Ina Garten Winter Slaw

Ina Garten winter slaw turns kale, Brussels sprouts and radicchio into a crunchy lemon-dressed salad with Parmesan shavings in 20 minutes. It's an easy make-ahead winter salad for Thanksgiving, Christmas or potluck lunches, and it's a simple recipe you can toss together right before serving.

Cut the kale, Brussels sprouts and radicchio into thin shreds with a very sharp knife, because fine ribbons soak up the dressing and stay easy to eat. Leave them in thick chunks and you get a tough, chewy salad.

Ina Garten says kale is now sold in grocery stores everywhere, and she prefers the curly kind for this slaw. She treats it like coleslaw, swapping cabbage for kale, Brussels sprouts and radicchio, then adds a lemon vinaigrette and big shards of Parmesan.

Source: Make It Ahead (2014)

Ina Garten Winter Slaw

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Course: SaladCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

290

kcal

Thin shreds of kale, Brussels sprouts and radicchio stay crisp under a bright lemon vinaigrette. Salty Parmesan shards and chewy dried cranberries finish each bite.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound large kale leaves, center rib removed (6 to 8 leaves)
  

• 6 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, and cored
  

• 1/2 small head radicchio, cored
  

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  

• 1/2 cup good olive oil
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• 1 (6-ounce) chunk good Parmesan cheese
  

• 1 cup dried cranberries
  

Directions

• Shred the greens: Cut 1/2 pound kale with the center rib removed, 6 ounces trimmed and cored Brussels sprouts and 1/2 small head radicchio crosswise into thin shreds. Use a very sharp chef's knife, as you would for coleslaw, and put everything in a large bowl.
• Make the vinaigrette: Whisk 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour on just enough to moisten the salad, then keep the rest for later.
• Shave the Parmesan: Shave the 6-ounce chunk of Parmesan into big shards with a vegetable peeler. Big shards give you salty bites that don't disappear into the greens.
• Toss and serve: Add the Parmesan and 1 cup dried cranberries to the bowl and toss gently so the cheese stays in shards. Taste for seasoning, add more vinaigrette if it needs it, then serve cold or at room temperature.

Tools for this recipe

• Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, OXO swivel vegetable peeler, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Parmigiano Reggiano wedges, aged 24 months. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make winter slaw ahead of time?

Yes, and it's what Ina Garten recommends for this one. Shred the vegetables and refrigerate them in plastic bags for a day or two, then whisk the vinaigrette and chill it for up to a day. Combine them a few hours before guests arrive so the greens stay crisp.

Which kind of kale works best?

Ina Garten prefers curly kale here, though flat kale is easy to find too. Curly leaves hold the vinaigrette in their ruffles, so every bite tastes bright.

Can I swap the dried cranberries?

Dried cherries or chopped dried apricots add the same chewy sweetness against the lemon and Parmesan. Raisins would work too, though they taste a little heavier.

Should I dress the whole salad at once?

Pour on just enough dressing to moisten the greens and keep the rest on the side. You can always add more at the table, but you can't take it out of a soggy salad.

What's the most common mistake with this salad?

Cutting the vegetables too thick is the usual problem, since chunky kale stays tough and hard to chew. Thin shreds from a very sharp knife make it feel like a real slaw.