I visited a farm this past week to pick up some local vegetables and see what was truly in season at the moment. Fresh herbs, pumpkin and red cabbage all stood out and I set out to make them into something delicious. September is a great time of year to add in more vegetables after what was maybe a ‘too good’ of a summer. This salad is crunchy, sweet, salty and a little bit spicy from the harissa. Pair with added lentils, chicken or flaked salmon for a light dinner. The cruciferous family which includes cabbage is incredibly beneficial for supporting liver detoxification, especially in women with hormonal imbalances. If raw red cabbage isn’t your cup of tea, try roasting it with the pumpkin thinly sliced, spaced out enough that it will crunch up rather than steam.
Ingredients (serves about 3)
2 cups of shredded / finely chopped red cabbage (I like small fine pieces for easier bites)
2 handfuls of nappa cabbage OR spinach, finely chopped as well
2 cups of pumpkin, diced until 1 inch cubes
1 package of halloumi
1/3 cup almonds, lightly toasted
1 bunch of cilantro
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Honey
1 tsp. Harissa spice
Method
Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss pumpkin in olive oil, harissa spice and a pinch of sea salt. Let bake for about 25 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom. In a small fry pan, slice halloumi into small cubes and cook on medium until lightly toasted. Halloumi, if you haven’t cooked it before, loses a lot of water when you start to cook it, and that is fine. Keep an eye on it and flip as needed. In a large mixing bowl, add shredded red cabbage, chopped spinach, cilantro and lightly toasted almonds. Once the pumpkin and halloumi have finished cooking, you can add those. Toss together and drizzle with a salad dressing that is a mix of juice of one lemon, 2 tsp. olive oil, pinch of sea salt and 2 tsp. honey. Leftovers are delicious!
