Almond Sesame Cabbage Salad

This salad is tangy and nutty, with a slight hint of sweetness! After going gluten-free I missed this salad. I especially missed the crunchy gluten-filled ramen noodles that are commonly sprinkled throughout this salad. The toasted almonds give a nice crunch that helps replace the ramen noodles that I miss so dearly...

Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage, shredded
• ½ head of green cabbage, shredded
• ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 5 green onions, chopped
• optional: could also throw in some red cabbage!

Dressing

• ½ cup vegetable oil, I have used both canola and olive oils
• 1/4 to ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. Tamari
• 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

Directions

Dressing:

1. Combine all liquid ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, let boil for 1 minute (just so the sugar fully dissolves). Remove the pan from heat and let cool.
2. Toast the almonds and sesame seeds (in separate pans). 
3. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, almonds, and green onions.
4. When ready to serve the salad, add the dressing and mix well. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top (if using).

Rustic Cabbage Soup

I've been a bit bored lately with the soups I usually make. These soups most often include beans, italian spices, tomatoes, and some kind of hearty green (kale or swiss chard). They're perfect for cold winter nights and are so hearty and filling.
This cabbage soup is also great for cold winter nights, but I found it to be a bit lighter and more broth-y than other soups I've made. I still liked it, though.


I came upon this soup recipe from Heidi at 101 cookbooks. I don't know if it's just because I'm a fan of the word rustic, but this recipe sounded great! I added some more seasonings to my version and I completely recommend doing so.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (or canola oil)
• 3 large redskin potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cups vegetable stock (I used Edward & Sons Vegan Bouillon Cubes)
• 2 cups white beans, canned or precooked (navy, great northern, or cannellini)
• 1 medium green cabbage, cored and sliced into short strips
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 3 tsp. seasoning mixture (mine includes: black peppercorn, crushed rosemary, salt, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper)
• This is the kind I used: McCormick Cracked Peppercorn Herb mix

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil or canola oil in a big soup pot over med-high heat.
2. Stir in the cubed potatoes with a pinch of salt. Cover the pot and cook until potatoes are a little tender, around 5 minutes. Be sure to stir a few times (mine sort of burnt to the bottom of the pan a bit, oops!)
3. Stir in the garlic and chopped onion, cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add the veggie stock and white beans and bring to a simmer. 
5. Stir in the cabbage and cook a few more minutes, until cabbage is slightly soft.
6. Add thyme and other seasonings. I used a mixture that's marketed as a roasting rub mix made by McCormick.