Fell in love with the bright pink, tangy and crunchy Turkish pickled red cabbage you had at a kebab restaurant? Want to make it at home? It’s easier than you think! No brine to boil, no waiting for days. It’s ready to eat in just an hour.
The Pickled Red Cabbage You Get at Turkish Kebab Shops
In Türkiye, this is known as mor lahana turşusu. You’ll often see it at kebab shops, on top of a simple lettuce salad or on the side of the plate. It has a beautiful bright pink color, which is one of the things we love about it.
It’s not just a kebab shop thing, though. It’s also made at home and is often called kebapçı usulü mor lahana turşusu (kebab shop-style pickled purple cabbage).
We make it often and keep a jar in the fridge, ready to put on the table with almost any meal. It’s especially handy when we don’t feel like making a salad but still want something fresh and tangy on the side.
Love red cabbage but don’t want to use vinegar? Try our Turkish red cabbage salad instead. It’s made with just salt and fresh lemon juice.
About the Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for this Turkish-style pickled red cabbage:
Red cabbage: We use one large head, about 1 kg (2.2 lb).
Salt: Sea salt or rock salt both work well.
Grape vinegar: In Türkiye, it’s called üzüm sirkesi and is commonly used for pickling. Here in the UK, we’ve found red wine vinegar to be the closest alternative, so we use whichever one we have on hand. Apple cider vinegar works too.
Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Garlic: You can leave it out if you don’t want your pickles garlicky, but we love it in this recipe.
You can find the full list of ingredients with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Turkish Pickled Red Cabbage
Making Turkish style red cabbage pickle at home is really easy.
Start by slicing the red cabbage with a sharp knife. We prefer doing it by hand rather than using a mandoline or food processor, as we don’t want the cabbage too thin. It should still have a nice crunch. When you get to the firmer core, simply slice it a little thinner and add it too.
Add the salt, vinegar, lemon juice and grated garlic, then get your hands in and give the cabbage a good massage. You’ll see it soften and start releasing its own juices.
Now, all you need to do is pack it tightly into jars and let it rest. You can eat it after just an hour. It will already be wonderfully pink, tangy and crunchy, but it’s even better the next day.
You can find the full instructions in the recipe card below.
Why Do We Massage the Cabbage?
This is the key step in this recipe. Massaging the cabbage with salt, vinegar and lemon juice softens it slightly while keeping the crunch. It also helps the cabbage release its own juices and turn that lovely bright pink.
And don’t be too gentle! Give it a good massage with your hands for about 2–3 minutes.
This is also what makes this recipe different from our quick pickled red cabbage. That one uses a warm brine, while here the cabbage releases its own liquid as you massage it.
What to Serve With Turkish Pickled Red Cabbage
We serve it with all kinds of meals at home, but naturally it’s especially good with kebabs and grilled meat. Here are a few of our favorites:
We also love serving it with kisir (Turkish bulgur salad). The tangy, crunchy cabbage goes really well with it.
And honestly, if there’s a jar of pickled red cabbage in the fridge, we put it on the table with whatever we’re having for dinner.
Can You Eat It Right Away?
Almost! Give it about an hour to rest first. By then, it will be bright pink, tangy and crunchy, and ready to eat.
Whenever we make a batch, we happily start eating it after that first hour, then put the remaining jars in the fridge and enjoy them over the next few days.
And we actually like the flavor even more the next day and the days after, as everything has more time to come together.
How to Store It
Keep your pickled red cabbage in tightly closed jars in the refrigerator. It keeps well for up to 10 days.
Always use a clean fork to take some out, then close the jar and put it straight back in the fridge.
More Turkish Sides to Try
Looking for more easy sides to add to your Turkish meals? Here are a few of our favorites:
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📖 Recipe
Turkish Pickled Red Cabbage
INGREDIENTS
- 1 red cabbage about 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- 30 g sea salt or rock salt about 2 tablespoons
- 100 ml grape vinegar about ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (see note)
- 80 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice ⅓ cup, from about 2 large lemons
- 4 cloves garlic grated
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove outer leaves from the cabbage and rinse it well. Cut it in half and slice with a sharp knife. Don't slice it too thin. When you get to the firmer core, simply slice it a little thinner and add it too.
- Place the sliced cabbage in a large bowl.
- Add salt, vinegar, lemon juice and grated garlic.
- Using your hands, massage the cabbage firmly for about 2-3 minutes, until it softens and starts to release some of its juices. Taste at this point and add a little more salt if needed, then massage again briefly.
- Pack the cabbage tightly into clean jars, pressing it down well so there are no large air gaps.
- Pour any liquid remaining in the bowl evenly over the cabbage in the jars. Close the jars with their lids.
- The pickled cabbage can be eaten after about 1 hour, but for the best flavor, refrigerate it for 24 hours before serving. The flavors will have more time to develop.
- Keep refrigerated and use within 10 days.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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