My purple cabbage salad recipe with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and fresh dill makes a wonderful year-round salad that can be eaten as a warm salad when just cooked or eaten at room temperature. The vibrant salad is full of texture with lots of crunch and pop from the cabbage, walnuts and pomegranate arils, contrasted with the crispy-tenderness of the sweet potato, and fragrance and freshness of dill.
If you love a warm salad – this warm German potato salad recipe makes one of my favourite warm salads – you’ll enjoy my purple cabbage salad with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts, and fresh dill. It’s a great year-round salad that can be served warm during the colder months or at room temperature in hot weather. It’s fantastic as a side salad to roast chicken, baked salmon or juicy pork chops.
If you’re a fan of salads with loads of texture, flavour and colour, you’ll appreciate this salad, as it’s got it all: crunch courtesy of cabbage and walnuts, which contrast wonderfully with sweet potatoes, which have crispy exteriors but are soft within; umami-sweetness from the bacon-shallot mix; the pop and tang of pomegranate; perfume and grassiness of fresh dill; and, of course, those fabulous colours.
And if you’re a cabbage lover, we have lots of cabbage recipes, including cabbage salad recipes, such as my cabbage salad with apples, cucumbers, radishes and a creamy poppy seed dressing, our Japanese style cabbage and cucumber salad with sesame seeds and roasted seaweed (fantastic with Japanese fried chicken), and the best coleslaw (also made with purple cabbage and perfect with chicken schnitzel).
Now before I tell you about my purple cabbage salad with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and dill, I have a favour to ask. Grantourismo is reader-supported. If you’ve enjoyed our recipes, please consider supporting the site. You could buy a handcrafted KROK, the best mortar and pestle ever; book a cooking class or meal with locals on EatWith; or buy something on Amazon such as one of the best new cookbooks or a cookbook for culinary travellers.
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Purple Cabbage Salad Recipe with Sweet Potato, Pomegranate, Bacon, Walnuts and Dill
This purple cabbage salad recipe with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and fresh dill was one of those serendipitous recipes that came about from cleaning out the fridge. I had a purple cabbage quarter and shallots that needed using, fresh dill that was wilting, and a packet of pomegranate arils approaching their use-by date. The sweet potatoes were starting to soften, and an opened packet of walnuts getting stale.
The first time I made this purple cabbage salad there was a lot more cabbage and half the sweet potatoes, hence the name. I tested it with slow-cooked, slippery, soft-braised cabbage one night and with stir-fried super-crunchy shredded cabbage the next; with diced potato and pumpkin, fried myriad ways; with dried cranberries and fresh lingonberries; and fresh parsley, both curly and continental. It’s nothing if not versatile, but I adore it with this combo of ingredients.
And this purple cabbage salad recipe will make you a salad that’s something of a fusion salad. Maybe ‘fusion’ is the wrong word, but it’s a salad that straddles culinary cultures. For my mother, who has Russian-Ukrainian ancestry, it could have been something my Odesa-born baboushka made. But to me, having lived in the Middle East for the best part of the decade, I was channelling the cuisines of that region as much as my culinary heritage.
Whatever the culinary influences, I reckon my recipe for a purple cabbage salad with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and dill makes a damn delicious salad, and, bonus, it’s a breeze to make, coming together fairly quickly.
Tips to Making this Purple Cabbage Salad with Sweet Potato, Pomegranate, Bacon, Walnuts and Dill
Just a few tips to making my purple cabbage salad recipe with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and fresh dill, which makes a wonderful year-round salad that can be eaten warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
My recipe for a purple cabbage salad with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and dill makes a wonderful year-round salad that can be eaten warm or at room temperature. Let me tell you more, starting with the ingredients.
Purple Cabbage or Red Cabbage
I’ve called what many of our North American readers would call a ‘red cabbage’, a ‘purple cabbage’, but, yes, we’re talking about the same kind of cabbage, Brassica oleracea, which when sold in a supermarket looks nothing like the cabbage in the photo on the Wiki page I just linked to :)
From my experience of living abroad for the last few decades, it’s mainly called ‘red cabbage’ around the world. But here in Australia, where I’m currently taking care of my mum, it’s called ‘red cabbage’ and ‘purple cabbage’ interchangeably. But as it’s primarily purple-coloured, I’m going with ‘purple cabbage’ here.
Shallots or Red Onion
Use the small purple shallots if you can source them, as they’re so much sweeter than red onions. Terence and I cook with shallots a lot in Cambodia, but they’re just not sold here where I am in Australia, so I’m really missing them. Red onions are the next best thing, but they’re not as sweet.
Bacon
I’m really missing Cambodian bacon. The pigs live a happy life in Cambodia and the pork is so good. The bacon in Cambodia is how I remember the bacon of my childhood here in Australia. But it’s nearly impossible to find that bacon in supermarkets in Australia. The bacon here, even bacon rashers, rarely comes with fat and is largely pink meat. Perhaps for the same reason, chicken pieces are almost always sold without skin…?
So for bacon fat, I buy a big pack of what’s labelled ‘cooking bacon’, which I use for everything. The fat on a bacon rasher is essential for frying for this dish, and, I’d argue, almost every dish you’re using bacon in. So while you normally wouldn’t need to use olive oil or another kind of oil or fat to fry bacon, I find I need a little here in Australia.
I just adore the combination of fried bacon and fried shallots. I finally dice the bacon so it’s about the same size as the shallots (or red onion), and sometimes I’ll cook them up the day before making this salad, transfer the bacon-shallot mix to a jar and refrigerate it. The result is a sort of umami-rich relish, which I then add to the salad. (Chef’s kiss!!)
