When we got my dad’s cancer diagnosis, I just had to do something.
Anything.
As I mentioned back when I wrote about how we used food to naturally fight cancer, I traveled to see my parents, stocked their freezer with meals for those long chemo-treatment days, and helped incorporate some new cancer-fighting foods into my dad’s diet.
This easy cabbage dish was one of the recipes I created using the cancer-fighting foods list I compiled for my dad. It’s a spin-off of this cabbage salad but with substitutes that seemed to hold even more power for battling the Big C. Some might call it a slaw, others a salad, but I was just happy to use the organic red (purple) cabbage I had brought, among other powerhouse super foods.
After I found out my dad had cancer, I did a lot of research to help him fight cancer with food. I collated all the information I found, the research-based and the slightly off-the-wall, into a few lists of foods to eat often, sometimes, hardly ever and hopefully never.
I printed out a list for my parents, and I’ve created a PDF for you to print, too.
If you compare the recipes, you’ll notice the addition of lemon juice, switching the vinegar to the more-recommended apple cider vinegar instead of balsamic, and some mixing up of vegetables.
The result was actually really, really tasty, and my dad – a creamy coleslaw lover – genuinely enjoyed it. Some of the other things I served that weekend, he simply tolerated because he loves his daughter. 
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PinIngredients
- ~7 c. shredded raw cabbage (use about 1/2 of a small red cabbage + 1/4-1/3 large green cabbage)
- 1 tsp. dried dill weed
- 1/2 tsp. Real Salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
- 1 1/2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!)
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- pepper to taste
- optional: diced red onion
- optional: crumbled goat cheese or feta to top
- optional: add sliced artichoke hearts
Instructions
- Shred the cabbage to the desired size.
- In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the dill, salt, garlic, ACV, EVOO (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!), lemon juice and pepper.
- Allow to sit a few minutes for the flavors to meld, then taste. Add more of just about anything as desired.
- Top with optional onion and/or cheese (highly recommended, yum!)
- Best served after about an hour so all the flavors can come together. Still good the following day, and then the quality declines after that.
Notes
* This salad is a great starter to just about any meal, any time of year. Cabbage is inexpensive and a powerhouse of nutrition. Feel free to use only green or only red cabbage instead of a mixture.
* Use up the rest of your cabbage in the recipes below!
* Would not freeze well.
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Some would say to avoid dairy when fighting cancer, others, to avoid animal products altogether. Using the goat cheese or a sheep’s feta wouldn’t allow you to avoid dairy; but simply skipping the cheese still results in a great salad/slaw (that’s how my kids eat it) and animal protein free.
Other Cabbage Recipes at KS
If you’re not well-versed in using cabbage, raw or cooked, I’m here to help make sure the remainder of your head of cabbage doesn’t go to waste:
- Ultimate Cabbage Resource – why it’s my most favorite frugal produce purchase ever!
- Simple Cabbage Soup with Secret Super Food
- Beef and Cabbage Pockets from The Nourishing Gourmet
- Turmeric Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Coconut
- Un-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in the Crockpot
- The Original Easy Cabbage Salad – no measuring spoons needed!
I also created another cancer-fighting recipe to complement this one: Cancer Fighting Vegetable Soup with an Asian Twist
Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post to Amazon from which I will earn some commission if you make a purchase. See my full disclosure statement here.
