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What is Malfouf Salad?
Thinly sliced cabbage and fresh herbs are mixed with a lemon and oil dressing to make this crunchy and healthy Lebanese slaw.
Why we love this salad recipe
- It’s a fresh tasting slaw without mayo.
- Fresh and healthy, and a delicious salad on a hot summers day.
- It takes less than 10 minutes to make, perfect for whipping up as a last minute salad or barbecue side.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cabbage – white cabbage is more traditionally used in this cabbage salad recipe, but you can also use colourful red cabbage, crinkly savoy cabbage, or Dutch cabbage.
- Garlic – fresh garlic.
- Spring onions – aka green onions, or use half a red onion, finely sliced or diced.
- Fresh parsley – fresh flat leaf parsley. If you don’t have parsley, see here for the best substitutes for parsley.
- Mint – I love the taste and freshness of fresh mint in this salad, but you can substitute with dried mint. Use 1-2 teaspoons of dried mint in this slaw.
- Olive oil – use the best quality olive oil you can, use a mild olive oil rather than a strong tasting one.
- Lemon juice – I use freshly squeezed lemon juice, but if you don’t have any lemon juice then you can use white wine vinegar instead.
How to make salatet malfouf from scratch
- Shred the cabbage finely with a sharp knife (or use a mandolin).
- Add the sliced cabbage to a bowl with the salt. Then add finely sliced spring onions, finely chopped fresh mint and parsley.
- Mix to combine.
FAQ
Raw cabbage can be quite chewy, so for a salad it is best to cut it finely. With a sharp knife, but your cabbage into quarters or small wedges. Then, laying a cut side of the cabbage wedge against your chopping board, carefully cut across the cabbage wedge to produce thin shreds of cabbage.
You can make cabbage salad with any type of green cabbage, or use red cabbage for a colourful cabbage salad.
My recipe tips
- To shred the cabbage for this cabbage salad – you can do this by hand using a large sharp knife, or shred it using a food processor.
- You can use a bagged coleslaw mix if you don’t want to slice the cabbage.
Variations:
This is such a versatile salad, you can add many other ingredients to it:
- chopped fresh tomatoes or radishes
- pinch of zaatar
- pinch of sumac
- red cabbage – use a small amount of red cabbage for pretty splashes of colour through the salad, or make it with all red cabbage.
- oil free: if you are wanting an oil free coleslaw, mix the cabbage with salt and leave for a couple of minutes. The salt will bring the water out of the cabbage and that should coat the cabbage for a type of dressing.
Serving Ideas
- spoon over tacos
- on shawarma
- serve alongside chicken souvlaki
- with falafel in wraps
- on jacket potatoes
- Serve with maghmour (Lebanese moussaka) and follow with a slice of this moist Namoura, (Lebanese semolina cake) for a simple and delicious Middle Eastern meal.
Make ahead/storage
This cabbage salad will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Why not try…
You may also like these other family friendly salads that make great sides, as well as being super delicious on their own:
Malfouf Salad (Lebanese Cabbage Salad)
Author: Robyn
Ingredients
- 500g (18oz) White cabbage ½ large cabbage or ¼ very large cabbage
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 spring onions (green onions) finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ bunch (¼c) fresh parsley finely chopped
- ¼ bunch (¼c) fresh mint finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from half a large lemon)
Instructions
- Shred the cabbage and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the salt, chopped spring onions, minced garlic, fresh parsley and fresh mint.
- Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the cabbage and herbs.
- Mix well to combine.
- Serve straight away or leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
Notes
Nutrition
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