This red Napa cabbage salad recipe is simply gorgeous and oh-so-easy to make! It’s finished with spicy crispy chickpeas to make it even more filling.
For this simple Napa cabbage salad, I had the fortune of running into red Napa cabbage for this time in my life. I just find it funny that despite going grocery shopping as much as I do, I can still have fun run-ins with ingredients I’ve never heard of or seen before!
When I saw this red Napa cabbage, I knew I wanted to experiment with it. I mean, who wouldn’t? Look at that color!

Red Napa is a relatively new variety of cabbage. It was released in 2016 and was developed by Kwonnong Seed Co.
It tastes similar to green Napa cabbage, though a bit more peppery.
For this cabbage salad recipe, you can use your favorite cabbage or kale. Below is how I recommend preparing each of the varieties that I’d consider using for this recipe:
- Leafy cabbage, like Napa or savoy: remove the core, tear the leafy parts into bite-sized pieces, and finely chop any of the stalks.
- Red cabbage or green cabbage: remove the core and cut the cabbage in half and thinly slice both halves.
- Leafy green kale: remove the stems and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

How to make this red Napa cabbage salad recipe:
This recipe is so easy to make and it’s perfect for a summer lunch salad!
Here’s what you need:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 head of cabbage
- 2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas
- 1 ounce of fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- Chili powder or paprika or chili flakes, optional
- Salt and pepper
To make it, start by massaging the prepared cabbage with a bit of extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. This helps break down any of the tough fibers in the leaves! Add the mint and parsley and let the salad mingle as you prep the chickpeas!
Next, cook the chickpeas by sautéing and then roasting until crispy.
From there, simply divide the prepared cabbage between bowls and pile those crispy chickpeas on top. That’s it!
Did you make this recipe? Take a picture and tag @Exploring__Vegan on Instagram so I can feature you! No insta? No problem! Rate the recipe and drop a comment below to let me know what you thought!

Napa Cabbage Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 head of cabbage cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 15- ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 ounce of fresh mint leaves torn
- 1 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- Chili powder or paprika or chili flakes optional, to taste
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Dress the cabbage:
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Combine the cabbage and 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil in a large bowl. Season liberally with salt and pepper and massage the oil into the cabbage. Add the mint leaves and all but 1 tablespoon of the parsley and toss to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the chickpeas:
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Add chili powder or paprika, if you like, and toss to coat. Cook for 5 minutes. Arrange the chickpeas into an even layer and transfer to the oven for 15–20 minutes until some of the chickpeas begin to pop and they crisp up.
- Remove the chickpeas from the oven and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley and toss to coat.
To serve:
- Divide the dressed cabbage between bowls and spoon the crispy chickpeas on top. Serve with a bit more paprika or chili flakes on top, if you like. Enjoy!