Name: Christmas Slaw with Maple Glazed Pecans
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Yield: 6 people
Ingredients: 1/2 small red cabbage, shredded or very thinly sliced, (approx. 300 g); 10 large brussels sprouts, shredded or very thinly sliced; 1 cup pecans; 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries; 3-4 tbsp cilantro, (finely chopped); small piece of ginger, peeled, grated, (approx.12 g); juice of 1 orange; juice of 1/2 lemon; 2 tbsp maple syrup, plus 2 more for coating the pecans; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus 1/3 tsp for the pecans, (and a good pinch of pepper)

This delicious, easy make-ahead Christmas slaw is a great festive alternative to traditional cooked vegetables. It contains dried cranberries, orange, a hint of ginger and comes with deliciously moreish salted maple glazed pecans for a bit of crunch.

What’s your favourite festive vegetable? If it’s brussels sprouts then you are likely to enjoy them boiled or roasted. If it’s red cabbage then you might make a braised red cabbage recipe and also enjoy it hot.

Would you consider serving these vegetables cold?

My Christmas slaw with maple glazed pecans offers a less traditional, but no less delicious, way of serving your favourite festive vegetables. Not only that, this Christmas coleslaw recipe can be made ahead so you can concentrate on preparing your hot dishes. Because there is enough to do when you are hosting a big family dinner!

Make-ahead red cabbage coleslaw

This mayo free easy Christmas coleslaw comes with an orange-and-ginger marinade. Simply shred or slice the vegetables very thinly, combine with the cranberries, pour in the marinade, stir and refrigerate for 4 – 8 hours (see Final Notes below). This will allow the vegetables to absorb all the lovely citrussy zesty flavours. It will also tenderise them! This is important as both the sprouts as well as the red cabbage are quite tough and can be a little chewy. The dried cranberries will also absorb the moisture from the marinade – they will be juicy and full of flavour!

I have used this method of prepping brussels sprouts in my recipe for cured brussel sprouts with turkey leftovers. As for the red cabbage I also used an easy marinade to make this pickled red cabbage slaw with pear and walnuts. Marinating cabbage, especially the red variety, which is tougher than white cabbage, is very simple and yields great results!

How to make maple glazed salted pecans

This can also be done ahead! But add the pecans to the salad just before serving – you don’t want soggy pecans.

The sweet and salty roasted pecans add loads of flavour to this dish and for me are essential in this recipe. They are very easy to make.

Simply combine the pecans with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1/3 teaspoon of salt, spread on a baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes. You can scatter them over the salad (whole or roughly chopped) straight away or cool them before tossing into the salad. If you would like to use the pecans later place in a bowl, once they’ve cooled completely and set aside.

Assembling the red cabbage Christmas slaw

When you are ready to serve your festive coleslaw combine the vegetable mixture with freshly chopped cilantro and toss in the pecans. You can add more seasoning or a drizzle of oil or lemon juice if you like.

Final notes about Christmas slaw

If you shred the vegetables I recommend marinating them for no more than 4 hours. If they are sliced marinating them for longer (8 hours) will work better. Give the mixture a stir once in a while.

More fantastic Christmas/Thanksgiving dishes

Try this Easy Mushroom Turkey Wellington with Chestnuts as an alternative to roasting a whole turkey. For a vegetarian centrepiece try this Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash with Fruit & Chestnuts. Both are delicious served with classic low sugar cranberry sauce as well as this cranberry beetroot chutney.

Check out also my easy vegetarian Christmas stuffing recipe. Non-vegetarian alternatives include this Christmas stuffing casserole with cranberries & chestnuts, as well as my easy turkey stuffing balls recipe.

Your festive desserts might include these vegan dark chocolate truffles or fruit and nut cake, which is a quick and easy alternative to traditional fruit cake.

Top down view of Christmas slaw in black bowl with pecans and clementine in background.

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5 from 1 vote