Broccoli Cabbage Salad with Peanut Dressing
I write these words as I munch on a very large bowl of this glorious salad. And “munch” is really the best word I could use here, because yo, this salad be crunchyyyyyyy.
I mean, listen: Fresh, raw broccoli florets. Fresh, shredded cabbage. Roasted, salted cashews. Chopped red onion. There’s lots of crunch here, and hence, lots of chomping and munching to do.
But there’s also chew involved. Because there are dried cranberries thrown into the mix as well. And the dried cranberries not only provide a chewy contrast to all that crunch, but also a sweet contrast to the sharp and acidic flavors we have going down here.
And then. The peanut butter dressing. Full of distinct and unique flavors. This broccoli cabbage salad. It’s special. Notable. Different. And delicious.
I grew up on a variation of this broccoli cashew salad. A much more sugary, mayonnaise-y version of this salad. That salad consisted of a similar mix of vegetables to the ones you’ll find here, but a dressing that basically just contained mayo, sugar, and lemon juice.
This dressing is nothing like that one. I set out to create a more wholesome, unique dressing for this fresh, crunchy salad. And this peanut dressing is the result of that holy mission.
So then. Let’s chat about the peanut dressing.
First, it’s got no added sugar. Instead, to provide this broccoli cabbage salad with that classic sweetness it’s renowned for, we use orange juice. So there’s our base, covered.
Then, the peanut butter. It’s creamy and rich and tasty and distinctive and adds such bomb flavor to our dressing.
Other additions: soy sauce (rich, salty goodness), toasted sesame oil (earthy, nutty, makes everything better), rice vinegar (tangy + sweet contrasting notes), fresh garlic (yusssss), fresh onion (sharp, spicy, aromatic), and salt, to taste.
Also, did you know that a peanut butter onion sandwich is a thing people do? I recently found this out. And now it’s kinda (but barely) starting to make sense in my brain. Because this dressing has peanut butter and onion in it. And it works. Very well.
I can’t believe we’re nearing the end of April. I mean, I’m happy about it. I’m thrilled about this warmer weather.
Anyway. I feel like this broccoli cabbage peanut salad is such a good salad for the current season. It’s light and fresh and a perfect side dish for dinner. Not that we can enjoy much of the outdoors at the moment or anything.
Also. This broccoli salad is the typa salad that tastes good when it sits in the dressing for a while and soaks up all that rich flavor because it takes lots of time for these vegetables to get soggy, because remember how crunchy this salad is with all its fresh veggies and nuts and stuff?
Quick and easy. Fresh and light. Crunchy and chewy. Rich and flavorful. Sweet and salty. Unique and wholesome.
Broccoli cabbage salad with peanut dressing — Imma bout to go refill my bowl cuz it’s been finished a quarter of the way through writing this post.
Broccoli Cabbage Salad with Peanut Dressing
Yield: about 8 servings
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
2 1/2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1 small red onion, chopped
2/3 cup roasted, salted cashews
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Peanut Dressing:
2/3 cup orange juice
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
Salt, to taste
1. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli florets, shredded cabbage, chopped red onion, cashews, and dried cranberries.
2. Blend together the dressing (in a stand blender or immersion blender) until smooth. Toss with salad (may not need the whole dressing) and serve. Leftovers can be stored for a few days in the fridge.
