Holiday Harvest Salad
For me, the holidays start on November first. I love Christmas more than any other time of the year, so of course I want to make it last as long as possible, duh!!! I mean, who doesn’t?? (If you’re a Christmas hater, you are now in enemy territory, and I encourage you to stop being a grinch ASAP). And we all know one of the best parts of the holiday season is all the yummy food that comes along with it. I’m talking gingerbread, turkey and gravy (yes, I AM a turkey girl and I won’t tolerate any slander), sticky toffee pudding, pumpkin pie, dinner rolls, hot cocoa, the works.
But what do these all have in common? Not a vegetable in sight. Which is totally justified this time of year. Hey, I'm not complaining if the Christmas dinner has 20 different carbs and no veg!!! But sometimes, the freshness and crispness of a good, juicy salad is very much necessary to cut through all the heavier, richer foods. So, I present to you, my Holiday Harvest Salad. It’s got everything a good holiday salad should have: seasonal flavors from the dried cranberries, creaminess from the parm, freshness from the apple, and crunch from the nuts. Plus, it’s incredibly pretty to look at, thanks to the gorgeously pink radicchio and the bright green sprouts. If you really wanted to take this salad to its maximum holiday cheer potential, you could swap the nuts with candied pecans. But that’s just me dreaming here.
And if you’re the “healthy” relative who’s been tasked one too many times with bringing the salad to holiday gatherings past, only to have it sit there untouched by everyone except that one random aunt, this is the salad for you. Your redemption salad, if you will. Because I can guarantee you this salad is anything but boring, and people will be fighting for seconds. Take it from me, who spent all day cooking a thanksgiving dinner for 12, with a gazillion courses, only to have people remark on how the salad was their favorite thing. And it only took me 15 minutes to make. Win-win!!!!
Holiday Harvest Salad
*serves 6
Ingredients
350 g brussels sprouts, shaved thinly with a mandolin (or sliced thinly with a sharp knife)
230 g radicchio, thinly sliced into ribbons
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 pink lady or Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
1/3 cup of dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped salted pistachios, chopped toasted pecans or chopped salted almonds
1 cup parmesan ribbons, made by shaving a block of parm with a fruit peeler
Balsamic glaze
For the honey dijon vinaigrette:
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 shallot, peeled and very finely chopped or grated
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp good quality dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tsp thyme leaves, fresh
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
1) Make the vinaigrette: To a jar or container with a very tight fitting lid that won’t spill, add all the ingredients listed for the vinaigrette. Cover tightly, and grabbing the jar firmly, shake well until the oil and the rest of the ingredients emulsify, about 15-20 good shakes. You’ll know it’s ready when the oil is not separated from the white wine vinegar, the dijon and the honey, and the consistency looks almost creamier. Set aside.
2) In a large salad bowl (or any large, deep bowl where you plan to serve your salad), add the shaved brussels sprouts to one half of the bowl, and radicchio ribbons to the other. Then, add the rest of the mix-ins by arranging them prettily atop the bed of radicchio and brussels sprouts, in little triangular sections: your apple slices, cranberries, chopped nuts, and parmesan ribbons. *If you want to make it look nice for a dinner party or any special occasion, you can take it to the table as is, add the vinaigrette, salt, pepper, and the balsamic table side, and toss it right there using two salad spoons.
3) Alternatively, using clean hands for ease, toss together all the components until they’re evenly mixed and dispersed. Shake the vinaigrette again a couple of times before adding it in, pour in as much of it as you like, –I add about 3/4 of the total batch– and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Toss again and make sure all the ingredients are evenly coated in the vinaigrette. To finish, taste and add any more salt, pepper or vinaigrette to your liking, and top with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze. Serve immediately, so radicchio doesn’t wilt.
*Any leftover vinaigrette will keep well in the fridge for 2 weeks, stored in an airtight container.
