With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about your menu for the big day. We've covered turkey a lot, both as the main event and a leftovers goldmine. But really, for many people Thanksgiving is about all kinds of sides and we're going to take the next couple of weeks to offer some fun sides that give a nod to tradition, but mix things up just enough too. This time around, we're bringing some color to the table - namely, purple.
Another quick recipe for your holiday table that helps brighten your table, this salad helps keep the Thanksgiving theme from becoming brown or beige. Bright and crunchy with a lot of flavor, you can also make it several days in advance and just keep it in the fridge until it's ready to serve. This is a perfect salad for special occasions because it doesn't ask much and does so very much at a time when time and effort are both in short supply.
Of course, this same salad could be mixed with vegetables not in the purple hue, but I think it's fun to favor this purple palette, if for no other reason than it's rarely a color features on the Thanksgiving table and might be topic of conversation. Imagine your delight when someone asks, "How did you get all those vegetables purple?" and you can answer, "They all grew that way!"
Purple Chopped Salad
- 1 small head purple cauliflower, chopped
- ½ purple daikon radish, julienned
- 4-5 baby purple turnips, sliced thinly
- ½ c. olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or any good-tasting oil
- 2 T. lemon juice
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. honey
Combine all of the vegetables in a medium sized serving bowl; set aside.
Add the remaining ingredients in a small resealable jar. Seal and shake vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust any seasonings to suit your tastes.
Toss the vegetables with the dressing and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be assembled up to 4 days in advance.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes