Blueberry Cabbage Salad

I love mixing both fresh fruit and dried fruit in salads and desserts. The dried berries offer a tart flavor and chewy texture while the fresh fruit is juicy and sweet. While cooking with Chef Nir in Tel Aviv, we prepared fish with a salad of chopped cabbage and ripe blueberries from the Carmel Market. We set a table on the balcony of our friend, Inbal, which had a view of the Mediterranean Sea. It was sunset as we all shared the feast of fish, salad, and warm pita. It was a view I will never forget. I now make a version of the cabbage salad in my own kitchen, but I’ve added dried fruits alongside the fresh blueberries. The dressing is bright and citrusy and completes a perfect salad that can be enjoyed with fish or all by itself. Whenever possible, I enjoy it with a sunset view.

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Ingredients

Serves 6-8

Blueberry Cabbage Salad:

• 1 head white cabbage, thinly shredded

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup fresh blueberries 

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup dried blueberries

• 1 cup toasted almond slices

Process

In a large salad bowl, add the shredded cabbage, salt, and lemon juice. Using your hands, massage the cabbage until it has softened slightly.  

In a jar or cup, combine the olive oil, sugar, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Whisk or shake until combined.  

Pour olive oil dressing over cabbage and toss to coat. Add the cilantro, cranberries, both blueberries and sliced almonds. Toss gently and taste to see if more salt is needed; serve.