It’s been -30 C for a few weeks now this past month, and when I was planning our first dinner party of the year, I kept leaning towards savory, indulgent options. But on the other hand, I was mindful of the need for vegetables in my life. This slaw drew a perfect balance between the other dishes on a menu this past Sunday. It needed to be light, refreshing, and balanced. I think it achieved all these things! Bob and I both enjoyed tasting the dressing as we went along, noticing how the maple syrup hid under layers of Dijon flavor. I wondered how it would come together, but the result was a textured, nutty, dressing over a juicy, multilayered slaw – just right!
We chose some purple cabbage, thanks to Bob’s keen food photographer eye, and used green cabbage as well, mixed with fennel. The recipe said and/or, but we thought all of the above would be best! It turned out great, and yielded eight servings as a side. More than enough for leftovers the following day.
Enjoy!
Shan
- ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 tsp plus 1 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 4 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage and/or fennel (we used purple cabbage too)
- 1½ cups matchsticks Asian pear
- 1½ cups matchsticks peeled celery root or celery
- 1½ cups matchsticks peeled daikon
- 3 ounces Manchego cheese (we substituted Parmesan)
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Toss pumpkin seeds and 1 tsp oil on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper.
- Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 5-8 minutes, let cool
- Finely chop 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Whisk chopped pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, and remaining ¼ cup oil in a medium bowl, season dressing with salt and pepper.
- Combine cabbage and fennel, Asian pear, celery root, daikon, most of the cheese, and remaining pumpkin seeds in a large bowl.
- Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine, season with salt and pepper, to with remaining cheese.
