Cabbage and Carrot Crunch Salad

This salad is delicious to eat, beautiful to behold, and very healthful. It combines the crunch of red cabbage, carrots, succulent romaine hearts, crispy apples, and almonds—all complemented by sweet-tart dried cranberries and an agave-Dijon vinaigrette. —Myra Goodman, co-author of Straight from the Earth.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the Agave -Dijon Vinaigrette:

• ½ cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

• 1 large romaine heart, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups/140 g shredded red cabbage
• 2 large carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 large sweet-tart apple (such as Honey Crisp or Fuji), medium dice
• ½ cup/75 g raw, unsalted almonds, toasted and chopped
• ½ cup/60 g dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp finely chopped fresh spearmint (optional)

Directions:

To make the vinaigrette: Combine the oil, vinegar, agave, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Seal the lid tightly and shake vigorously to emulsify. Set aside at room temperature.

To make the salad: Combine the romaine, cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Add ½ cup/120 ml of the vinaigrette (or more as desired) to the vegetables, and toss to combine. Divide the salad among six plates or bowls.

Toss the apples with the 2 tbsp reserved vinaigrette and divide it among the individual salads. Top each salad with equal amounts of almonds, cranberries, and spearmint (if using). Serve immediately.