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Vitamin salad

Salat Vitaminny (салат Витаминный): Soviet canteen slaw of cabbage, carrot and apple with oil and vinegar

"Vitamin" salad was the bright spot on every Soviet stolovaya tray, scooped from a steel tray beside the cutlets and buckwheat, and it is still how many Russians start a light lunch. Fresh white cabbage, carrot and green apple are rubbed with salt and sugar, then dressed simply with sunflower oil and vinegar, so it tastes crisp, juicy and sweet-sour. It goes with almost anything hot and is a good way to use half a cabbage. A common mistake is skipping the squeeze: crushing the cabbage with salt for a minute or two softens it and draws out juice that becomes part of the dressing. Grate the apple last so it does not brown. Chef's tip: unrefined, toasted-seed sunflower oil gives the true canteen flavour; a splash goes a long way.
Total time
15 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Put the 14 oz white cabbage in a large bowl with the ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and squeeze it firmly with your hands for 2 minutes, until it softens and turns glossy and juicy.

    2 min
  2. Step 2: Add the 2 carrots and toss through.

    1 min
  3. Step 3: Grate the 1 green apple straight into the bowl, skin on, and mix at once with the 1 tbsp cider vinegar so it stays pale.

    2 min
  4. Step 4: Dress with the 2 tbsp unrefined sunflower oil, add 2 spring onions and ⅛ oz fresh dill and toss. Taste, adding a pinch more salt or sugar until it is clearly sweet-sour.

    2 min
  5. Step 5: Rest for 5 minutes before serving so the juices mingle. It keeps in the fridge for a day.

    5 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
95 kcal
Protein
1 g
Carbs
12 g
Fat
5 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does vitamin salad take?
About 15 minutes in total.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?
Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of white cabbage?
Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.

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