Purple Cabbage Salad with Sweet Potato, Pomegranate, Bacon, Walnuts and Dill

Purple Cabbage Salad Recipe with Sweet Potato, Pomegranate, Bacon, Walnuts and Dill. Copyright 2026 Lara Dunston Terence Carter Grantourismo.

Purple Cabbage Salad with Sweet Potato, Pomegranate, Bacon, Walnuts and Dill

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 as a warm salad when just-cooked or eaten cold the next day. This vibrant salad is full of texture: with lots of crunch and pop from the cabbage, walnuts and pomegranate arils contrasted with the softness of the sweet potato and fragrance and freshness of the dill.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Eastern European, Russian, Australian

Servings:

Calories: 489kcal

Author: Lara Dunston

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