With so many of you living in sub zero temperatures I hesitated just for a moment about posting a salad recipe today. However; this salad has been made about four times in the past two weeks – yes it’s so awesome we keep wanting more so I had to share it with you. It’s a spin off from a recipe in the Eat To Live cookbook – with adjustments I made the second time I made it trying to use what I had on hand. I absolutely hate to make a run to the grocery store just for one or two items – you know how that is – you end up with a basket full of stuff that you really don’t need! At least that is what happens to me.
This original recipe called for a shredded apple which sounded messy to me so I opted to make little julienne strips instead. My approach was to cut the apple in half, use a melon ball tool to remove the core, slice each half into rounds and then slice each round into sticks.
Since I was going to all the trouble of slicing and dicing the vegetables for this salad I doubled it and to keep the apple from turning brown I gave it all a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and tossed it well. The original recipe didn’t call for fresh fennel but the second time I made it I didn’t have enough bok choy, so to round it out I added a trimmed and sliced bulb of fresh fennel and we loved the salad even more with the fennel. Fennel has a slightly sweet, licorice flavor and is super crunchy – making it the perfect addition to slaw. Yesterday since I din’t have any bok choy I made the salad with a bag of broccoli slaw, fennel, carrots, apple and left out the red onion. It was so crunchy and yummy! Its one of those recipes that can be played with, no hard set rules use what you have in your fridge.
I love, love, love this salad dressing! It is a simple combination of white beans, dates, Dijon mustard, unsweetened almond milk and balsamic vinegar. If you use white balsamic vinegar which is available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods it will keep the dressing light in color and looking beautiful. You can use regular balsamic vinegar but your slaw will look dark and dingy – which isn’t very appetizing – so if you go that route you might have to eat the salad with your eyes closed – just sayin! If you mix all of the dressing ingredients together and let it sit for about 30 minutes it blends much smoother and becomes all creamy. The recipe makes enough dressing for about double the slaw ingredients listed, depending on how much dressing you like – we tend to go with less. It is a sweet and tangy dressing – I use a rounded teaspoon of Dijon in it for a little more tangy flavor.
I have made this with the red onion and without and it’s good both ways. Feel free to use cabbage instead of bok choy, pre-shredded carrots that are available in the produce department, broccoli slaw or cole slaw mix if you really don’t want to do any chopping. You can always just chop the apple instead of making it into match sticks too. This is a perfect side dish to a spicy hot chili like the Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts or as we enjoyed it last night along side my favorite P. S. Chorizo Patties.
Bok Choy Fennel Salad
Salad
- 4 cups finely chopped bok choy or cabbage or broccoli slaw
- 1 large carrot shredded or use 1 cup shredded carrots from the store
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely sliced into sticks
- 1/2 cup red onions thinly sliced – optional – or sub red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 apple, cored, cut into match sticks or diced
- 1- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dressing
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or 1/4 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup White balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup raisins or dried currants
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard – use a rounded teaspoon full if you like a little more tangy flavor
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, soy milk or hemp milk
Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl and let it sit for 3o mintues to one hour before processing in a blender until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate. If you don’t have a high powered blender the cashew butter will create a creamier texture in a regular blender.
Prepare all of the salad ingredients and toss with the lemon juice. If you want the salad to last longer only put dressing on the amount you intend to eat right away. We found that there is enough dressing for double the amount of slaw ingredients listed which is perfect because you will want to make it again soon. The lemon juice keeps the apple and slaw ingredients from turning brown and it will still be good to use the next day. If you dress all of the salad by the second day it becomes a bit soggy – not so much fun to eat that way.
Recipe adapted from the Eat To Live Cookbook
Nutmeg Notebook
I am really having a hard time getting back into the swing of blogging after the holiday break! I have been cooking up a storm and trying new recipes but I haven’t had a brain for blogging. My brain has been on vacation lately I guess. Winter months tend to do that to me.
Next week I will have another super amazing giveaway on the blog so stay connected for that. I will be taking two vegan plant based cooking classes later this month and I am so excited. They are being taught at our favorite vegan restaurant which happens to have the most amazing soups ever. I’ll share with you what I learn and maybe our plant based vegan cooking skills will rise to new heights! I love learning new things about cooking and getting to try new recipes – it gives me a much needed boost and keeps the menu around here exciting.
Hope you are having a good start to the New Year.
Tami
Add Your Thoughts – it’s much more fun when you do!
I just have to know – how cold is it where you live?
I hesitate to tell you that we are having temps in the high 50’s and low 60’s! Crazy right?
Next time I make slaw with apples, I will use your julienne method – not sure why I never thought of it, but it looks so pretty!
I am SO behind on my blog reading – Happy New Year!!
My cutting technique works well Biz! I learn by trial and error. 🙂 Have a great weekend and enjoy having Tony home.
Ooh – your weather sounds fabulous to this Midwestern gal, but I’m sure way too cold for the Californians! Right now it’s about 28 here, which is a heat wave compared to earlier this week. Our public schools were cancelled on Monday due to cold temps — 20 below and with the wind chill, it felt like 40-50 below! BRRRR! With each subsequent day, it has gotten a little better. I think our high for Sunday is 38 and my boys joke about breaking out the shorts!
That is some incredibly cold weather Beverly! I can’t ever remember it being so cold when I lived in Nebraska and Iowa. I was out doing errands yesterday and saw several people here wearing shorts and sandals – I don’t think it’s warm enough for that at 60 degrees! Stay warm and safe. 🙂
The salad sounds great. I love cashew-based dressings, and I just bought white balsamic vinegar. I pinned the recipe and will be making it soon!
The vegan cooking classes sound great. Can’t wait to see what you are going to share!
Please let me know what you think if you make the salad Andrea! I am really excited about the cooking classes – one class is for the soups they make – can’t wait to see what the secrets to the incredible flavors are! 🙂
Happy New Year Tami!!!!!
Thank you Roz and Happy New Year to you too! 🙂 I hope it’s a good year for all of us!
The salad looks and sounds delicious! Our daughter was diagnosed with cancer just two months ago (feels like a lifetime ago) and we have spent most of her days in a hospital. The one thing I keep craving? Raw vegetables. I want the crunchy, fresh vegetable food that the hospital does not have. They serve iceberg lettuce for salad and whenever we get home I always want fresh spinach and dark greens. I crave fresh fruit – another reason your salad looks wonderful.
I have
( this is a new email address – formerly it was ponderinghm@comcast.net)
Linda I am so sorry to hear about your daughters diagnosis of cancer. My prayers are with your family. It’s ironic that with all we know about the connection between what we eat and our health that hospital food is some of the least nutritional food! Please keep me posted about your daughter. Wishing you all the best in the days ahead.
I am so behind in reading & the blog/FB world – not sure I will ever catch up & not sure I care.. 😉
Enjoy those classes! 🙂
Well that is a new attitude for you Jody! 🙂 Life will go on even if you don’t read all the new blog posts out there!
Just came across your lovely blog two weeks ago during some plant-based googling! This salad looks lovely and delicious, surely potluck-worthy. Can you think of a good sub for the apples? My husband can’t do raw apples. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sarie,
I am not sure about what to sub for a crisp apple – a firm pear perhaps? You could leave the apple out of the mix and maybe use some raisins or dried cranberries or dried cherries to add a little sweetness. I do think it would be good that way. We love this salad and I make it often. Happy Cooking! 🙂