Winter Cabbage Salad with Mandarins and Cashews

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JPI am guessing that for those of us in the horrifying place of not being able to eat added sugar, that the cashews can just be toasted, plain?December 19, 2025at1:20 pmReply

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CyI often use coconut sugar; it has fiber and nutrients and a much lower glycemic rating. Maple syrup is another good optionDecember 25, 2025at2:53 pmReply

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HollyMaple syrup and coconut sugar are still pure, added sugar. Not healthy and not substantially different than cane sugar.December 26, 2025at2:05 pmReply

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MonicaI live everything except fennel. Any idea for substitutions? Thanks!December 19, 2025at2:39 pmReply

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LesleyThinly sliced celery might work for the refreshing crunch without the licorice flavor.December 19, 2025at10:11 pmReply

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VirginiaYes, celery is a great idea… also maybe jicama?December 20, 2025at2:38 amReply

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JillI made it twice and didn’t have fennel the second time so used jicama. It worked well. Also my grocery store was out of mint so used cilantro. I think it worked well. Love the recipe!!!January 3, 2026at7:52 pmReply

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MimiA tart green Apple maybe…December 20, 2025at4:39 pmReply

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MonicaGreat ideas, thank youDecember 22, 2025at5:45 amReply

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LaurenRadish? Baby bok choy? Zucchini?December 22, 2025at11:42 amReply

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ElyseAs a fennel hater myself, I will say the anise/licorice flavor was incredibly mild. just fyi! Maybe I got a weak fennel lolDecember 25, 2025at12:51 pmReply

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ElizabethAbsolutely making this tomorrow, I can’t believe I have everything for this already! Just one question, does the vinaigrette really not have any oil? Or am I just not seeing it?December 19, 2025at3:07 pmReply

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debAh, my bad! Now fixed. There’s ALWAYS a typo but that was a biggie. Anyway, there’s 3 tablespoons olive oil in the dressing; now fixed. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.December 19, 2025at9:02 pmReply

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AnneAny particular type of cashew- raw, salted?December 19, 2025at9:49 pmReply

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CatMy tree is heavy with tart mandarins right now, & they & fennel & sumac are all-time favorite foods of mine, so this sounds bright & perfect for the holidays. We unfortunately don’t love cashews, so any suggestions for potential substitutions (even though they are “the stars of the show”!)?😬December 19, 2025at8:20 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 poundmandarins (clementines and other small oranges work here), divided3(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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LesleyAlmonds or pistachios would probably taste great with these ingredients!December 19, 2025at10:09 pmReply

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SugarI always find walnuts to be a good match for cabbage salads!December 21, 2025at3:16 amReply

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LynnIt’s Christmas! I’d go with macadamias. They’re the closest to cashews in buttery richness.December 22, 2025at12:17 pmReply

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DebbieI just found the perfect salad to serve alongside that dreamy sautéed mushrooms & Brie number you posted recently. Tuesday holiday party wowers —check!December 20, 2025at12:15 amReply

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ZbI’ve been eating something like this a lot lately. Will try the fennel and sumac additions next time, thanks!Also good: kalamata olives (goes with the orange), and if it’s a main dish then chilled black lentils works great with the red cabbage. Also raisins if that’s your jam.December 20, 2025at12:41 amReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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SarahDo you have any suggestions for a sub for the cashews? We’re a nut allergy family but everything else about this salad is calling my name!December 20, 2025at4:01 amReply

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JuliaYou could add wonton strips!December 20, 2025at7:59 amReply

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KathrynI’m going to try with pepitas and maybe some of the wonton strips on top suggested below. I know it says the cashews are the star but besides them killing me this salad sounds ideal!December 20, 2025at11:07 amReply

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Mary Ann ZoellerShould the cashews be raw?December 20, 2025at4:27 amReply

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Florence MillerYou are roasting them so presumably they should start out raw.December 20, 2025at7:42 amReply

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debNo need. Mine started toasted and salted. The rinse takes the salt off, so it makes no difference. They toast either way, but not so long that already toasted nuts will burn.December 23, 2025at2:26 pmReply

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StephGI made this and it was delicious. Classic kitchen chaos and subs. Forgot we had no fennel and subbed celery ( and ground a tiny bit of anise and sprinkled over. ) Almonds in the house so they subbed for cashews. No mandarin so subbed orange supremes. Spectacular cabbage from the farmers market amped things up as did the Burlap & Barrel spices on the nuts. All came together well in the spirit of the dish and desire to not do to the store in 35 degree weather. TY!December 20, 2025at6:07 pmReply

