This crunchy, earthbound autumn coleslaw recipe comprises everything that is good about fall–apples, hazelnuts, red cabbage, and beets. That’s what author Skye Gyngell says about this recipe. And we concur.–Jenny Howard
How To Deal With Pomegranate Seeds
Though stunning to behold and absurdly good for you, this teetering tower of slaw does have a teensy potential drawback. Pomegranate seeds. Like the jewels they resemble, those plump, juicy little lovelies tend to come at great cost. Not in terms of expense (though pomegranates are rather pricey) but in terms of cleaning time, seeing as antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice stains fingertips, cutting boards, walls, your favorite kitchen towels, cheeks, and pretty much any surface left unprotected within squirting range. We hear that if you slice a pomegranate into quarters and then plunge it into a cold bowl of water, you can pry the seeds out with your fingertips without any pesky telltale red juice, although we haven’t tried it yet. Honestly? We’d much rather just fork over the money and walk out of the store with a tidy little package of seeds, found in the produce aisles of most supermarkets (hey, even Trader Joe’s!) this time of year.
Raw Egg Reminder Note: Hey, in case you hadn’t noticed, this recipe contains raw egg. Please be mindful if making it for anyone for whom this is a potential no-no.
Autumn Coleslaw
Ingredients
For the coleslaw
- 1 cup shelled hazelnuts, very roughly chopped
- 1/4 red cabbage, cored
- 1 fennel bulb
- 4 beets, preferably candy stripe or chioggia, washed
- 3 carrots, peeled
- 4 crisp apples, such as Gala or Jonagold
- Small handful tarragon, leaves minced (optional)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
- Freshly chopped parsley
- 1 pomegranate, quartered and seeds removed, or store-bought pomegranate seeds
For the dressing
- 2 organic egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses, (optional)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup mild olive oil
Instructions
Make the coleslaw
- Preheat the oven to 375° F (190°C). Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and gently toast them in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, just to release the flavor. Set aside to cool.
- Finely slice the cabbage into thin ribbons. Cut off the base of the fennel bulb and remove the tough outer layer, then slice it very finely. Cut the beets into very thin circles, preferably with a mandoline or hand-held slicer. Shave the carrots into long ribbons using a swivel vegetable peeler. Quarter and core the apples, leaving the skin on, then thinly slice them.
- Place the cabbage, fennel, beets, carrots, apples, and tarragon, if using, in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze over the lemon juice. Toss together gently with your hands and set aside while you make the dressing.
Make the dressing
- Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the honey, mustard, cream, vinegar, and molasses, if using, and whisk to combine. Season with a little salt and pepper, then pour in the olive oil in slow, steady stream, whisking as you do so until emulsified. The dressing should have the consistency of a very loose mayonnaise. Taste and adjust the ingredients accordingly.
- Dribble the dressing over the coleslaw and toss to coat. Pile the slaw high on plates and scatter the hazelnuts over the top. Strew with parsley.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is a delicious twist on a classic coleslaw. I love the addition of beets and fennel plus the hazelnuts for crunch.
While the recipe calls for a whole pomegranate, this is just too much. Just a sprinkling of seeds at the end is plenty and pretty on the plate. While the fresh tarragon was listed as optional, I found it to be a welcome addition. I kept going back for seconds, thirds…
I tried it last weekend for the family and we loved it, really delicious! With all the fruits, it wasn’t too sweet for us; it felt fresh and had very nice colors. I put in it about half a cup of pomegranate seeds and used all the dressing but with a little less oil and no molasses.
We celebrate the Jewish New Year with a special dinner, so when I saw this recipe, it looked like exactly what we need for this meal. Rosh Hashanah meals include some foods to symbolize a sweet and blessed new year. There are about 10 “symbolic signs.” Customs are slightly different all over the world and not all families prepare all ten. But some signs have an important symbolic meaning and are served at each holy day meal everywhere, including apples, honey, and pomegranates. The pomegranate with its many seeds symbolizes being fruitful, and the use of apples and honey symbolize a sweet year. When I was reading this recipe, I found in it five of the MUST foods for New Year blessings: beets, carrots, apples, pomegranate, and honey. I felt very lucky to have a new recipe for my guests and just the one I needed.
I’ll triple the recipe for the holy day for 11 guests and hope it will be enough. Thanks for another keeper and happy new year to each of you!
