Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Carrot Salad

From the American Institute for Cancer Research

This salad is summer simplicity and taste at its best. It has colorful and nourishing ingredient—from the cauliflower to the crunchy carrots and walnuts.

Although cauliflower lacks the green chlorophyll found in other members of the cruciferous family of vegetables like broccoli and kale, it’s rich in vitamin C and a good source of vitamin K. A member of the mustard family of plants, it provides a nutty flavor as well as a wonderful consistency to the salad. In the 1500s—about a century before modern broccoli emerged—it was found mostly in Italy. From there its use spread to France and other areas in Europe, and it was first grown in North America in the late 1600s.

Walnuts represent a good source of beneficial polyunsaturated fat and essential omega-3 fatty acids. A large percentage of the nut is oil, which is considered by many French chefs as the very best oil for salads and cuisines. In ancient times it was prized as a drying oil for paint, and the great Michelangelo supposedly used it to paint the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

The Dijon mustard vinaigrette marinates the vegetables, enhancing their flavor and adding another layer of taste.

This surprising flavorful salad is nutritious, quick, easy to make, satisfying and pairs well with almost any summer fare.

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise

Toss together cauliflower with cabbage, carrots, onion, walnuts, and parsley.

Whisk together vinegar, mustard. Add oil and mayo and whisk. Drizzle over salad and mix well.

Makes 6 servings

Per Serving: 90 calories, 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 70 mg sodium

Recipe and photo used with permission from The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity, and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results, www.aicr.org