Spicy velvet berry dreams – violet salad with red cabbage, roasted eggplant & blackberries

written by Julia 22. July 2019
Spicy velvet berry dreams – violet salad with red cabbage, roasted eggplant & blackberries

The violet salad – Or just call it pure eye candy!

Fruit is nature’s candy – there is so much truth in this random saying. We have been thinking of the most beautiful salad we can image – and of course it has to be a violet salad, fruity but also spicy. Our research brought us to our favorite website greenkitchenstories and their amazing purple salad recipe with kale and blackberries – what a pity that kale is not easy to find kale in Vienna.

Even on the many markets you can’t really find kale very often. Sometimes in the autumn season, but not during summer time. So we decided to focus on purple cabbage: it’s easy to find, has six times more antioxidants than white cabbage, is low in calories and is especially high in vitamins C and K. So you can feel good about eating this salad over and over again – promise!

Eye- and tastebud catcher!

I don’t know if it’s the wonderful flavor or the so pretty color (or both!) that brought this red cabbage salad on top of my friends list for salads. The red cabbage makes the whole salad so vibrant and everything else takes on a pretty purple hue once it’s all stirred together. Adding the sweet and ripe blackberries, the explosion of different tastes and textures is near. Adding the roasted eggplant with our really special spicy-sour dressing: Voila, the perfect violet salad is ready to eat. And pssst, this salad does not only taste in summer. As the ingredients are full of nutrients, this salad keeps us healthy and happy throughout the whole year. And for all red cabbage lovers who are craving something warm (especially on these rainy summer days) – we have another highlight recipe for you on the blog – roasted red cabbage with cilantro cinnamon topping! Don’t miss this beautiful recipe!


It’s the simple things in life that are most extraordinary.

Paulo Coehlo

Yes, this is a berry special salad!

And this is a really bad wordplay, I know. But I just couldn’t resist – berry funny, I know. Back to serious business: You guys know that we love simplicity – and for us it’s more important that our recipes are harmonious than another crazy combination of sweet, sour, savory and so on.

The darker the berry, the sweeter the juice.

Thomas Jefferson

I love you berry much!

And we love this salad for several reasons: It’s not only a really light version for a tasty summer dinner. No, this salad is also pure eye candy. And in addition to that this salad combination is low carb, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, vegan and of course vegetarian. For all our meat lovers: No worries, you can always add grilled chicken breast or grilled salmon to get the extra portion protein.

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Violet salad with roasted red cabbage, eggplant & blackberries

Print recipe
Serves: 4 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • Salad:
  • 3 red onions
  • 1 -2 ripe eggplant(s)
  • 1 red cabbage head
  • 1 package of fresh sprouts
  • 500 g fresh & ripe blackberries
  • Dressing:
  • 1 tablespoon natural liquid honey (for all our vegans: Just add sugar instead of honey)
  • 1 tablespoon pure lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 fresh chili
  • salt & pepper
  • Garnish:
  • Sonnentor Herbs: Laune gut, alles gut® Gewürz-Blüten-Zubereitung bio

Instructions

 

Step 1: Cut & boil the red cabbage

  • Cut the cabbage head in halves along the stem, and each half in halves, again along the stem.
  • Cut directly to the stem in slices 1-2 cm thick. Each slice is to be laid on the board and cut in 1-2 cm thick slices.
  • Get a  slicer if you want to make this job effortless.
  • Place the shredded cabbage into the strainer, pour boiling water over it, and immediately pour cold water over it.
  • Squeeze the water out of cabbage. (This makes it softer and easier to eat.) 
  • If you want to try it raw – you can also eat the red cabbage without boiling – only thing to notice in advance: Cabbage is way more difficult to digest when raw so we suggest to boil it for a short amount of time. 
  • Place cabbage in the bowl, add salt and mix. 

Step 2: Cut and roast the egg plant 

  • Wash and cut the eggplant into tiny pieces 
  • Roast in a pan for about 5-10 minutes till golden and smooth.
  • Add salt and pepper. For a special taste add half a tablespoon of liquid honey to get the special glaze. 
  • Set aside to cool.

Step 3: Mix it all up

  • Cut the red onions into slices or tiny pieces – whatever you prefer.
  • Mix the red cabbage, the roasted eggplant with the blackberries and sprouts.
  • Serve chilled.

Step 4: It’s all about the dressing

  • Chop the clove of garlic as well as the chili to spice the dressing up.
  • For this delicious dressing, mix the ingredients as listed above: 
  • Warm the natural honey to get a liquid texture, add the pure lemon juice and the olive oil.
  • Then mix it with the chopped garlic and chili. Add some salt and pepper to finish this tasty salad dressing. 

Step 5: Garnish & Enjoy!

  • Serve this salad with bread (if you need some extra carbs) or just enjoy it pure and natural.
  • For the extra portion tastiness: Sprinke some of the flowers and herbs mixture of Sonnentor over the salad. It’s pure perfection! 

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