lemon + honey cabbage salad

Are you hungover on chocolate?  And Thai food?  And wine?

I am.

So today, you’re probably looking for a nice light recipe, right?

I have just the thing!

Especially if you’re in a salad rut. 

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Lately, I’ve become really sick of the large tubs of mixed greens and spinach.  They all taste earthy.  I had a bad run-in with beets a year ago, and anything with an earthy flavor makes me quiver.

A few types of leafy greens I never grow tired of: romaine, leafy red + green, kale, and butter lettuce

I also have a thing for cabbage.  It’s such a nice change of pace.

So.

Crunchy.

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This is a remake of a salad I recently had at The Empire Lounge, in Louisville, CO. 

It was a brussel sprout salad with pecorino cheese + walnuts, that came tossed in a honey lemon vinaigrette.  The best part was that it came piled high, just the way I like it. 

So simple, but so pleasing.

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I changed things up a bit, using cabbage instead of brussel sprouts.  For a bit of softness, I mixed in green leaf lettuce as well.

The pecorino cheese really put this over the top, but feta or goat cheese would be excellent as well.  If you’re looking for a little more pizzazz, I would suggest tossing in dried cranberries and/or chopped orange slices.

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Lemon Honey Cabbage Salad with Pecorino + Walnuts

serves 4 side salads 

  • 4 cups green leaf lettuce, shredded
  • 4 cups green/red cabbage, shredded
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup pecorino cheese
  • salt + pepper

Lemon Honey Dressing

  • 1/4 cup walnut oil
  • 5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1.5 Tablespoons honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • pinch of black pepper
  1. In a dry sauté pan, set to med-low, toast the chopped walnuts for 4-6min until lightly browned.  Stir frequently then set aside to let cool.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the shredded lettuce + cabbage.
  3. Toss with 3/4 of the cheese + 1/2 cup of the walnuts.
  4. Whisk [or in a blender or magic bullet] all of the dressing ingredients together until well blended.
  5. Pour desired amount over the salad and toss until evenly distributed.
  6. Portion out and top with remaining cheese + walnuts, and a sprinkle of salt + pepper if desired.

tips/substitutions: Almond oil or olive oil will work instead of walnut.  Most sharp, strong cheeses would work well: goat, feta, extra sharp cheddar, fresh parmesan, etc.

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I promise this will dig you out from your salad rut. 

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And tomorrow, you’ll see what I made for last night’s dessert.

It had to do with my roasted maple cinnamon almond butter.

Which you need to make.

Pronto.

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Ashley