Red Cabbage Fennel and Apple Salad with Walnuts and Halloumi and Cider Vinaigrette

This Red Cabbage Fennel and Apple Salad proves that cabbage is ALWAYS the answer!

Want a salad with actual structure? CABBAGE. Want a salad that feeds a crowd without breaking the bank? CABBAGE. Want a salad that is crisp and refreshing? CABBAGE. Want a salad that will hold up beautifully for days in the fridge? CABBAGE!

Here, crunchy red cabbage, crisp fennel and tart-sweet apple commingle with toasted walnuts and salty halloumi, to create a fresh and crunchy salad with pops of salty richness. This is exactly the kind of salad I mean when I talk about the importance of selecting ingredients that work together rather than simply collecting ingredients that sound good on paper.

Why this combination of veggies works:

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the difference between a salad that is merely fine and one that you can’t stop eating isn’t another twelve ingredients. It’s knowing what each ingredient needs before it goes into the bowl. In this particular salad, it’s slicing all the ingredients thinly, and cutting the halloumi into a complimentary shape. It’s making the vinaigrette properly. These are small decisions, but they compound. This is ingredient geometry in action: similar shapes, textures that amplify each other, and a dressing to elevate the whole operation.

Can I make this Red Cabbage Fennel and Apple Salad with Walnuts and Halloumi and Cider Vinaigrette in advance and how long will it hold up in the fridge?

Like all slaws, this is a great make ahead, eat for a few days salad. If I were to make it for a dinner party, I would prepare all the ingredients in advance, except for the halloumi, which I would sear as close as possible to serving so it’s warm for my guests. I would also wait to dress it until about 20 minutes before serving. But once dressed and compiled, even with the halloumi, it hold up for about 3 days in the fridge!

Red Cabbage Fennel and Apple Salad with Walnuts and Halloumi and Cider Vinaigrette

Course: Uncategorized

Ingredients

• 2 lb. head of red cabbage

• 1 large fennel bulb

• 1 apple

• 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

• 4 oz. Halloumi

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Cider Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tbsp honey

• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 garlic clove

• 1/2 cup olive oil (or use a blend of olive oil/avocado oil for a thicker dressing)

• kosher salt

• black pepper

Directions

• Prepare the dressing by combining the Dijon mustard, honey, garlic and vinegar in a pint sized mason jar. Using an immersion blender, blend until combined. While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify into the dressing. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
• Use your food processor shredder attachment to shred the cabbage thinly. Thinly slice the fennel. Juice the lemon into a medium bowl and add about 2 cups of water. Julienne the apple and add to the lemon water.
• Pat the halloumi completely dry with paper towels, then cut it into matchsticks. Heat a stainless steel pan over medium heat and add a thin but even layer of olive oil. (You can also cook the halloumi in a non-stick pan with less oil). Add the halloumi and let it sit undisturbed for 1–2 minutes. It will naturally release once a golden crust forms. Flip once, brown the other side, and remove form the pan, transferring to a paper towel lined plate.
• Combine the shredded cabbage, fennel, apple (drain it well before adding) and appx. 1/2 cup of the dressing. Season the salad to taste, adding more dressing as desired. Top the salad with the chopped toasted walnuts and crispy halloumi. 

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