Kale, Cashew and Mint Slaw

I love lots of weird things that seem to contradict one another. I can sing along to Katy Perry and Jay-Z with equal fervor. I like NPR a lot but am never above a good celebrity gossip session. And while I’ve never met a baked good I didn’t like, I’m also really, really into veggies.

That works well in January. I’m still livin’ it up with my New Years resolutions (where “livin’ it up” means eating zero sugar, not drinking and doing yoga daily! WHEE!) and this salad is fresh, clean and super green. Also purple, but you know.

Last year, I fell in love with kale. In 2011, brussels sprouts stole my heart, but last year? Kale. I juiced it, I made it into salads and ate it wilted (and topped with an egg) for breakfast.

This year, I shredded it.

I shredded it and mixed it with kale, scallions, and cashews and topped it with an Asian-inspired dressing. As soon as I saw it on my friend Tracy’s website, I knew I’d be into it.

You’ll need a bunch of kale and a head of cabbage to begin. Green cabbage would work just as well; I just loved the bright purple color of this cabbage when I saw it at the store.

This salad is pretty simple. Start with kale and cabbage. Shred it! I have a salad shooter  but you could easily use pre-shredded cabbage and just rough chop some kale.

The secret weapon in this salad is mint! I am not the biggest fan of mint, but here, it makes the salad fresh and flavorful.

First, shred and mix the kale, cabbage and mint in a bowl.

Next, chop up two scallions and about a 1/2 cup of cashews (peanuts would work fine, too).

The dressing comes together simply (though I did not photograph it) with a mix of rice wine, sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic. It’s light and delish.

Pour it over the salad, add the nuts and scallions, and combine well.

This salad would make an amazing side dish to be sure. I ate a giant plate of it for lunch and then put a poached egg on a pile of it for breakfast the next morning (don’t judge me). You’ll feel like a million bucks eating this salad. It’s a perfect January salad to keep those New Year’s resolutions alive.

Kale, Cashew and Mint Slaw, adapted from Shutterbean

Ingredients

• 1 bunch lacinato kale, shredded
• 2 cups cabbage, shredded
• 2 scallions, finely chopped (both white & green parts)
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, roughly chopped (or shredded)
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews, chopped (peanuts can be used)
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup (I left out the agave in my dressing)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 inch piece ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper

Chop the kale, cabbage, scallions & mint and set aside in a large bowl. In a small bowl add the agave syrup, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger and garlic and stir. When ready to toss, add the chopped nuts to the large bowl and pour the dressing over the kale cabbage mixture. Thoroughly coat the kale, season with salt & pepper to taste.