Food: Cabbage, Apple, and Pomegranate Slaw with Cumin Dressing

By Adeena Sussman (@adeenasussman)

The joy of a tricked-out falafel stand is the unlimited supply of goodies you can stuff into your pita. It used to be you’d stand in front of the miznon (bar) and use tongs to refill your pita as many times as humanly possible. These days, in a development I’ve got mixed feelings about, more and more places give you tiny plastic receptacles to fill and take back to your table. This recipe is a fresher, more colorful version of the wilted cabbage salad you’ll find on every self-serve falafel or shawarma bar. Tart apples and pomegranate seeds, loads of fresh herbs, two kinds of crunchy cabbage, and pumpkin seeds come together in a cumin-laced dressing that evokes the flavor profile of falafel itself. Stuff it into the sandwich of your choice or use it as a more conventional side salad with meat or fish.

Cabbage, Apple, and Pomegranate Slaw with Cumin Dressing

Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

4 cups shredded green cabbage

4 cups shredded red cabbage

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, shredded

2 scallions (green and white parts), very thinly sliced

2 medium radishes, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup lightly toasted shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large salad bowl, toss the apples with 1 teaspoon of the vinegar, then add the green and red cabbage, onion, carrot, and scallions and toss.
2. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, remaining vinegar, honey, mustard, cumin, salt, and pepper and shake until creamy.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to coat, and let the slaw sit for at least 15 minutes (30 minutes will really mellow the acidity of the vinegar), then toss again with the pomegranate seeds, cilantro, mint, and pumpkin seeds before serving.

Note: Sussman and her sister, Sharon Wieder, RDN, will make mouthwatering side dishes and share food swaps to make your meals healthier when they lead the next free, national Sharsheret in the Kitchen webinar “Simply Sensational Sides” on Monday, October 18 at 11 a.m. PDT. Also, learn about Sharsheret’s Pies for Prevention Thanksgiving sale, which was launched in 2008 by Adeena and Sharon in memory of their mother and grandmother. This program is part of the “Sharsheret in the Kitchen” series, which brings nutritious kosher meal options to help empower all of us at risk for breast and ovarian cancer to make healthy diet choices.

Sharsheret, a non-profit organization, is the Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer community. If you or someone you love has been impacted by breast or ovarian cancer, or has elevated genetic risk, contact Sharsheret for free support and resources. For more information, visit sharsheret.org or call (866) 474-2774.

Recipe by Adeena Sussman from Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen, published by Avery books 2019.