Winter crunch salad with maple chili crunch vinaigrette

A lil' spicy, a lil' sweet

Hello! Welcome back! Skip all the rambling and scroll right to the bottom of this post for a printer-friendly PDF of the recipe only.

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Hello from my kitchen table. I’m eating breakfast (meatballs, sweet potato, and Lebanese stewed green beans — quite the aggressive 9 am combo), hoping my 5-week-old will stay asleep in her bassinet beside me long enough to finish writing this, and feeling very excited to share this week’s recipe for you.

It’s a cold, crunchy, refreshing salad — a perfect break from all the indulgence that becomes ubiquitous at this time of year. I love warm and cozy, stick-to-your-ribs meals just as much as the next person, but we’re deep enough into the deluge of holiday recipes that I’m needing a little break from that. That’s where this salad comes in. It’s light but full of flavor, keeps you full, and tastes better the more it sits. As Ina Garten would say, how fabulous is that? (Anyone else reading her memoir? I’m obsessed.)

Tell me more

If you liked my fall crunch salad, you’ll love this. It’s got the same idea — a variety of fruits and veggies all cut in slightly different ways to make it more interesting and textural, some chicken for protein and staying power, all mixed together with an addictive sweet-meets-savory (and in this case, meets spicy) dressing. It definitely has a Chinese chicken salad flair, so if you like those as much as I do, stick around.

Before we start

• This is a good one to prep ahead for a quick and easy lunch all week long. If you do this, leave out the iceberg — it’ll get soggy — and just add in a handful when you’re ready to eat.

• You know I love my rotisserie chickens! That’s what we’re using here. Feel free to cook up your own chicken if you prefer, or swap in tofu or another protein. (Although I think chicken or tofu are best if you plan to make this ahead and keep it in the fridge.)

• How sweet and spicy the dressing should be depends wholly on how sweet and spicy you like your salads. The proportions I’ve included in the recipe create a salad that has a hint of both, without either being overpowering. Feel free to up the maple syrup and/or chili crunch depending on your taste buds. But when you’re testing your dressing, remember the flavors will not be as concentrated once they’re mixed with all the ingredients. A just-sweet-enough dressing will taste like just a hint of sweetness once it’s all mixed in, whereas one that tastes a it syrupy will be mellowed out and not quite as sweet. You can always adjust after you’ve mixed your salad, too.

• I’m using Asian pears here because I love the crispness and more subtle flavor. If you can only find American pear varieties, like Bartlett or d’Anjou, just make sure to choose one that’s a bit on the firmer side so it doesn’t turn to mush in the salad.

• Napa cabbage has a sweeter flavor and slightly softer texture than a traditional head of cabbage, in my opinion, but if you can only find regular cabbage this will still be great.

The recipe

Serves: 4

Cook time: 20 minutes (just chopping/prepping/mixing — no actual cooking required)