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    Home » Salad

    Malfouf Salad (Lebanese Cabbage Salad)

    Published: Apr 10, 2022 by Vanessa Sturman · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Malfouf Salad, which is a Lebanese cabbage salad, is fresh and healthy, made from a base of shredded cabbage and herbs, with a delicious dressing. It makes a perfect side dish for Lebanese and Middle Eastern food. It's super easy to make, looks beautiful and is an excuse to use lots of fresh herbs!

    malfouf lebanese salad in a bowl with a spoon. this recipe
    Jump to:
    • 🥗Why this is a great salad
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • How to make Malfouf Salad
    • Substitutions and customising
    • ❓FAQ
    • 🍽️What to serve with Malfouf Salad
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🥗Why this is a great salad

    Malfouf salad, which is sort of like a Lebanese Slaw, is a great recipe to have in your repertoire. Malfouf means 'cabbage' in Arabic and is the main ingredient for this dish. You may see it written as Salatet Malfouf ('salatet' means salad in Arabic). It:

    • is easy and quick to make
    • has a super delicious dressing that can also be used as a dressing on other salads
    • is healthy
    • makes a great side dish
    • stores for days in the fridge
    • lends itself to swapping ingredients in and out so you can use what's in your fridge.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    • Cabbage - the main ingredient in malfouf or Lebanese cabbage salad.
    • Fresh mint and parsley - I love fresh herbs, and you can go heavy on these. They add freshness and flavour. You can use dried herbs if you have no fresh available.
    • Scallions / spring onions - these add extra flavour to the salad (and are also known as green onions).
    • Lemon juice - for the tangy zing of the dressing.
    • Apple cider vinegar / white wine vinegar - also adds to the sourness of the dressing, and vinegar is very healthy.
    • Tahini - a common ingredient in Lebanese and Middle Eastern food, and is used in hummus. It's sesame seed paste. It's delicious and adds a nutty flavour to the salad.

    How to make Malfouf Salad

    Malfouf salad is very simple to make. This is how you do it.

    1. Shred up your cabbage either using a shredder or use a sharp knife to slice it thinly. Add to a large bowl with the chopped scallions / spring onions and fresh herbs.
    2. Make the dressing by mixing together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic cloves and tahini.
    3. Pour the dressing over the salad and make sure it's mixed in well.
    4. Serve the malfouf cabbage salad with your favourite Lebanese dishes.
    Cutting cabbage thinly on a chopping board.
    Finely chop the cabbage.
    Chopping fresh herbs thinly on a chopping board.
    Finely chop the fresh herbs.
    Squezzing the juice of half a lemon into a jar.
    Make the dressing by adding crushed garlic, vinegar and salt to a jar or bowl.
    Adding tahini to a jar with a spoon.
    Add tahini to the dressing and mix well.
    malfouf lebanese salad in a bowl with a spoon.
    Add all the salad ingredients to a bowl then add the dressing and mix in. Enjoy!

    Substitutions and customising

    Malfouf salad is great for substituting ingredients depending on your tastes or what you have in the house. Some ideas we love are:

    • using red cabbage instead of white, or a mix of both.
    • use olive oil instead of tahini if you can't find tahini.
    • use any fresh herbs you have available, such as coriander. You can use dried herbs too.
    • add olives and/or sundried tomatoes for a Mediterranean influence.

    ❓FAQ

    How do I store the salad?

    Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days, even with the dressing on. The lemon, vinegar and garlic help preserve it. This is great if you want to make the salad ahead of time.

    Do I have to use cabbage?

    While this is a cabbage salad, you can use other vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, kale or celery.

    Is there a substitute for tahini?

    If you don't have tahini or you're allergic to sesame seeds, you can use olive oil - extra virgin olive oil is the best option here.

    This recipe was developed by Vanessa, one of the original co-founders of this site. Vanessa is now working on her plant based health coaching business, Energise and Thrive Plant Based. She helps people get high energy, great health, and balanced eating with delicious plant-based food.

    She’s also brought out her FREE Guide - 5 Steps to Balanced Plant Based Eating which you’re welcome to download. Of course, all the recipes she has created for The Vegan Larder (like this one!) will remain here for you to access.