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YaelI just wanted to note how stunning the main picture is. Such vibrant colours, and almost a sort of 17th century still life vibe. Well done!December 20, 2025at6:15 pmReply

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Margery WiederMade it immediately. We don’t like fennel so we left it out. Used Costco’s roasted and salted cashews, so just omitted the salt on them but still roasted for ⏱️ 10 minutes. They were delicious! Next time will add Kalamata olives, per a commenter’s suggestion, but even without them, this was beautiful, quick, and delicious!December 21, 2025at9:39 amReply

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ElizabethAbsolutely delicious! Listen to Deb regarding the Sumac, get a good one, mine was strangely weak (even though it was a fresh jar, seems like the brand is just not to be trusted) and I had to add a LOT more to be even able to taste it at all.The spiced cashews are truly divine, and a tip for the Europeans who can’t get American brown sugar: white sugar plus sugar beet syrup will give you close-ish results, it works great in chocolate chip cookies and worked great here. I ended up adding only about half of the cashews to the salad because trying a few turned into eating half a cup while cutting up the fennel, so, um, maybe make double the cashews.December 21, 2025at1:12 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoonSpiced cashews (from above)

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NikoleWow! So festive and comes together quickly with a food processor.December 21, 2025at2:23 pmReply

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Ottie LockeyThanks for sharingDecember 22, 2025at9:53 amReply

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FrancescaServed this last night with roasted chicken. Was a hit. Perfect wintery salad that is fresh and crisp.December 22, 2025at10:13 amReply

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VesnaLove your recipes, this was so heavenly good, i can not get enough. Only skiped the fennel which my husband refuse. Thank you so much for sharing. Merry greetings from south germanyDecember 22, 2025at1:04 pmReply

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Sonja BaronSeriously good! I substituted pecans, but think any nut will do. Coconut sugar is my go to now, and that worked as well. Made this for a party, and was very popular.December 22, 2025at1:11 pmReply

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Elizabeth H. CordesReading this 12/22/25 and find it irresistible. Making it on the morrow.December 22, 2025at6:18 pmReply

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LisaI don’t have sumac, but I have dried hibiscus flower (jamaica) and pomegranate molasses. Should I add some molasses to the dressing/as a drizzle? Or grind up the hibiscus for a sprinkle? Not sure what level of sour the sumac is bringing.December 22, 2025at6:56 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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MarcyJust made this and it is absolutely delicious!December 22, 2025at9:32 pmReply

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BeckiI made this – we made it dinner tonight as a sorta atonement for a blowout big lunch. Love it so much! Colors so pretty and the cabbage and fennel so crunchy – and those cashews! Like candy but savory with the smoked paprika. So good!I didn’t have mint but I did have some pickled onions in the refer and they were a great addition. I think cooking with Deb has made me into this person – who might have pickled onions on hand and tries them in anything. I like this person.December 22, 2025at10:12 pmReply

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debI’m honored and they sound delicious here.December 23, 2025at2:13 pmReply

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Jess in CAThis was a huge hit with my family! One issue — when I roasted the cashews, some of the sugar-spice mixture slipped off the nuts and formed crispy puddles. They were delicious to snack on later, but what should I do to keep all that flavor ON the nuts next time?December 23, 2025at2:38 amReply

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WendyI had a sort of similar issue and I think the key is to use a smaller sheet pan. If you see her photo, the cashews are pretty close together, not spread out.December 26, 2025at2:20 pmReply

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JackieDelicious. Added some chicken for protein, otherwise made as written.December 23, 2025at1:02 pmReply

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RebeccaI am obsessed with this recipe! I usually don’t love cabbage, but I crave this. So glad I tried it. Thank you!December 24, 2025at11:16 amReply

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DarbyI could not find sumac! Would amchur powder work? Or better to use paprika?December 26, 2025at8:55 amReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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CarolynOoh — I’m replying so late — but I think amchur would be delicious! Better than paprika, in my opinion.January 16, 2026at4:25 pmReply

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MiriamI made this and reviewed it for my Instagram channel (@miriamstestkitchen). Bottom line: this is a very different flavor profile to the usual sweet cabbage salad. It’s quite tart and spicy. Personally I ate the whole salad up but if you’re on team sweet you won’t like this!December 24, 2025at6:07 pmReply

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ElyseI was inspired by the blood orange fennel salad, so I used mandarins and a couple of blood oranges (it was a big salad – for a party!) and it was so colorful and festive looking. More importantly, it was delicious! Because of a severe nut allergy, I had to omit the cashews, and ended up replacing them with raw pumpkin seeds, which did add a really nice crunch but probably weren’t comparable to the butteryness, or the larger size, of a cashew. If anyone has any ideas, I’m all ears! I know peanuts have a different flavor profile but might be better, size wise. Next time, whichever one I use, I will make sure I have time to spice them :)December 25, 2025at12:47 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 poundmandarins (clementines and other small oranges work here), divided3(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoons

