Green Cabbage Slaw (Krautsalat)

Author Notes

This mild, addictively delicious salad -- which falls somewhere between coleslaw and sauerkraut -- is a traditional German recipe that was made by my relatives. This dish was a favorite of my mother's when she was a child, but as the recipe was not written down, she recreated it based on her taste memory. The key to this recipe is soaking the cabbage in boiling salt water, which wilts the cabbage and gives it a lovely soft texture yet a bit of crunch. The cabbage is best if shredded quite fine -- we use a mandoline in our family, but the long blade of a box grater, the slicing blade of a food processor, or even a sharp, long knife will also work well. This dish is a wonderful accompaniment to almost any meal and is especially nice with roasted meats, poultry, or fish. At the bottom of the recipe I've included a modern variation that uses additional vegetables and herbs, which adds extra vibrancy and complexity to this salad. Try both versions! —sonya gropman

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Sonya gropman is a visual artist living in New York City.
WHAT: A 5-ingredient salad that’s part sauerkraut and part coleslaw.
HOW: Soak finely shredded cabbage in boiling salt water for 30 to 60 minutes, drain, and add other vegetables as you see fit. Toss everything with a simple vinaigrette and serve it to a crowd (or keep it for yourself).
WHY WE LOVE IT: We don’t know about you, but we don’t have time to wait weeks for cabbage to ferment into sauerkraut. Behold this recipe: the lazy, impatient man’s version of kraut. It packs more punch than coleslaw but requires only an hour of anxious expectation. Win, win. —The Editors