I adore a good side dish. Sure, I love my main dish as much as the next person, but if there’s a fully loaded baked potato next to my steak, or perfectly baked carrots with my roast chicken, the whole meal is just…elevated. I’m always trying to think up ways to create easy, simple side dishes that can be made while dinner is cooking, and this slaw is something I came up with recently as a way to get some use out of a cranberry and walnut surplus I’ve been workin’ with.
The slaw came out tasting great, if I do say so m’self. It’s tangy, slightly sweet, refreshing and wonderfully crunchy. I love the broccoli slaw/citrus vinaigrette combo in this recipe, as opposed to traditional, creamy cabbage slaw; this version has awesome texture and flavor, something that can get lost in the mayo-laden cabbage coleslaws of picnics past.
You can eat this coleslaw as a side dish or on it’s own, or you could add chicken or salmon to it and have it as a main dish, and the dressing can be used in any number of dishes. Here’s how you put it all together.
Ingredients:
3/4 of a 12 oz bag (or box) pre-made broccoli slaw*approx. 9 oz
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Zest of half an orange
Juice of one orange*about 1/4 cup
1/3 cup olive oil
1.5 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp honey
Directions:
Combine the broccoli slaw mix, cranberries, walnuts and orange zest in a bowl and stir to combine.
Combine the ingredients for the dressing (olive oil, orange juice, red wine vinegar, poppy seeds, honey, salt and pepper) and mix well.
Pour dressing over slaw mixture and stir to combine. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
*If you’re not going to serve this immediately, hold off on dressing the slaw until it’s time to eat.
…………………………………………
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: approx. 330 calories per serving
Dietary Info: Gluten free. Vegetarian. Vegan.