Ensalada verde (Dominican cabbage salad) is a traditional component of La Bandera Dominicana - the emblematic Dominican lunch, and one of the most iconic Dominican salads. Simple to make, and with easy-to-find ingredients, needs to on your Dominican table.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Dec 23, 2002
Why we ❤️ it
Step into any Dominican fonda, order el plato del día (the daily lunch dish), and a salad will inevitably be part of it. And of all the salad permutations you could get, this is the one most likely to turn up.
This cabbage salad is the most iconic of Dominican salads, if only because it's the simplest, and one of the most unique salad combinations in our repertoire, but there are more...
What's Ensalada verde?
The name most likely does not come from the color of the salad itself, but from verde (green) also used to mean "fresh", or "uncooked". Basically, it means fresh green salad.
Green salad is economical, very easy to prepare, and rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Ensalada verde.
Serving suggestions
Traditionally, green salad is part of La bandera dominicana, the most common traditional lunch in our cuisine, and consists of Arroz blanco rice, Carne guisada (beef, chicken, or pork), and Habichuelas guisada beans.
You can also serve it with any of our Locrios recipes (rice with vegetables, meat, or seafood).
Top tips
- Cutting the cabbage: The most important trick to making Dominican coleslaw is to cut the cabbage as finely as possible. A sharp knife and some practice help, but I prefer to use a mandoline for evenly thin strips of cabbage.
- Storing: The green salad has the advantage of keeping very well in the refrigerator, but the tomato and cucumber are the first to start wilting, so if you are going to store it for many hours, I recommend slicing these just before serving.
About this recipe
Shredded cabbage, tomato (sometimes green), cucumber slices, and boiled beetroot are the basic blocks of this salad. Sometimes other elements may be added, most commonly thinly-sliced radish, or raw grated carrot. Another version contains lettuce (typically iceberg lettuce) instead of cabbage.
A simple olive oil (aceite verde) and fruit vinegar vinaigrette is served as the dressing. If you want to try a non-traditional vinaigrette, check out this easy-to-make creamy balsamic vinaigrette.
In my family, the beetroot was always sprinkled with a tiny bit of sugar before serving and was my favorite part of this salad. This is not a universal thing, but common enough to merit inclusion in my salad.
Video
Recipe
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Ensalada Verde [Video+Recipe] Dominican Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 1 beetroot, boiled and sliced thinly
- ¼ teaspoon sugar (white, granulated), (optional)
- 2 tomato, green or ripe, sliced or or sliced
- ¼ cabbage, shredded finely and rinsed (or ½ head of iceberg lettuce) and rinsed
- 1 large cucumber, (or two small) sliced or diced
- 1 small red onion, cut into thin slices (optional)
Dominican-style vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, (or pineapple vinegar)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste)
Instructions
1. Arrange
Sprinkle the sliced beet with a pinch of sugar. Arrange the vegetables on a platter, including the beetroot.
2. Mixing vinaigrette
- Combine vinegar, and olive oil. Add salt to taste and stir to combine.
3. Serve
Serve salad alongside the vinaigrette. If it will be served later, cover and keep in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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Traditional Dominican salads
Another basic, and very common salad on our table is ensalada hervida (boiled salad), where in contrast with this one, all the ingredients are boiled beforehand.
Ensalada rusa is more closely associated with special occasions, as it's more time-consuming to prepare, and the ingredients are more expensive.
Avocado slices, another favorite, can be dressed up to become a full ensalada de aguacate, and will always be welcome.
Of course, we have a pasta salad: ensalada de coditos ("elbow" salad) using macaroni as the base. Our ensalada de pasta is a creative endeavor, the only rule: it has macaroni (or other short pasta) in it.
On the fancier side, tipili --the Dominican version of the Lebanese Tabbouleh-- is a treat better saved for special days.
Common, but more of an acquired taste, ensalada de molondrones (okra salad) is one of my favorites.
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