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ElyseOh and I also replaced mint with basil (I’m staying at someone’s place, I didn’t do the shopping!) and found it shockingly delicious. Can’t wait to try it as written lolDecember 25, 2025at12:49 pmReply

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LisaThis was amazingly delicious. It was colorful and I loved that it could be pretty made a little ahead of time. Unfortunately, no sumac to be found so subbed coriander. Also, added a bit of honey and Dijon mustard to dressing.December 25, 2025at3:08 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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Karen DThe whole family loved this recipe. Colorful, refreshing, and not complicated to make. My husband can’t stop raving about it.December 26, 2025at9:17 pmReply

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RLJI made this to accompany our Christmas Eve dinner of dungeness crab, drawn butter and garlic bread. It was the perfect side dish for a rich dinner. No subs – made as is and everyone loved it. Thank you!December 27, 2025at9:29 amReply

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Sarah BShared it with my aunt and we both loved it. As this was our main lunch on its own, the recipe made enough for just 2 giant servings, so I’d double it next time in order to have leftovers.December 30, 2025at5:27 pmReply

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BrideyWow, this salad is truly one to make the dark days of winter sparkle! Thanks for the inspo. :)December 27, 2025at2:41 pmReply

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Tiffany HallLoved this salad!December 29, 2025at12:26 pmReply

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BridgitDoes it count as making the recipe if you use green cabbage instead of red, pickled red onions instead of scallions, almonds Instead of cashews, parsley instead of mint, lemon juice instead of the squeezed mandarin juice, and orange segments instead of mandarins? Oh yeah, and no fennel at all. If it does, then this recipe was a hit. It would have been much prettier with red cabbage, but I wasn’t willing to go to a second store, and the mandarins available looked quite sad. With all the other changes, I really wanted to use grapefruit, but a few people at the party are on medication that conflict with grapefruit so I went with lovely thin slices of navel oranges. Thanks for the inspiration—my 17 year old LOVES sumac, and my 11 year old thought it was delicious.December 29, 2025at1:36 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 poundmandarins (clementines and other small oranges work here), divided3(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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BridgitOh, and unrelated: is there one of your cookbooks that you would consider more gluten-free friendly than the others? Somehow my brother enjoy your recipes, but doesn’t know you have cookbooks?!? So obviously I need to send him one.December 29, 2025at1:39 pmReply

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WendyI made this. I didn’t use the mint or the scallions and added cubed jicama; on the cashews (which were excellent) I used chili powder instead of cayenne. It was great. I’m going to make it again next weekend.December 29, 2025at3:49 pmReply

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AmyThis was so delicious and easy to throw together. It rivals your brussel sprout/apple salad, which is hard to beat. Didn’t have scallions the first time, added the 2nd- much better with! Served it with a cheese plate.December 29, 2025at11:16 pmReply

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Dianna BeckThis salad is perfection!!! Thanks for introducing me to sumac- I want it in everything now!!December 31, 2025at6:49 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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SaraMade this tonight (with only two teeny changes) and it was delish! My husband is allergic to onions so skipped on scallions, and I had no mint so used cilantro instead. The cashews are outstanding! This is a winner winter salad Deb – thanks!January 2, 2026at7:13 pmReply

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BethanyMade this to go with our Christmas dinner, and it was delicious. Pro tip: make 2x the amount of spiced cashews. They’ll mysteriously disappear before your salad is ready.January 3, 2026at5:30 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonsSpiced cashews (from above)

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Abby Kruegeryes, I had the same issue with the cashews…January 7, 2026at7:15 pmReply

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RebaChanThis was OUTSTANDING. I could also consume an entire bowl all by myself.I subbed a few things b/c either I didn’t like an ingredient (I’m looking at you, fennel – thinly sliced celery was my sub), or b/c I didn’t have it on-hand (used white balsamic for the vinegar and fresh dill instead of mint). But never-ye-mind … it was delicious.I would lower the oven temp a bit and keep a very close eye on the cashews. After ⏱️ 10 mins, mine were pretty well-done. (I like a tad burned, so OK by me. Since there is sugar in the cashew seasoning mix, it can burn quickly.)Thanks for another winner, Deb.January 5, 2026at7:36 pmReply

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CassThis was a hit at a recent potluck! Many were skeptical but took some to be polite. The skeptics went back for seconds :)January 6, 2026at6:48 amReply

