Winter Rainbow Salad

Our trusty sprinter van has shuttled our family from state to state chasing snow, bike trails, ball fields, and all manner of adventure the last couple years. What started as a bit of an impulsive COVID-era purchase quickly turned into quite literally a vehicle for making memories.

We’ve warmed cold toes after long ski days, slept badly during long boring drives, listened to hundreds of podcasts, fought over snacks, fought over loading and unloading gear, over-filled it with too many friends (for a very short distance of course). We’ve barbecued on the tailgate, waited out rainstorms, watched stunning sunsets with the doors wide open, music blasting and regardless of how many tough moments the van has seen, it holds quadruple the happy ones as our family has played and adventured together.

The years of loading the kids up and heading out are getting a little trickier as kids do what kids do, growing up whether we want them to or not. As in everything with life, it’s all a season, and while my season might be changing a little bit, those memories live on forever.

I’ve always loved January for all the promise a new year holds. I love breaking open a new paper calendar (oh yes, paper planners for life) and filling in important dates, blocking out days here and there throughout the year for a trip or even a day-long adventure. And as much as I love to go, and I really really do, nothing and I mean nothing beats coming home.

The comfort of home with its rhythm of meals prepared and shared, a fire in the fireplace, music playing softly on the speaker, the bustle and chaos of a home filled with family and friends is something worth taking a moment to stop and appreciate. I’m the first to admit it doesn’t always come easy, the inevitable chaos of our busy lives getting in the way of appreciating the small happy moments happening all the time.

This wintery colorful salad is perfect for January and beyond. Full of all the good-for-you foods we crave this time of year, this is a salad you can make again and again all winter long. Arugula and purple cabbage stand up to the warm roasted Brussel sprouts perfectly. The combination of marcona almonds, sweet dried cherries and tangy goat cheese might be one of my favorite combos in a long time. The bright lemon vinaigrette brings the whole salad together without overpowering any one flavor. I used some leftover rotisserie chicken to bulk this salad up for a quick lunch but I will absolutely be roasting a whole chicken and serving this salad alongside it the next time friends come for dinner. A ribeye or thinly sliced grilled flank steak would be lovely as well.

And, as always, make this recipe your own, swapping ingredients until you get it just right for you. Baby spinach or romaine lettuce could stand in for arugula. Radicchio could be swapped for the purple cabbage and marcona almonds can be a bit pricey and sometimes hard to find. If that proves true, roasted pistachios would be lovely in their place. The same goes for the goat cheese, if thats not a favorite, swap it for shaved parmesan or crumbled feta.

Cheers to a year ahead of new places discovered and the comforting joy of returning home.

Winter Rainbow Salad

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 6 ounces arugula

• 1 pound Brussel sprouts, thinly sliced

• 1-2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced

• 2 carrots, shaved

• 1/2 cup marcona almonds

• 1/2 cup dried cherries OR cranberries

• 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

• Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

• Flaky sea salt and black pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Rinse, trim and thinly slice Brussel sprouts. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for about 12 to 16 minutes until the edges of the sprouts are golden and toasty and easily pierced with a fork. Make sure to turn the sprouts at least once during the cooking time. Remove the roasted Brussel sprouts from the oven and set aside briefly to cool.

While the Brussel sprouts are roasting, combine the arugula, thinly sliced purple cabbage and shaved carrots in a large bowl. You can buy pre-shredded purple cabbage or using a very sharp knife, halve the cabbage and then slice one half very thinly until ribbons form. For the carrots, give the carrot a good scrub then slice off the top. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices of carrot, also ribbon like.

Once the Brussel sprouts have cooled slightly, add them to the bowl. Top the salad with marcona almonds, dried cherries and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle liberally with the honey lemon vinaigrette and toss to combine. Garnish with a few extra almonds and cherries across the top of the salad and make sure to finish with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.

Scoop portions onto salad plates and top with preferred protein such as cooked chicken or thinly sliced steak. The protein is optional! Serves four.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon honey

• Juice of half a lemon

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• Heaping 1/3 cup olive oil

• Kosher salt and black pepper

In a small lidded jar, combine the vinaigrette ingredients. Seal with the lid and shake vigorously until well-combined. Pour generously over the salad and mix to combine. Store extras in the refrigerator for up to three days.