Pomegranate Arils
In Cambodia, I buy fresh pomegranates from the local markets when they’re in season and they are absolutely delicious, so I’m not complaining. But here in Australia, I can buy fresh Australian pomegranates in season, but also pomegranate arils in packets sold all year, both local and imported.
If you’re not a fan of extracting the pomegranate arils, also called pomegranate seeds, from the fruit, then check to see if your supermarket sells the arils/seeds. If my local fruit shop doesn’t have them, I buy pomegranate arils from Woolworths, although they’re a little more expensive.
Salad Dressing
I’ve developed a salad dressing for this salad that’s a twist on a classic French vinaigrette, with pomegranate molasses for the delightful tangy sweetness that brings. Pomegranate molasses is used in a lot of Middle Eastern dishes, including the wonderful salad fattoush.
But pomegranate molasses is also used in the cuisines of Russia and Ukraine, and I’ll share my Russian-Ukrainian grandmother’s recipe here when I can get enough pomegranates. Pomegranate molasses can be bought in supermarkets here in Australia.
Step-By-Step Process
My purple cabbage salad recipe with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and dill is fairly straightforward and comes together pretty quickly considering, but here’s a step-by-step overview of the process for readers who have told us they find these outlines helpful. Not you? Then feel free to scroll directly down to the recipe :)
Make the Dressing
To a small glass jar, add all the dressing ingredients; put the lid on, shake well to combine, taste, and if needed adjust to suit your palate. Set aside so the flavours meld.
Cook the Bacon and Shallots
In a round flat-bottomed wok (or frying pan), sauté the diced bacon for a few minutes then push to the side; add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, finely diced shallots and garlic, sauté for another minute or so until soft and fragrant; combine the lot, sauté for another minute or so then transfer to a small dish to cool.
Cook the Cabbage
To the same wok, add another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, add cabbage, and wok-fry, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is just starting to soften but remains firm-ish. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Cook the Sweet Potatoes
To the wok, add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oils, add the sweet potatoes and wok-fry, stirring frequently until they start to brown and crisp up but are soft within; around 15 minutes or so. Taste to make sure they’re cooked to your liking, then transfer to the bowl with the cabbage and stir to combine.
Pan-Roast the Walnuts
To a small dry frying pan, add the walnuts and pan-roast, stirring continuously until they just start to brown, then transfer to a small dish.
Assemble the Salad
Add the bacon and shallots to the cabbage and sweet potatoes and toss to combine well. Just before serving, add the walnuts, pepper, most of the pomegranate arils and fresh dill (saving some for garnishing), half the dressing, toss, and taste. If needed, adjust to suit your palate, adding more dressing and optional salt if you like.
Serve the Salad
Tip the salad into a serving bowl, sprinkle on the remaining pomegranate arils and fresh dill, and serve at the centre of the table. This is a showstopper of a salad that looks fantastic. It would be wonderful on the table for warm-season backyard barbecues or cosy family gatherings inside during the cooler months.
Or distribute the purple cabbage salad between plates. I have to say that this is a salad I’m very content to tuck into on its own, but it also makes for a fabulous side salad to roast chicken, pork chops, baked salmon, meatballs, or skewered meats, such as souvlaki or kofta kebabs. Serve with a stack of pita bread or crusty sourdough.
Purple Cabbage Salad Recipe with Sweet Potato, Pomegranate, Bacon, Walnuts and Dill
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt - optional, or to taste
- 4 tbsp olive oil - divided
- 2 rashers bacon - rindless, diced
- 2 shallots - finely diced, or small red onion finely diced
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- ¼ purple cabbage - red cabbage, Brassica oleracea, cut into chunky pieces
- 2 sweet potatoes - large, peeled and diced
- 60 g walnuts - pan-roasted
- 75 g pomegranate arils - also called pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup fresh dill - sprigs only
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt - optional
Instructions
- Make the dressing: to a small glass lidded jar, add the dressing ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Put the lid on, shake well to combine, taste, and if needed adjust to suit your palate. Set aside so the flavours meld.
- Cook the bacon and shallots: in a round flat-bottomed wok (or frying pan), sauté the diced bacon for a few minutes then push to the side; add a tablespoon of good olive oil, finely diced shallots and garlic, sauté for another minute or so until soft and fragrant; combine the lot, sauté for another minute or so then transfer to a small dish to cool.
- Cook the cabbage: to the same wok, add another tablespoon of olive oil, add cabbage, and wok-fry, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is just starting to soften but remains firm-ish. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
- Cook the sweet potatoes: to the wok, add two tablespoons of olive oils, add the sweet potatoes and wok-fry, stirring frequently until they start to brown and crisp up; around 15 minutes or so. Taste to make sure they’re cooked to your liking then transfer to the bowl with the cabbage and stir to combine.
- Pan-roast the walnuts: to a small dry frying pan, add the walnuts and pan-roast, stirring continuously until they just start to brown, then transfer to a small dish.
- Assemble the salad: add the bacon and shallots to the cabbage and sweet potatoes and toss to combine well. Just before serving, add the walnuts, pepper, most of the pomegranate arils and fresh dill (saving some for garnishing), half the dressing, toss, and taste. If needed, adjust to suit your palate, adding more dressing and optional salt if you like.
- Serve the salad: tip the salad into a serving bowl, sprinkle on the remaining pomegranate arils and fresh dill and serve.
Nutrition
Please do let us know if you make our purple cabbage salad recipe with sweet potato, pomegranate, bacon, walnuts and dill as we’d love to know how it turns out for you. And if you make our salad, please do share your own recipe tweaks in the comments below.
