This week, we're spending a bit of time with salads that bring a lot of color and flavor to your table. And after a long winter, our plates are yearning to see this amazing color, texture, and flavor. Our first focus is a cole slaw that takes the traditional foundation of chopped cabbage and runs with it. Everything from green beans and carrot to apple and pomegranate arils and more make this a perfect accompaniment to so many dishes with enough strength on its own to be a quick and healthy lunch as well.
As you might have guessed, this salad can stand some tweaking. That said, try to retain the blend of color and texture when making substitutions. You can swap chopped kohlrabi for apple, for instance, or shredded beauty heart radish for the red daikon. Green beans can be swapped for very lightly steamed asparagus and pomegranate arils can be swapped for blueberries. You get the idea. I wouldn't play too much with the dressing unless you are adding or removing items one at a time and tasting as you make it. There's a lot going on in this dressing - I love it - and tweaking can be challenging. I love freshly grated ginger in it too.
This is a gorgeous salad and plays nicely with all manner of roasted meats, grilled mains, and pasta dishes. But I always make sure I make enough for leftovers so I can dig into a big bowl of it for lunch the next day or two. It's so refreshing and beautiful that having it for just one meal feels a bit sad! However you choose to serve it, I hope you enjoy this bright and healthy cole slaw!
Curried Everything Cole Slaw
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger - use fresh grated for a special treat
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups finely chopped (not shredded) cabbage - I used a combination of red and green cabbage
- 1 small red daikon radish, coarsely shredded
- 1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded
- 8 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed and snipped to ½" pieces
- 1 large crisp apple, cored and diced - I used a Honeycrisp
- Pomegranate arils from ½ large pomegranate
- ⅓ cup roasted salted pepitas
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Place the first 11 ingredients (olive oil through white balsamic vinegar) in a jar. Seal the jar and shake until smooth. Taste and season with black pepper and more kosher salt as needed. (You can make the dressing up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Shake before using to recombine.Store in fridge until ready to use. Use any dressing remaining within a few weeks.)
Place the next 8 ingredients (chopped cabbage through chopped cilantro) in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt and pepper as needed. Any leftover salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It makes an excellent make ahead lunch.
- Yields: 6-8 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes