Ensalada de repollo

This is a salad we enjoyed several of the evenings we ate dinner at La Quinta Havilah in Nicaragua. And no, "repollo" does not mean recycled chicken. It's cabbage! Who knew?! I loved that it was such a simple, crisp and refreshing counterpoint to the ubiquitous (but differently prepared) chicken and savory beans that comprised most of our dinners - and it even went well with macaroni and cheese and spaghetti.

The first time, I thought the salad was dressed with a light vinaigrette. But then I determined that the mild briny taste was from the salt. Every day, we were greeted with an enormous bowl of the stuff. By the end of the week I thought I had it figured out and couldn't wait to share it with friends and family back home. What a great use of cabbage (since I love to buy foofy, flouncy cabbages but then don't quite know what to do with them) and a terrific salad on a hot day. 

The first time I prepared it was for our 4th of July picnic. I researched a bit online and couldn't find any recipes that quite sounded like what we'd eaten in Nicaragua. Most of the recipes had many extraneous (as far as I was concerned) ingredients. Some version of this salad is apparently common in many parts of Central America. So I experimented. The result I'm sharing here is pretty close to what I remembered. Enjoy!

Ensalada de repollo

(This makes quite a bit - I usually do half a cabbage at a time)

1 medium head of cabbage, thinly sliced/shredded

1 small onion (red or other type), thinly sliced

1 large or two small cucumbers, thinly sliced

6 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 lime

Sea salt

Freshly ground peppercorns

Cumin
Olive oil

Extras:

Shredded carrot

Cilantro

Chopped bell peppers

Diced jalapeño

Jicama

Etc.!

Into a large non-metal bowl, add cabbage. Make sure bowl is large enough to accommodate all ingredients and mixing at the end. I add the cabbage in layers, sprinkling a bit of salt, pepper and cumin on each layer so it can start working on and softening the cabbage. Toss in other veggies. Squeeze lime over top, drizzle on some olive oil (1-2 tsps max.) and mix all components. Cover lightly (with plastic wrap or a tea towel) and set aside for at least an hour before serving. (On countertop or in fridge if you prefer.) Mix now and then if you think of it. Season to taste. 

A marvelously foofy, flouncy cabbage from
the Farmers Market!