My friend once went to a potluck where everyone was supposed to bring a salad. She went, toting romaine lettuce, some mixed peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers with homemade dressing. She had made it fancy by adding pomegranate seeds. She returned home with most of her bowl still full — and recounted to us the other offerings. These included various marshmallow and fruit concoctions, and something called a “Snickers salad.” I looked this up, disbelieving that this was common enough to have such a name. It did look delicious, but I would hesitate to call this a salad, as it did actually involve the famous candy bar. The rest of the table was rounded out with egg salad, potato salad, and tuna salad.
This got me thinking about our standard definitions. I wonder, for example, if salsa might actually be a salad, if it wasn’t already so defined. For that matter, what else passes as salsa? I’ve made some in the past with papaya and cucumber.
If people call marshmallows and fruit “salad,” I think I can call a bunch of chopped up raw veggies with dressing “dip.” Veggies among dips isn’t new, like spinach dip. Lately there’s been a trend of salad-eaters scooping up creamy-dressed cabbage, lettuce and cucumbers with chips. I wouldn’t call this salad, but maybe they deem it this way to make us all feel a little healthier.
We are used to topping a hearty salad with croutons or crispy strips, to add crunch. Skipping that and going straight to a higher chip-to-vegetable ratio appeals to me. Forks, be gone.
The other great thing is that this dip that will stick around a few days in the fridge. Cabbage has better resiliency than lettuce and even benefits from the extra marination. If you like, add Parmesan to whatever portion you serve just before eating.
Red Cabbage Dip
Ingredients:
• 1 pound red cabbage
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1/2 cup carrot, julienned
• 1 1/2 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• Optional: Parmesan, freshly grated
Directions:
Chop your cabbage, onion and carrot into small dice. I discard the core of the cabbage. You want it to be scoopable, not so much pierced with a fork. Put it all in a large bowl (needs to be much bigger than the salad, so you can stir easily).
Add the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil and salt to the bowl. Toss the salad, making sure all of the dressing reaches the veggies. You can eat it immediately, but it is better after a few hours in the fridge. Add the Parmesan just before serving, and eat with tortilla chips or simple, crispy crackers.
Makes approximately 5 cups.
Mariko Jackson writes about family and food. Email her at thelittlefoodie@gmail.com.