    🍽️What to serve with Malfouf Salad

    Malfouf salad is a great side dish, so it can go with many delicious main meals. Traditionally, you'd have this with Lebanese or Middle Eastern food, but I also love it with Meditteranean dishes. I think you'll love having this with:

    • Herby Fava Bean Falafel
    • Zucchini Babaganoush (Smokey Courgette Dip)
    • Vegan Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

    To serve, I love sprinkling it with spice mixes (optional) such as:

    • Dukkah - an Egyptian and Middle Eastern spice, herb and nut mix.
    • Za'atar - a Middle Eastern and Meditteranean spice mix including toasted sesame seeds.

    If you make this Lebanese Cabbage Salad, we'd love to hear what you think. Enjoy!

    If you love this recipe, please share this post with your friends on Pinterest or Facebook, or tag me on Insta! Don't forget to also please comment and star ⭐this recipe too!

    Love & Vegan Yummies,

    Louise xx (P.S. Follow me on Insta and Tik Tok!)

    📖 Recipe

    malfouf salad in a big bowl with a spoon in it.

    Malfouf Salad (Lebanese Cabbage Salad)

    Vanessa Sturman
    This Malfouf Salad is fresh, delicious and healthy that makes a perfect side dish to Lebanese and Middle Eastern food. It's super easy to make, looks beautiful and is an excuse to use lots of fresh herbs!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course main, starter
    Cuisine israeli, lebanese, middle eastern
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 64 kcal

    Equipment

    • Chopping board
    • Chef's knife or any other good knife for cutting cabbage
    • Mixing Bowl

    Ingredients Note:

    For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.

    (Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)

    Ingredients

    For the main salad

    • ½ medium cabbage (around 750g, shredded it’s around 6-7 cups)
    • 3 spring onions / scallions (finely chopped)
    • 1 bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped)
    • 1 bunch fresh mint (finely chopped)

    For the dressing (to make around 180ml /  ¾ cup)

    • 2 cloves garlic (crushed, use more if you love garlic!)
    • Juice of 3 lemons
    • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar / white wine vinegar (plus extra if needed)
    • 2.5 tablespoon tahini

    Optional extras

    • 1-2 tablespoon zaatar / dukkah
    • Whole mint leaves for garnish
    • Extra parsley

    Instructions

    • Put all the ingredients for the main salad in a bowl. Mix together.
    • Make the dressing. Put all the ingredients in a bowl/measuring jug and mix well. Top up with some more vinegar to make it reach 180ml / ¾ cup of liquid.
    • Pour the dressing over the salad and make sure it’s mixed in well.
    • Before serving, garnish the salad with more fresh herbs, such as whole mint leaves and fresh parsley. Sprinkle over some dukkah or zaatar if desired.

    Notes

    Note that garlic makes the dressing quite spicy. So use more or less depending on your taste. Marinating garlic in the lemon juice and vinegar takes some of the heat out.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 23mgPotassium: 238mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 967IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword israeli salad, lebanese cabbage salad, malfouf salad, shredded cabbage
    Tried this recipe and loved it? Follow and Mention @vegan_larder or comment and ⭐ below

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Tayler Ross says

      April 14, 2022 at 11:17 pm

      5 stars
      I made this salad for dinner last night and it was amazing!

      Reply
    2. Jacqueline Meldrum says

      April 15, 2022 at 12:28 am

      5 stars
      I saw this on a menu recently and wondered what it was. Sounds tasty.

      Reply
    3. Mirlene says

      April 15, 2022 at 12:47 am

      5 stars
      I have been wanting to try this cabbage salad. I have seen them around lebanese restaurants but never ordered. I only have red cabbages at the moment and will try to use them up.

      Reply
    4. Jess says

      April 15, 2022 at 2:52 am

      5 stars
      So fresh and healthy. Love it!

      Reply
    5. Anita says

      April 15, 2022 at 3:26 am

      5 stars
      This is a lovely salad. It's a new way to prepare salad with cabbage other than the usual coleslaw, and we super love the dressing.

      Reply

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