Crunchy cranberry, apple and almond slaw

This crunchy cabbage salad is perfect for the fall and winter months and can be prepared in under 10 minutes.

I love the different flavors and textures — there’s variety in every bite. You have apples, cabbage, nuts and dried cranberries. The base is a bag of prepared cabbage/coleslaw, which makes things easier, but you certainly could chop fresh cabbage if you have some on hand. A prepared mix works well if it includes purple cabbage and/or carrots. The available brands with a hechsher are sold in various sizes, so get a bag that is close to 10 ounces.

The addition of parsley makes this salad very refreshing, especially when paired with the apple cider and maple vinaigrette.

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I prefer to make this just before serving. The onions marinate first in the vinaigrette, so you can prepare those in advance and just mix it together before your meal if that makes life easier. This is a small batch that will serve 5 or 6 people. You can easily double the recipe, but keep in mind that it can only sit out for about an hour or two before the cabbage will begin to wilt.

I consider this salad to be barely dressed. It has just enough flavor to lightly coat the ingredients without excess pooling in the bottom of the bowl.

Ingredients
Serves 5 or 6 as a side dish

1 9- or 10-ounce bag of prepared coleslaw mix, or 6 cups of cabbage, thinly sliced
½ cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons neutral oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
A few shakes or grinds of black pepper
½ cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
½ cup toasted sliced almonds or slivered almonds
⅓ cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced

Dice the red onions and put them into a bowl.

Either use a separate small bowl to make the dressing or just prepare it in the big bowl that you will serve the salad in.

Pour the oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper into the bowl and mix well with the onions. Let this rest for 10 minutes to allow the onions to soften in both flavor and texture.

After 10 minutes, stir in the parsley before folding the cabbage into the bowl.

Once the cabbage is well covered, add most of the almonds and cranberries and mix in, leaving the rest to sprinkle on top.

You can garnish the top with apple slices or mix them into the salad.

If you’re not a fan of maple dressings, you can substitute the sweetener with honey or agave syrup. If you’d like a bit more dressing, stir in an extra tablespoon of both oil and vinegar, and also a teaspoon of maple syrup or an alternative sweetener.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.