Chef Dimitra
Cretan Vlita Vrasta (Βλήτα Βραστά)
Crete's summer horta: soft amaranth greens, tender stalks, potatoes, and small zucchini, dressed while warm with sharp lemon and green-gold olive oil, the way a weeknight table actually eats them.
Culinary Explorer
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Northern Greek Lahanosalata (Λαχανοσαλάτα)
Created by
Northern Greece's winter cabbage salad is plain in the best way: fine white cabbage, carrot, lemon, vinegar, oregano, and enough olive oil to make it shine.
Salads
Greek
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
Comfort Food
20 min
Active Time
0 min cook•30 min total
Yield6 servings
Lahanosalata belongs to the winter table of northern Greece, especially Macedonia, where cabbage is cheap, firm, and good when tomatoes have no business being in a salad. White cabbage and carrot are shredded fine, then dressed with lemon, a little vinegar, oregano, and olive oil. Nothing decorative. Nothing borrowed.
The Greek word lahano comes from ancient lachanon, a broad word for garden vegetables that narrowed over time in modern Greek to mean cabbage. In northern Greece and the mountain regions, cabbage became a practical winter salad because it stored well through cold months when tender greens were scarce. By the twentieth century, lahanosalata was a standard home and taverna companion to fasolada, lentils, fried fish, and other everyday dishes of the lean season.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
firm white cabbage (lahano)
Quantity
700g
outer leaves removed
carrot
Quantity
120g
peeled
fine sea salt
Quantity
12g
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
45ml
red wine vinegar
Quantity
20ml
extra virgin olive oil, preferably Koroneiki
Quantity
75ml
dried Greek oregano
Quantity
1g
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
2g
flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Quantity
15g
finely chopped
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| firm white cabbage (lahano)outer leaves removed | 700g |
| carrotpeeled | 120g |
| fine sea salt | 12g |
| fresh lemon juice | 45ml |
| red wine vinegar | 20ml |
| extra virgin olive oil, preferably Koroneiki | 75ml |
| dried Greek oregano | 1g |
| freshly ground black pepper | 2g |
| flat-leaf parsley (optional)finely chopped | 15g |
Equipment Needed
- •mandoline with hand guard, optional, for very fine shredding
- •wide shallow mixing bowl, 30cm or larger
- •box grater
Instructions
- 1
Shred the cabbage
Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the hard core. Slice it as thinly as you can, across the leaves, into fine ribbons. Lahanosalata lives or dies here: thin cabbage takes the lemon and oil into every fold, while thick pieces stay stiff and taste separate from the dressing.
- 2
Salt and soften
Put the cabbage in a wide bowl with the salt. Toss it well, then squeeze and rub it with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes, just until it relaxes and turns glossy. Leave it for 10 minutes. It should soften, not collapse.
- 3
Add carrot
Grate the carrot on the large holes of a box grater and add it to the cabbage. Toss with your fingers so the orange runs through the white cabbage evenly. If liquid has pooled heavily at the bottom, pour off only the excess, not every drop.
- 4
Dress the salad
Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour it over the cabbage and carrot, then toss for a full minute. Taste. It should be bright, salty enough, and slick with oil, not swimming.
- 5
Rest and serve
Let the salad stand for 10 minutes before serving. Fold in parsley if you're using it, then taste once more for lemon. Serve cool or at room temperature, the way it sits on a Greek winter table beside beans, lentils, grilled fish, or a wedge of feta.
Chef Tips
- •Choose a heavy, tight white cabbage with crisp pale leaves. If it feels light for its size, it will be dry and tired. Liga kai kala: this salad has almost nowhere to hide a poor cabbage.
- •Salt first, dress second. The short salting softens the cabbage just enough so the oil and lemon cling, but it doesn't turn the bowl watery if you stop before it wilts.
- •For a nistisimo table, this salad is already at home. Serve it with fasolada, revithia, lentils, or baked potatoes and you've got the old winter rhythm, not a substitute.
Advance Preparation
- •Shred the cabbage up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
- •Dress the salad 10 to 30 minutes before serving. After a few hours it is still good, but softer and more pickled in character.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 165g)
Calories
145 calories
Total Fat
12 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
820 mg
Total Carbohydrates
10 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
2 g
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