Cabbage and carrot salad is one of the simplest vegetable salads there is, and also one of the most underrated: there’s no cooking involved, it comes together in a few minutes, and the crunchy texture with a light tang makes it a natural fit alongside almost any main dish.

The real trick is shredding the cabbage thin and briefly massaging it with salt by hand. That step softens the tougher fibers, draws out some liquid, and lets the cabbage take on the dressing more readily while still staying crisp instead of turning limp.

The balance of salt, sugar, and vinegar is easy to adjust to taste — some prefer a sharper, more acidic dressing, others a touch sweeter. Swapping in lemon juice for the vinegar gives it a milder, fresher edge, and a pinch of caraway seed or some thinly sliced scallion is a nice way to vary the classic version.

The salad benefits from a short rest before serving — 15-20 minutes in the fridge lets the flavors come together while the cabbage softens just slightly and still keeps its bite. It keeps well in the fridge for a day or two, though it’s at its crunchiest in the first few hours after it’s made.