Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette

Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette is an easy-to-make salad to consider for your upcoming holiday menu as it provides an acidic reprieve from rich, heavy dishes. 

Cruciferous Crunch Salad is a simple holiday side that can be quickly tossed together by using Trader Joe’s pre-shredded Cruciferous Crunch salad mix, and contributing a few festive add-ins. In this case, walnuts and dried cranberries are VIPs to the Cruciferous Crunch Salad party. 

What makes this salad extra special is spending a few minutes whipping up a homemade vinaigrette. Holiday meals can be a little one-note. Rich, comforting, heavy. Using a Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette adds a much-needed zesty and acidic reprieve to the lineup. 

I like to prepare the salad 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to let the vinaigrette have a chance to permeate while maintaining optimal crispness.

How do you make Cruciferous Crunch Salad - Thanksgiving Edition? 

Cruciferous Crunch Salad can be dressed up any which way you like, but if you want to make it festive for Thanksgiving here’s what you’ll need. The base is Trader Joes' Cruciferous Crunch salad mix because: convenience and efficiency. If you're preparing 17 other dishes for a holiday meal, you'll want to push the easy button here.

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 10 ounce bag Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch salad mix (which contains shredded Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, green and red cabbage)
• 3-4 tablespoons dried cranberries
• ¼ cup crushed raw walnuts
• ½ cup or so Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows, makes the perfect amount for this salad)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Add bag of Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch salad mix to a bowl. Drizzle Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette over the salad mix and toss to coat.
2. Add in 3-4 tablespoons dried cranberries and ¼ cup crushed raw walnuts. Toss again lightly to incorporate. 
3. For best results, prepare 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead of time. Refrigerate until needed.
4. Use within 24 hours once dressed.

How do you make Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette? 

This homemade Jalapeno Lime Dressing is one of my favorites and a go-to to brighten up any salad. Jalapenos can vary widely in heat, so make sure to remove the pith and seeds if you don’t want the vinaigrette to wind up too spicy. Or if you want to bring the heat, include the pith (I always discard the seeds). Makes a little over ½ cup of dressing, which is the perfect amount for this Thanksgiving Cruciferous Crunch Salad. 

INGREDIENTS  

• 5 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice (or about two small limes)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality EVOO with a mild flavor)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Add 5 tablespoons lime juice, 1 seeded jalapeno, ½teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½teaspoon dried basil to a blender. Blend for 15-20 seconds. Check to make sure the jalapeno is nicely pulverized. If not, blend for a few more seconds.
2. Hit blend again and slowly drizzle in ¼ cup o fextra virgin olive oil, blending for 20-30 seconds to emulsify.

Vinaigrette Add-Ins and Substitutions

You can make a few minor substitutions or alterations if necessary without significantly changing the integrity of this awesome dressing. Here are a few suggestions:

• Instead of fresh limes, you can use lemons
• Add two jalapenos for more heat 
• Swap onion powder for garlic powder
• Instead of dried basil, try oregano or Mexican oregano. You could also leave the herbage out altogether, or mix some freshly chopped herbs directly into the salad instead; fresh basil, oregano, parsley, or cilantro are great options. 

Salad Add-Ins and Substitutions

• Instead of dried cranberries, try dried blueberries, cherries, or raisins
• Instead of walnuts, try slivered almonds or crushed pecans
• Don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you? Use a bag of regular shredded cabbage, broccoli slaw, or something similar as the base of this salad 
• If you want to stretch the salad, you can always toss in some shredded iceberg or Romaine lettuce right before serving. Just note that these “lighter” greens won’t fare as well after they are dressed and should be eaten the same day they are dressed.

Salad Storage

Store any leftover Cruciferous Crunch Salad in a lidded container in the refrigerator. Once dressed, you’ll want to eat the salad within 24 hours as it will get wilt-y fairly quickly. Though the beauty of the Cruciferous veggies once dressed is that they maintain crispness longer than lighter salad greens like lettuce.

If you like this, you might also like:

• Corn and Quinoa Salad - which also features the Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast - moist, juicy turkey you don’t have to fret over as it cooks
• Ground Turkey Quesadilla - a fantastic use for leftover turkey
• Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms - a delicious appetizer great for any occassion
• Mashed White Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Honey Butter - a bold alternative to plain old mashed taters
• Jalapeno Popper Creamed Kale - creamy and indulgent and spicy

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