Festive Winter Recipe with Beets, Chinese Cabbage and Cilantro from your Organic Basket

Hi, foodies! Looking for a winter recipe to brighten up your evenings and get you in the holiday spirit? Think of some of the vegetables we gave away in our last organic basket deliveries in November: beets, Chinese cabbage and cilantro!

Now let's combine them for a festive winter salad, and add a tangy, surprising vinaigrette! 


"Cooking is a way to share our history and our roots."
- Cyril Lignac



It's so true Cyril, and in Quebec, if we want to eat local in winter, we have to find original ways to eat and share our root vegetables!  ;-)

Chinese cabbage, winter's little-known star

You'll be amazed to discover that Chinese cabbage (also known as nappa cabbage) is an incredible ingredient for your winter recipes. And why is that? Because Chinese cabbage keeps superbly well, adding a little crunch and incredible freshness to your salads all year round. It's also an unsuspected asset for all your end-of-year feasts!

Just take a few leaves, cut them into thin slices with a knife, add a vinaigrette and you're done. A fresh, juicy accompaniment to any meat or vegetable dish. The leafy part of the Chinese cabbage will give you the volume and salad feel, and the juicy, crisp white stem part will make your salad stand out and please even the little ones.

I love combining the freshness of a crisp leafy vegetable like Chinese cabbage with grated roots. Carrots, celeriac, kohlrabi and beet, for example, are all great ingredients for grating into tasty, nutritious winter salads. When you add them to Chinese cabbage, you can go for all sorts of combinations of textures and colors.

 

A colorful dish to brighten up your winter meals

 

The recipe presented here is ideal for adding color to your holiday meals. The red of the beet and the green of the cilantro will add a festive air to your dishes. The freshness of Chinese cabbage will balance out the calorie-laden dishes we're used to eating at this time of year!

Then you can have fun and give different personalities to this salad by using different vinaigrettes. Here's an Asian-style dressing, but feel free to experiment with all kinds of other ingredients and combine flavours!

We know you love using the vegetables in your organic baskets, and we're here to help you make the most of each one. Follow our instructions to concoct a dish that's both different and hearty, and sure to please your guests! Remember, cooking is also about sharing moments, having fun and exploring new flavors together.

"Cooking is an art of living, sharing and rediscovering flavors."

The ingredients

"The best dishes are those that bring together color, texture and flavor. This recipe is all that and more!"

Salad

• A bunch of organic cilantro,
• 2-3 medium organic beets
• 1 medium organic Chinese cabbage (or 1/2 of a large one)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp tamari sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp organic maple syrup
• juice of half an organic lemon
• salt to taste
• 1 pinch cumin

 

Preparation

• To prepare the vegetables 
  
  • Clean the outside of the Chinese cabbage and slice whole into thin strips.
  • Clean coriander and finely chop stems and leaves.
  • Peel and grate raw beets.
• For the vinaigrette, add all ingredients to a jar, seal and mix vigorously.
• Combine Chinese cabbage, coriander, grated beet and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
• Drizzle generously with dressing and toss gently to ensure all ingredients are coated.
• You can serve immediately, or for extra flavor, let the flavors mingle for about 15 minutes before serving.
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

Enjoy your meal!