Greek Inspired Cabbage Salad: The Antidote to Tomato and Cucumber Fatigue

Updated 8/15/26

Why You’ll Love This Greek-Inspired Cabbage Salad

We all reach that point in the summer where you can’t look at another tomato and cucumber salad. At first, they look incredibly appealing, and then all of a sudden you’re like, all right, we need something else.

That’s when I start making this cabbage salad. It has all the flavors we love about a Greek salad, feta, Kalamata olives, dill, parsley, but instead of clunky tomatoes and cucumbers, you get cabbage as a crunchy, refreshing base.

What Makes This Cabbage Salad So Good?

The first question I always get when I serve this is, “How come I’ve never eaten anything like this before?” It’s that refreshing.

The cabbage stays incredibly crunchy, which makes it especially good with grilled summer meats. It’s salty from the feta and Kalamata olives, packed with fresh herbs, and has just enough acidity from the Greek dressing to keep everything bright. I’ve even served it with sardines, and it’s fantastic.

The dressing is what really gives it those taverna vibes. It’s made with lemon, red wine vinegar, plenty of garlic, and dried oregano. Then you’ve got that iconic combination of Kalamata olives, feta, and dill, with Italian parsley to round everything out.

How to Make the Best Cabbage Salad

The cabbage itself couldn’t be easier. Just thinly slice it by hand or use your food processor. Online, I see people reach for a mandoline, but honestly, I think that’s more work than it’s worth. You’d have to cut the cabbage into lots of small pieces just to make it manageable.

And if you want to make this even easier, use a bag of shredded cabbage slaw. There is absolutely no shame in taking the shortcut. The beauty of this salad is that the cabbage gives you all that satisfying crunch without requiring much effort.

A Note About the Greek Salad Dressing

If you have my cookbook, you may notice that this dressing is slightly different from the version printed there. Over time, I’ve started adding just a teeny bit of Dijon and increasing the garlic, which helps improve the dressing’s stability when stored. The difference in flavor is practically imperceptible, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the original version. But going forward, this is the version I’ll be using and recommending.

FAQ

Can I use bagged cabbage slaw?

Absolutely. It’s an easy shortcut and works perfectly in this salad.

What should I serve with Greek Inspired Cabbage Salad?

I love it with my Mediterranean Beef Skewers or my Yogurt Marinated Mediterranean Chicken Skewers, but it’s great alongside any grilled meat or fish. It’s fantastic with canned sardines, too.

Can I make this salad ahead?

Yes. That’s another reason I love using cabbage as the base. It holds onto its crunch much better than a delicate lettuce-based salad.

Greek Inspired Cabbage Salad

Recipe by thesal28_wp

Course: SALADSDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 8 cups shredded green cabbage

• 5 oz Feta cheese (I prefer Sheep’s Milk, but use what you like), crumbled

• 1 red bell pepper, julienned

• 2/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

• 1 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped

• Greek Salad Dressing, recipe below 

• Kosher salt (to taste)

• freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

• Greek Salad Dressing

• 2 tbsp lemon juice 

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp honey

• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tbsp capers

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil

• 2/3 cup neutral oil like grapeseed or avocado

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano 

• 1/4 tsp black pepper 

• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Directions

• Prepare Dressing: Using blender (or immersion blender), blend together garlic, capers, honey, mustard, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar until the garlic is chunky and the capers finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the neutral oil then the olive oil.  Stir in Kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano.
• For the Salad: Combine the cabbage, bell pepper, olives, feta cheese, dill and parsley in a large bowl. Dress and season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper. I prefer to let the salad sit for about 15-20 minutes before serving so that the cabbage softens a little and absorbs the dressing, but you may serve immediately if you like.

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