Rainbow Salad with Local Purple Cabbage and Tahini Lemon Dressing
I recently joined a local community shared agriculture (CSA) program, and every week my family receives a box of locally and/or organically grown veggies. Not only do I love supporting local farmers, but I am also inspired to cook dishes outside of my regular routine.
You could say that having kids (ages 9 and 11) has made me become somewhat less creative in the kitchen. I can only pour my heart and soul into a meal only to have it rejected with “that looks gross” so many times….
Alas, I have rekindled my adventurous side thanks to my veggie box. Each week I receive at least one item that I would not normally buy. For example, I once received 25 tomatillos – something I had never in my life purchased (but the salsa verde I made was delish).
This past week I received a rather large head of local purple cabbage. During my new Saturday morning routine of spending time searching for recipes, I came across an awesome rainbow salad, which I adjusted slightly to make even tastier!
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
Yield: 8 servings (makes for an excellent leftover lunch!). Cut in half for 4 servings.
- 1 roughly chopped local purple cabbage
- 2 carrots, shaved with a peeler into 2-3 inch strips
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced then cut in half
- 1 bunch of parsley chopped finely
- 5-6 tbsp chia seeds
- Salt & pepper, to taste
HOW-TO:
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Add several cups of water into a kettle and bring to a boil.
- Lightly rinse the cabbage and slice in half, through the stem. Cut into quarters and roughly chop it all up.
- Boil water in a kettle. Add chopped cabbage into a strainer in the sink and pour the boiling water over top. Quickly rinse with cold water. This makes the cabbage less rubbery. Roughly dry the cabbage with a hand towel.
- In a large bowl, mix the chopped celery, pepper, cabbage, shaved carrot, and parsley.
- Add dressing & mix well. Wrap up any leftover salad and place in the fridge and eat the next day!
DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
Yield: Just under 1 cup of dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (Bob’s Red Mill brand is best) or a bit more, to taste
- 2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 3 tbsp water, or as needed
HOW-TO:
- In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until smooth. Makes just under 1 cup.
Toss your salad with the dressing, then plate and enjoy!
Health Fact: Purple fruits and vegetables like cabbage, eggplant and blueberries, contain anthocyanins that protect body cells and decrease the spread of cancer cells.
