Yes, we love a good green salad. But sometimes we want a healthy, vibrant dish that doesn't have a leafy green as its base. This crunchy, flavorful salad, made with shredded red cabbage, offers just that—and so much more. It's adapted from The First Mess Cookbook, which has been such a fun book to cook from (check out our brownie recipe from the book here).
The colorful produce is the star of this dish—and it couldn't be easier to prep. You'll peel the carrot into strips using your vegetable peeler. The mango and bell pepper are thinly sliced into strips. And no need to cut the fresh herbs. Simply tear them with your hands and toss 'em into the mix.
The dressing highlights the natural sweetness of the produce while also providing a slightly spicy contrast. Filled with grated garlic, ginger, and freshly-squeezed lime juice, it just might be the best salad dressing you've ever made. In fact, you could easily make a double batch and save the extra to use throughout the week.
Finishing the salad with toasted nuts adds just the right amount of salt and crunchiness. We served ours with maple-soy glazed salmon, brown rice, and a fresh fruit salad, and it was the best Sunday dinner we've had in a while. Enjoy!
For the dressing:
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- sriracha, to taste
For the salad:
- 1 head red cabbage, cored and shredded
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 barely ripe ataulfo mangos (or one large mango), peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces, plus more whole leaves for topping
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces, plus more whole leaves for topping
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews, peanuts, or both, chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Make the dressing: In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the garlic, ginger, maple syrup, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid, and shake until emulsified. Taste and add sriracha to your liking.
For the salad: Place the cabbage in a large salad bowl, drizzle with about 1/3 of the dressing, and toss to coat. Using the vegetable peeler, peel the carrot into long ribbons. Add the carrot, pepper, mango, green onions, torn mint, and torn basil and toss to combine. Pour the remaining dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat. Garnish with nuts and remaining mint and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Recipe adapted from The First Mess cookbook.