This Keto Charred Cabbage Salad is a delicious low-carb side dish that’s perfect for grilling season!
Sometimes you need a quick dinner, one that’s simple and quick, but all too many times those can be boring. That’s why I try and keep an over the top ridiculous side in the refrigerator for those times, just to liven things ups a bit. This Keto Charred Cabbage Salad is my go-to side dish lately.
Lately, I haven’t been able to get enough of pulled chicken made in the InstantPot and covered in this BBQ sauce, with a side of this charred cabbage salad. It’s a match made in heaven, but it can go with so many other things as well, or you could just eat a large batch all by yourself. It’s also delicious with steak!
Cabbage has so much to offer nutritionally, but I think it gets overlooked in the produce aisle as we are on our way to the kale section. This is especially true for green cabbage, in part because it’s light in color and research has shown us dark leafy greens are more nutrient-dense (think iceberg lettuce vs spinach).
Cabbage, however, is remarkably nutrient-dense. It is absolutely packed with fiber which makes it worth its weight in gold if your version of the keto diet contains a lot of meat and cheese. Feel free to customize this recipe to suit your personal tastes as well, you can substitute red cabbage instead of green cabbage for more vitamin A, or use more or fewer jalapenos depending on your spice tolerance (Lauren is a fire breathing dragon so we load up on the heat!)
This particular recipe is inspired by a grilled potato salad my wife, Lauren, used to make all the time. I daresay the cabbage version is even tastier, plus it’s completely keto!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- cabbage – you can use green or red
- green onions
- bacon
- jalapeños – serranos are also great
- whole-grain mustard
- olive oil
- lemon juice – only use fresh!
How to store the Keto Charred Cabbage Salad:
This recipe makes 6 servings, so if you have leftovers some of the fat will solidify in the fridge. It’s probably personal preference, but you may want to toss it back in the skillet and warm it up. It’s tasty either way and I’ll eat it warm or cold, but sometimes a giggly glob of fat isn’t the most appetizing (although sometimes it is to be honest).
Check out these other resources to read more about the awesome nutritional benefits of cabbage:
- 9 Surprising Health Benefits of Cabbage
- World’s Healthiest Foods – Cabbage
- What Are the Health Benefits of Red Cabbage Vs. Green Cabbage?
Keto Charred Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 large head of cabbage about 1.5lbs
- 6 slices bacon 54g
- 1 bunch green onions 70g
- 2 jalapeños sliced (42g)
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cooking the bacon until crispy in a large cast iron skillet, reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat.
- Heat a large cast iron grill pan over high heat. Toss the green onions and cabbage steaks with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Grill 4-5 per side until charred on both sides.
- In a small jar shake together the mustard, remaining olive oil, and lemon juice. Pour over the cabbage salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Nutrition
I’m loving your blog! I’m also a huge cabbage afficionado, it’s a big part of my keto life. On this recipe, I’m just wondering how you are cutting the cabbage…the direction mention grilling the cabbage in steak form, but the picture doesn’t look like "steaks" to me…are you just chopping it after the grilling? I only have one 16" cast iron skillet…do you think I could just "grill" my cabbage in the reserved bacon fat in the same skillet that I cooked the bacon…maybe in batches? Thanks for your blog!
Thanks! I grilled the cabbage as steaks, cut into the thick slices. Once it wilts it sort of just falls apart into smaller pieces. Make sense?
I stumbled upon this recipe a few days ago and knew I would have to make it! Spicy cabbage??? Sign me up!! I absolutely loved how it turned out! I would never have thought to combine these ingredients. I will definitely be making this many times again! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Sounds amazing, AND I wonder what I was supposed to do with the reserved bacon fat (2 T) and the jalapeños…I assume slide the peppers and add them and the bacon to the cabbage before tossing. Maybe you meant to use the 2T bacon fat instead of the 2 T olive oil? Just wondering.