What’s quicker to make: toast or salad? When it comes to cooking, this is the kind of thinking I’ve been using lately.
Yep, easy and fast: that’s all I want from recipes these days. Our little baby girl and my job have been taking a lot of my time, and laboring in the kitchen for hours on end just doesn’t seem feasible anymore – for now, anyway. I long for a day when I’ll no longer feel rushed, stressed out and unbelievably tired. Until then, we still have to eat, of course, 🙂 so I’ve been trying to come up with quick, easy and healthy meal solutions. For us, salads have been the way to go these past few months.
The salad below is what I usually call “a winter salad,” and it strongly reminds me of the years I spent in Eastern Europe during communism. Back then, cabbage represented a very popular food option (our choices were limited to begin with), and cabbage on the menu was a clear sign of winter. Years later, I found out my mother-in-law made this salad as well. However, she also used chopped dill in it – a sensible addition, which provides the cabbage & carrot mix with freshness and an extra flavor boost.
The ingredients below make two really big bowls of salad. We usually prep the veggies and put them in two separate bowls. We add olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to the first bowl and eat the salad straight away. We then put the second bowl (with prepped veggies only) in the refrigerator, and make the second salad over the next few days.
Ingredients
1 medium green cabbage
1 medium purple cabbage
2 medium carrots
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 bunch fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup toasted nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Wash the cabbage, shred it as you like it (we like medium shredding to preserve a bit of texture) and put it in a large bowl. Shred the carrots and add them to the bowl. Also add the chopped dill, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients until well combined and taste. Sprinkle more salt and pepper if necessary. Lastly, add the chopped nuts (optional) and mix again.
Let the salad “rest” for about 30 minutes before serving, preferably in the refrigerator.
In our experience, this salad goes really well with red meat. Pair it with a medium steak or one slice (or two!) of meatloaf, and you’re all set for the day!
Lately, my hectic work/home schedule has put a lot of pressure on my body, and I know I need all the nutritional help I can get. Thankfully, this salad has provided me with a much-needed energy boost, and has brought a little bit of “foodie sunshine” into my life. With Christmas just around the corner, I’ll definitely make this salad again – and again – and again 🙂
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