Winter Cabbage and Blue Cheese Slaw with Bacon and Sherry Vinaigrette

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Cabbage tops my list as a go-to vegetable for everything from soup to side dishes like kimchee. When the weather temperature drops, I turn it into a seasonal slaw and dress it up with the power flavors of blue cheese and toasted walnuts. This salad resembles the type of beet salad you’ll see in many restaurants. It’s more tangy and tart than sweet and tart.

Serve this winter cabbage slaw on its own as a first course before a substantial meal. It would be spectacular served in the hollow of a roasted acorn squash. Or as an accompaniment for smoked trout.

Yield: 4 servings

For the Dressing:

1/4 cup sherry or red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots or white onion

Salt and a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper to taste

2/3 cup walnut oil or peanut oil

 

For the Salad:

6 cups finely shredded green cabbage, about ¾ pound or ½ small head

Pinch of kosher salt

2 plump scallions trimmed and diced

2 to 3 ounces imported blue cheese, crumbled

4 sprigs of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup large walnut pieces

4 ounces thick cut lean bacon, 4 slices, cooked and crumbled

 

  • For the dressing, combine the vinegar, chopped shallots, salt and pepper in a blender on high speed. Add the oil and blend a minute or two until the dressing emulsifies. To help keep the dressing from separating, add 1 Tablespoon of hot water and blend for another few seconds. Or whisk it together right before using.
  • To prepare the salad, toss the shredded cabbage with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Add the diced scallions, blue cheese and parsley. Dress the cabbage with approximately 1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons of dressing per cup of shredded cabbage. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Divide the salad among 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle with the walnut pieces and bacon.

Additions:

Peel and core a tart apple. Cut it into thin matchstick slices and add to the shredded cabbage.

Dice a mini cucumber and add to the cabbage.

Goji berries, tart and nutty would be great in this salad.

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Cover photo by Priscilla Martel