Fiesolana: Italian Cabbage Salad with Ham & Fontina



- 1 Head green/white cabbage , washed and chopped into tiny strips
- 1 Bunch parsley, washed, dried, and chopped
- 6 Slices of ham, chopped into tiny bits
- 8oz/220g Fontina cheese, chopped finely (see below)
- A Few spoonfuls of parmesan
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar or lemon juice, your pick
- Fleur de sel & pepper
- Fontina is notoriously hard to grate or chop finely, because it’s quite soft. Cut it into relatively small bits, freeze it, and then put it into the food processor with a few tablespoons of parmesan. This will help it stay tiny.
- Combine all salad ingredients (cheese, cabbage, parsley, and ham).
- Drizzle olive oil, and toss.
- Add salt and pepper and toss.
- Drizzle vinegar, and toss. (DO NOT OVERDRESS THIS SALAD. It’s not about the vinegar right now. Just let the cabbage work it’s magic.)
- Taste and add whatever’s needed to make it perfect.
It is SO GOOD. There is barely any dressing, and yet the salad is so flavourful. It is perfect for a blisteringly hot summer day, and you’ll be able to eat a GIANT bowlful because it’s basically only cabbage with some fixins.
Serves 6 as a side dish or appetizer, 4 as a main course.
- 1 Head green/white cabbage , washed and chopped into tiny strips
- 1 Bunch parsley, washed, dried, and chopped
- 6 Slices of ham, chopped into tiny bits
- 8oz/220g Fontina cheese, chopped finely (see below)
- A Few spoonfuls of parmesan
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar or lemon juice, your pick
- Fleur de sel & pepper
- Fontina is notoriously hard to grate or chop finely, because it’s quite soft. Cut it into relatively small bits, freeze it, and then put it into the food processor with a few tablespoons of parmesan. This will help it stay tiny.
- Combine all salad ingredients (cheese, cabbage, parsley, and ham).
- Drizzle olive oil, and toss.
- Add salt and pepper and toss.
- Drizzle vinegar, and toss. (DO NOT OVERDRESS THIS SALAD. It’s not about the vinegar right now. Just let the cabbage work it’s magic.)
- Taste and add whatever’s needed to make it perfect.