Recipe: Holiday Cabbage Slaw

Here’s a simple, healthy recipe that just screams autumn. I took it to a recent dinner party as a side (the hostess made pumpkin chicken enchiladas that were absolutely amazing) and I’ve made it twice since then. So fresh and yummy!

This is basically what it looks like (picture borrowed from seriouseats.com):

Recipe makes about 8 servings.

Ingredients for the slaw:

·         1/3 head green cabbage, thinly shredded

·         1/3 head red cabbage, thinly shredded

·         2-3 large sweet and tart apples (I used a Jonagold and a Granny Smith), sliced very thinly

·         ¾ cup dried cranberries, dried cherries, or raisins

·         ¾ cup candied pecans (Make them yourself! Just melt ½ Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ Tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and stir it together. Add ¾ cup whole pecans and toast for about 3-4 minutes, shaking occasionally. Take off heat immediately and let cool. These also make for great holiday gifts!)

Ingredients for the dressing:

·         ½ cup apple cider vinegar

·         2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         2 Tbsp cranberry juice

·         2 ½ Tbsp sugar

·         ½ tsp clove

·         ½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1.       Combine slaw ingredients.

2.       Whisk together dressing ingredients, then add dressing to slaw, tossing gently. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!

Not only is this slaw absolutely delicious, it also boasts some super healthy nutrition facts - cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and kale contain phytonutrients called "organosulfur compounds." Some promising research links consumption of this phytonutrient with a reduced incidence of cancer and heart disease. Additionally, this recipe is nutrient-dense, providing fiber, heart healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin C, and a lot of flavor for not a lot of calories.

This combination of apple, cabbage, pecans, dried fruit, vinegar, and autumn-y spices makes for a fresh, crisp side dish that is sure to impress even the most discerning of taste buds.

I hope you like it! Let me know what you think!

Anna