To be clear: The Ottoman Empire was the Turkish empire that ruled a large part of Southeastern Europe, West Asia and North Africa between the 14th and the beginning of the 20th century. Almost nothing remains of that power.
But whatever you call the dish: it should be accompanied (or in) by a fresh salad. You often find that this salad nowadays consists of nothing more than a few strands of iceberg lettuce, but in Turkey people pay much more attention to salads with their meals. They provide the much-needed refreshment in the often dry and arid climate.
One of them is the delicious Turkish red cabbage salad and it is easy to prepare for any enthusiast.
The red cabbage (or red cabbage, both varieties are allowed) is cut into fine strips and then marinated with a very simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and salt. The red cabbage absorbs all the flavors of the dressing and the lemon juice softens the texture of the cabbage over time, making the salad even more tasty to eat.
This simple salad, added to your favorite meat dishes, provides a deliciously crunchy and fresh accent.
Ingredients
- one red cabbage, thinly sliced or grated
- the juice of one lemon
- 100 ml extra virgin Yakelos olive oil
- sea salt
Preparation
- Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well
- Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (but preferably longer)
- Let the salad drain in a sieve before serving, because the salt has drawn moisture from the red cabbage.
