Purple Cabbage & Sugar Snap Pea Salad w/Sesame-Shallot Vinaigrette

While planning my trip out to L.A., my friend told me that I could not miss this amazing chain called Lemonade. Have you all heard of it? 

Whenever a friend recommends a restaurant or place to grab food, it usually comes with a rave review like, "OMG you HAVE to go to ____, it is the most amazing and you're going to want to eat everything there!" Right? So after getting a million different recommendations like that, you learn to take things with a grain of salt and make sure your expectations aren't too high. 

Then I went to Lemonade. And immediately texted my friend who recommended it, "OMG I can't believe I didn't come here first thing and I want to eat everything! Why is this not in NYC yet?!" (By the way, no, Lemonade didn't sponsor this post haha) 

So fresh, so seasonal, so healthy. They had some more indulgent options too (hello, truffle mac & cheese that I gazed at from afar), but everything was so flavorful and tasted so clean. They even have one in LAX airport, and I was able to pick up a little container of edamame and carrot salad with a sesame dressing so that I didn't have to resort to yucky plane food. Except, the Yassos frozen greek yogurt bar they hand out in Delta Economy Comfort (thanks for the upgrade, sis!)- THAT I totally ate.

Anyway, back to why I have said the word lemonade as much as Béyonce. Ever since getting back to NYC, I seriously have just been craving fresh, summery salads and veggies galore. That sesame dressing on that crunchy snap pea and radish salad I had back in Venice was lingering on my mind, so I decided to recreate a version with my own twist on it.

I'm all about trying to eat that rainbow and include as many colors into my daily intake as possible. I've grown up with raw purple cabbage in Korean ban-chan (appetizer) salads, and I love a simple sauté with them too. Did you know that you can get 85% of your daily vitamin C requirement in 1 cup of purple cabbage? 

I wanted a crunchy solid base to go with the light crispness of these sweet little sugar snap peas I got from the farmer's market, and honestly, the combination of eating purple and green veggies together make me feel a little like superwoman for all the vitamins I'm gonna get out of it.

These veggies combined with a ridiculously easy sesame-shallot vinaigrette make for a super flavorful and healthy salad for little to no effort. Because of the sturdiness of the snap peas and cabbage, it's an excellent one to pack for lunch- and even having the dressing already mixed in won't make it soggy! #winning

Lastly, I decided to use the outer leaves of the purple cabbage to plate them because, well, they're pretty, and this way, you can literally eat the plate. This would also be an amazing choice for a picnic, summer outdoor dinner party, or an easy potluck dish to bring that'll satisfy all kinds of food-allergies, as it is gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free. 

Purple Cabbage & Sugar Snap Pea Salad w/
Sesame-Shallot Vinaigrette

*serves 4
*Gluten-free, Vegan, Nut-Free

Ingredients

1 small head of Purple Cabbage (~1lb)
1/2 lb Sugar Snap Peas, washed and trimmed

Dressing:
1/2 cup Toasted Sesame Oil
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1 small Shallot, diced
1 tbsp Black Sesame
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (I used Korean Red Pepper flakes)

Recipe

1. Pour rice vinegar into a small mixing bowl. While whisking rapidly, drizzle toasted sesame oil into the mixing bowl, emulsifying the oil and vinegar. Add diced shallot, sesame, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes, and whisk until well combined. Set aside.

2. Chop purple cabbage into thin slices. It's easiest if you chop the cabbage lengthwise down the middle first, then chop like you would an onion from there. Place chopped cabbage into a large mixing bowl. Slice snap peas into thirds, and add into large mixing bowl. Drizzle dressing on top, and mix well to thoroughly coat veggies with dressing. Plate, and serve!