Crunchy carrot & kohlrabi salad

Simple and very effective! I love this salad.

It’s the perfect side dish: crunchy, fresh, and tastier than the sum of its parts - plus it goes with everything! It’s delicious with grilled chicken, fish, halloumi, or spicy tofu. I’ve just topped with spring onion, but you can also add raisins, grated apple, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, toasted nuts, or crumbled feta.

If you can’t get hold of kohlrabi, sub with finely chopped cabbage, broccoli, or radishes - or any combination. The more, the merrier where raw veggies are concerned in this salad.

But let’s get into the nutrition for a minute before the instructions:

Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A that gives them their vibrant orange colour, and is crucial for vision, immune function, and skin health. Carrots also contain vitamin K1, essential for blood clotting; vitamin B6, which supports a healthy metabolism; and manganese, which is important for bone health and metabolism.

Beta-carotene, along with alpha-carotene and lutein in carrots, are antioxidants; these compounds help protect cells from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells and are associated with inflammation, and an increased risk of developing heart disease, and certain cancers.

Like kohlrabi, carrots are a good source of dietary fibre, which aids digestion, promotes feelings of fullness, and may help regulate blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. Both veggies are good sources of potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart health and muscle function.

Kohlrabi belongs to the cabbage family and is high in vitamin C, an important antioxidant that supports the immune system, promotes skin health, and aids in wound healing. One cup of raw kohlrabi contains over 90% of an adult's recommended daily vitamin C intake!

Kohlrabi also contains vitamin B6, which plays a key role in metabolism and brain function, and folate, which is important for cell division and the production of DNA.

And now, how to make this delicious salad….

ingredients

Serves 2 generous portions or 4 as a side dish

• 2 carrots, unpeeled but washed

• 1 kohlrabi

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or wine vinegar)

• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

• Good pinch of sea salt

• 1 spring onion, sliced finely

method

• Chop the ends of the carrots and grate.

• Chop the ends and leaves off the kohlrabi, peel them, and then grate them. I just peeled the rough bits and left the rest of the skin on.

• Mix the dressing: olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt.

• Mix the vegetables on a serving plate, plus raisins if you’re using them.

• Pour over the dressing and combine well.

• Top with spring onion and any nuts, seeds, or cheese that you’re using - walnuts would be great with apples and raisins.

Crunchy rainbow slaw with toasted seeds

So simple, so tasty and so good for you! Love this slaw; it’s a great side dish to eat with winter casseroles or chilli as a nice crunchy fresh element on the plate or with BBQed veggies, fish or meat in the summer.
There’s a little bit of chopping if you’re using a knife, but if you have a spiraliser, or a food processor then we’re talking seconds!
I’ve measured the veggies in terms of peeled/prepped weight, so you can pick and choose the ones you prefer. I would always use a much smaller proportion of red onion though as it’s obviously a bit pokey!

I think this combination works really well though as there’s a nice colour and flavour range, but feel free to remix!

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 60g sunflower / pumpkin seeds

• 480g white/red cabbage, carrots, spinach, red onion

• 60ml extra virgin olive oil

• 30ml red wine vinegar

• 1½ tsp honey or maple

• Pinch of salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180c. Spread the seeds on a baking tray and toast for 6 minutes.

• Peel/prep and weigh the veggies, then shred using a food processor or spiraliser (I used the straight shredder and the 5mm for the carrots).

• Mix the oil, vinegar, honey and salt, giving them a good shake in a dressing shaker or lidded jar.

• Put the veggies in a bowl and pour over the dressing gradually, mixing and adding the seeds as you go along. Save a few seeds to sprinkle over the top.

• If you’re making ahead then store the veggies, dressing and seeds separately. The veggies keep best in an airtight bag and will last 2-3 days.
  

Vegan slaw

I love this vegan mayo as it tastes so much lighter than regular. You can use any combination of veggies, these are just the ones I happened to have in my fridge. The mayo is simple to make, but you’ll need to get some silken tofu, hopefully you’ll have the rest in your cupboard, but if not everything else is pretty easy to pick up. If you’d prefer to go classic you could mix regular mayo with a bit of mustard, grated garlic and vinegar (any kind you have) or lemon juice to let it down a bit.

As you’ll see from the pictures below we had our slaw with Spanish chickpea stew (recipe coming soon) and home made tortilla chips, t’was a nice summer plate.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1/4 red cabbage

• 1/4 cauliflower

• 1/2 red pepper

• 1/4 green pepper

• 1/4 red onion

• 1/4 white cabbage)

• A couple of handfuls of peas and edamame

Method

• Chop the cabbage, peppers and red onion finely using a food processor, mandolin or knife.

Vegan mayo

Ingredients

• 350g silken tofu 

• 140ml olive oil

• 1 small clove garlic 

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 3 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp lemon juice 

• 1/2 tsp table salt

Method

Add to a small processor and blitz. Makes about 550ml and lasts for for 7 days in the fridge.

Spicy red cabbage slaw

I made this the other night to go with some homemade fish fingers and minted new potatoes. The slaw brought a chilli kick to the plate and breathed new life into this classic combo. 
This is a very simple way to make red cabbage incredibly tasty and also if you double the quantity, you can use it in lunchtime sandwiches and salads for a week! 
One of our favourites was grilled halloumi, roasted red pepper, a thin spread of hummus and slaw on fresh, warmed ciabatta bread – really delicious. 
I would also pair this slaw with roast, or grilled chicken, or fish to make a summer-style roast dinner with other salads.
Using a food processor will save a lot of time making this dish if you have one, but if not you can finely chop the cabbage and onion by hand, then grate the carrot. 

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 1 red cabbage

• 3 carrots

• 1 white, or red onion

• 2cm of fresh ginger, finely grated

• Fresh green chilli

• 5 tbsp mayonnaise (homemade or a good quality brand)

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• Handful of coriander

• Salt & pepper

Method

• First blitz the red cabbage, carrot and onion in the blender. 

• Grate the ginger using a micro plane/ parmesan grater, if you don’t have one you can always chop very finely along with the chilli.

• Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix in the white wine vinegar, then add the ginger, chilli, seasoning  and mix.

• Finally mix the mayonnaise into the cabbage and there you have your amazing zingy side dish that will liven up any plate.