Politiki salad is a very popular Greek winter salad made up of white cabbage, sweet red peppers, celery and carrots. It also goes by the term ‘Pikantiki’ salad which means spicy.
This winter salad originates from Konstantinoupoli (Constantinople) in Asia Minor. The shortened and most famous term for Konstantinoupoli is ‘Poli’. Thus cuisine from ‘Poli’ is called politiki.
Salad ingredients
This Greek Politiki salad needs the freshest ingredients in order to taste its best. The salad base is white (Dutch) cabbage. White cabbage is the most commonly consumed cabbage in Greece and, of course, it would not go amiss for our salads. It has a peppery taste when eaten raw. These peppery notes give the salad its spicy flavour. It also adds extra crispiness.
In addition, Romano peppers are also used because they are sweet and they complement the spicy cabbage. Moreover, celery is also used, because it has a unique taste and can be eaten raw or cooked. For this Politiki salad recipe use both the celery stalks and leaves. Finally, carrots are also used because they give it a sweet taste that nicely rounds off the dish.
Salad dressing
The salad dressing is very simple. Dress the Politiki salad with olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt. You could also try using lemon juice (from one small lemon) instead of white wine vinegar should you not have any available.
Apple cider vinegar is also a great alternative to white wine vinegar. It has a sour, tangy flavour that complements the salad.
How long will the politiki salad last?
This Greek white cabbage salad with carrots, peppers and celery will last for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also prepare the vegetables ahead of time and add the dressing right before serving.
This winter Greek vegetable salad goes very well with meat and fish dishes, like Pastitsio, Soutzoukakia, veal with cabbage stew, octopus manestra, beef and onion stew.