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JessThis was delicious. Will be making again and again.January 6, 2026at7:21 amReply

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Abby KruegerI made this for a potluck last night, and it was great – everyone enjoyed having a crunchy light salad. I do have a problem with the cashews, a diminished quantity made it into the salad, they are too good for nibbling! I could see serving those stand alone with drinks.January 7, 2026at7:11 pmReply

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ClareI’ve never left a comment here that I can remember, but I just have to talk about THIS SALAD. After picking up a gorgeous red cabbage at the farmers market, I searched for recipes and this one came up. I read your blog all the time, so it went to the top of the list. I’ve made it twice in one week and ate the whole thing myself the first time (over several days, ahem). I didn’t have the mint or scallions; it was great without them. Second batch, I didn’t even have the fennel and still great. Can’t wait to try it with everything! The cashews are good enough to be a separate recipe.January 9, 2026at5:26 pmReply

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PuddlelilyThis salad looked so delicious– all those colors in winter are divine! BUT I am allergic to both cabbage and fennel. I substituted red radichio and celery. Loved it. We will be eating this weekly to bring the rainbow to winter in New England.January 9, 2026at9:45 pmReply

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Janet HendrickAnother substitute for fennel: endive. I had 2 endives in my crisper and they were a great crunchy alternative to fennel.January 13, 2026at6:59 pmReply

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Deborah N FlanaganI made it exactly as written, and we loved it. It stayed crunchy even the next day when I had leftovers for lunch. This is a perfect salad for winter. I will be making it again soon.January 17, 2026at8:03 pmReply

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Anna C.I LOVE this recipe. I made it once and my family loved it. Last night I invited two other couples over for “salad bowl Sunday” and put the ingredients for the salad plus some grilled chicken out and had a big bowl for tossing your salad. I told them they were helping me because the leftovers would be my meal-prepped lunches for the week. I found that the meal-prep aspect is helped by putting the mint leaves in the blender with the salad dressing, rather than putting them in the salad. People raved about this salad, asked for the recipe and now I’ve got lunch sorted for the week.January 19, 2026at10:28 amReply

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EllenBrilliant recipe. We are pretty much snowed in at the moment, so I especially appreciate that I was able to gather the ingredients ahead of the storms, knowing that the ingredients would keep well and we could have a raw salad days into the cold and ice. (The mint kept the least well, so I heated the oil and vinegar and muddled the mint in the dressing for flavor.) Thank you very much for keeping the perplexities of everyday eating and cooking in mind. Compliments from my husband as well.January 29, 2026at7:45 pmReply

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Diane QuinnAbsolutely delicious!!! I could eat this salad everyday! The cashews are amazingFebruary 5, 2026at6:07 pmReply

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JoannaI’ve been making this about once a week for the last month and either forget to look for fennel bulb, or I can’t find it when I try. It’s still really good without the fennel! The sumac, however, is required.February 8, 2026at4:42 pmReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 pound(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoonssumac, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon

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SinaThis is a great winter salad!In the future, I’ll double the quantity of the cashews for snacking purposes… only a few made it to the salad in our house :-DSalad keeps well in the fridge and continues to taste amazing, just a heads up on looks: everything turns purple eventually and the mandarins start looking a bit orange-grey-ish. So if I were to bring this salad somewhere, I would probably keep mandarins and cashews separate until the last moment and have some mint leaves ready for decoration.February 11, 2026at6:01 amReply

(115 grams) cashews1 cup(25 grams) dark brown sugar2 tablespoons(455 grams) red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (about 4 cups)1 poundmandarins (clementines and other small oranges work here), divided3(30 ml) white wine vinegar2 tablespoons(45 ml) olive oil3 tablespoons

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Heidi LynnThis is so craveable! When I looked at the ingredients, I admit I was a little skeptical but the colors grabbed and I decided to go for it. I am so glad I did. This salad is absolutely delicious and a marvelous alternative to coleslaw or a green salad. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!February 26, 2026at3:02 pmReply

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CJHi, would you not add a cheese to this, maybe goat cheese?April 5, 2026at8:05 pmReply

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debI’m sure it would be delicious crumbled on top!April 7, 2026at11:30 amReply

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MichelleThis is the best winter salad, and it’s even getting us through spring so far.I usually add a crispy chicken breast or a vegan crispy chik’en cutlet to the top for a bigger meal salad. I didn’t have fennel or mint last time and I subbed with sugar snap peas and cilantro. If I’m feeling really crazy, I add feta. So, so good whether I make it as written, or I sub/add things. Bonus: it’s just gorgeous looking too!April 29, 2026at5:01 pmReply

Winter Cabbage Salad with Mandarins and Cashews

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