Moroccan Cabbage & Spinach Salad

This Moroccan cabbage recipe is vegetarian, vegan, keto and gluten-free. Traditionally this Moroccan salad’s main ingredient is cabbage but I’ve added some fresh chopped spinach too. It’s usually ‘either/or’ cabbage or spinach, but I like both so I was creative 😉

If you like this recipe you may want to check out – Top 15 Vegetarian & Vegan Moroccan Recipes

Health Benefits Of Cabbage

Cabbage is very popular worldwide and well-known for its health benefits, here are just a few:

1. Ideal for weight loss!
It has only 33 calories in a cup of cooked cabbage, is low in fat and is high in fibre. It is definitely a smart carb.

2. It is brain food
It is full of vitamin K and anthocyanins that help with mental function and concentration. These nutrients also prevent nerve damage, improving your defence against Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Red cabbage has the highest amount of these power nutrients.

3. High in sulfur, the beautifying mineral.
Cabbage helps dry up oily and acne skin. Internally sulfur is essential for keratin, a protein substance necessary for healthy hair, nails, and skin. Check out this Homemade Cabbage Face Mask

All vegetables are good for the skin, but cabbage is one of the best!

4. Helps detoxify the body.
The high content of vitamin C and sulphur in cabbage removes toxins (free radicals and uric acid). These are the main causes of arthritis, skin diseases, rheumatism and gout.

5. Has well-known cancer-preventative compounds lupeol, sinigrin and sulforaphane.
They stimulate enzyme activity and inhibit the growth of cancer tumours. A Study on women showed a reduction in breast cancer when cruciferous vegetables like cabbage were added to their diet.

6. Helps keep blood pressure from getting high.
The high potassium content helps by opening up blood vessels, easing the flow of blood.

7. Cabbage for headaches
A warm compress made with cabbage leaves can help relieve the pain of a headache. Crush cabbage leaves, place them in a cloth, and apply on the forehead. Also, drink raw cabbage juice 1-2 oz. (25-50ml) daily for chronic headaches.

9.  Anti-inflammatory and Blood Sugar Regulator.
The natural red pigments of red cabbage (betalains) are said to lower blood sugar levels and boost insulin production. Of course, it has no white sugars and very few simple sugars. Betalains have powerful anti-inflammatory properties just like beets.

10. Cabbage is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre. It also has phytonutrients known to prevent cancer and to be a Blood Sugar Regulator.

Cabbage Caution
Those with thyroid problems like myself should avoid eating large amounts of cabbage on a regular basis as it interferes with the body’s absorption of iodine, needed by the thyroid gland. This applies to all cruciferous vegetables.

Moroccan Cabbage Salad

This Moroccan salad is traditionally called T'qolia where I'm from. This is normally the case with anything made from the charmillah/charmollah paste consisting of olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika and garlic, anything made from this delicious marinade or dressing is usually called T'qolia, so this is called T'qolia bil Kromb which means cabbage T'qolia!

I can happily have this just by itself with some olives and fresh homemade bread, if you have it like this it's even better when served with hot Moroccan mint tea!

Although this is called a salad and popularly served as a side dish around the table of a meaty main course, many enjoy it just as it is and can also be known as a poor man's dish in this case. I actually prefer the taste of Moroccan so-called poor foods, you will find that most of them are much healthier and nutritious for you. This can easily explain the many long lives of Moroccans poor 😉

Suitable for vegetarians, keto and gluten-free. 

Servings 6

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• quartered and sliced thin or into squares 1/2 of a Fresh Cabbage
• washed thoroughly and chopped roughly 1 batch of Fresh Spinage
• grated crushed or minced 2-3 garlic cloves
• washed and chopped very finely. 1/2 batch of fresh Parsley
• washed and chopped very finely. 1/2 batch of Fresh Coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin zeera
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• optional if you like spice 2 green chillies (chopped)
• Juice of 1 fresh lemon
• or white vinegar 1 table spoon of Moroccan Vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil

Instructions

• Cut and wash your cabbage, spinach and greens, grate the garlic cloves and set aside
• Boil the cabbage seprately in some salt water until soft. (or if you can steam it this is better)
• Put a pan to heat over the stove with the olive oil, and mix the spices, lemon juice, vinegar, coriander, parsley and garlic together into a paste (this is your charmillah dressing) add to the pan and stir fry slightly before adding the spinach. Be careful not to burn the spices, just allow the aroma to rise slightly first.
• Add the soft cooked cabbage to the pan shortly after the spinach has stir fried for a bit and give it a good stir, you may add some water to prevent sticking but very little, leave under a low heat for about 5 mins.
• This is good to serve hot or cold 😉
• 

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Moroccan

Keyword: cabbage