Get ready to let the good times roll with this vibrant and delicious Mardi Gras-inspired slaw. Crisp purple cabbage, refreshing green fennel and parsley, and not-to-sweet golden mandarin oranges combine to create a visually stunning vegetable side dish with the iconic purple, green, and gold hues of Mardi Gras. Dressed with a simple yet delightful poppy seed dressing, this colorful slaw is the perfect side dish whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras or simply craving a healthy and delicious side dish any day of the year.

Yesterday, while out with a group of friends, two of my friends mentioned that they had made a Mardi Gras Salad to take to an event they were headed to. I was instantly intrigued and asked what the heck a Mardi Gras Salad was. It was definitely not something that I had ever heard mention of before. Turns out that it’s simply a salad made with purple, green, and gold ingredients to represent the colors of Mardi Gras. After researching it a bit online, I discovered that there are many different versions of it, however, red cabbage, parsley, and oranges are most often used along with a poppy seed dressing. Well, you really can’t go wrong with that combination, however, seeing as how I’m such a big ol’ fan girl of using fennel in salads, I decided that my version needed to include that as well. So, here you have it, my version of a crunchy, refreshing, sweet but not too sweet, healthy, and super-colorful slaw that’s perfect for Mardi Gras. But hey, by all means, don’t feel like you need to keep it as a Mardi Gras-only recipe. This is one of those salads that’s so simple to make and so delicious, that you’re going to want to enjoy it all year round.

Ingredients:

Poppy Seed Dressing:

• 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt

Slaw:

• 1 (8-oz.) Bag Shredded Red Cabbage
• 1 Large Fennel Bulb
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
• 1 (11-oz.) Can Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup

Directions:

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a medium-sized glass bowl and whisk them together until well combined.

Slaw:

1. Add the shredded red cabbage to a large glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Use a sharp knife to slice off the stalks and the bottom of the fennel. Discard the stalks and bottom of the fennel. Thinly slice the remaining fennel bulb with the same sharp knife or a mandoline. Run your knife through the sliced fennel to cut any large pieces in half. Place the sliced fennel into the large bowl with the shredded red cabbage.
3. Add the chopped fresh parsley to the red cabbage and fennel mixture.
4. Rinse and drain the mandarin oranges in a colander. Shake off any excess water. Add the mandarin oranges to the slaw mixture.
5. Pour 1/3 cup to a 1/2 cup of the poppy seed dressing over the slaw mixture. Gently stir to combine. Add enough dressing to coat the slaw but not make it overly wet.
6. Serve immediately.

Suggestions:

• You’ll only need 1/3 cup to a 1/2 cup of poppy seed dressing for this slaw, which will leave you with a little over a 1/2 cup to use later as a salad dressing. Store the remaining dressing in a glass airtight container. For a real treat, drizzle it over a spinach salad with fresh cut strawberries and sliced almonds.
• Since there is vinegar in the poppy seed dressing, make sure to use a glass or ceramic bowl instead of metal when making this slaw.
• I did not add any fennel fronds to this salad because the fennel I purchased had very few on it. If your fennel has a decent amount of fennel fronds, feel free to add them for extra flavor.
• If you’re not a fan of fennel, you can replace it with green cabbage.
• I suggest serving this salad right away. It will continue to lose crunch over time if refrigerated. This slaw can be made ahead of time and the dressing added right before serving.

Improvements:

• Replace the apple cider vinegar with white vinegar or champagne vinegar.
• Use Creole Mustard instead of Dijon Mustard.
• Top this salad with chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
• Add finely chopped red onion to this salad.
• Garnish the salad with roasted salted pepitas.
• CLICK HERE to find more great salad recipes. Make sure to check out our many other listed “Coleslaw Recipes.”

Print

Yum

Mandarin Orange & Fennel Mardi Gras Slaw

Ingredients:

Honey Dijon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing:
• 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
Slaw:
• 1 (8-oz.) Bag Shredded Red Cabbage
• 1 Large Fennel Bulb
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
• 1 (11-oz.) Can Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup

Directions:

Honey Dijon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing:
1. Place all of the ingredients into a medium-sized glass bowl and whisk them together until well combined.
Slaw:
2. Add the shredded red cabbage to a large glass or ceramic bowl.
3. Use a sharp knife to slice off the stalks and the bottom of the fennel. Discard the stalks and bottom of the fennel. Thinly slice the remaining fennel bulb with the same knife or a mandoline. Run your knife through the sliced fennel to cut any large pieces in half. Place the sliced fennel into the large bowl with the shredded red cabbage.
4. Add the chopped fresh parsley to the red cabbage and fennel mixture.
5. Rinse and drain the mandarin oranges in a colander. Shake off any excess water. Add the mandarin oranges to the slaw mixture.
6. Pour 1/3 cup to a 1/2 cup of the poppy seed dressing over the slaw mixture. Gently stir to combine. Add enough dressing to coat the slaw but not make it overly wet.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes

0.1

http://faithhopeloveandlucksurvivedespiteawhiskeredaccomplice.com/mandarin-orange-fennel-mardi-gras-slaw/

PIN THIS RECIPE

Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes. You can follow us HERE on Pinterest or simply click HERE to find all of our pin-worthy recipes.

Crunchy Fennel & Fresh Orange Salad

Creamy Cabbage & Carrot Coleslaw with Apple

Fennel & Tomato Italian Vinaigrette Salad

When it comes to Mardi Gras food, po’ boy sandwiches, jambalaya, and shrimp étouffée are the norm. However, this unique Mardi Gras recipe round-up is a bit more creative. You’ll find recipes like muffuletta empanadas and king cake croissants, not to mention several Cajun soup, stew, and chowder recipes. If you’re looking for unique and creative Cajun Mardi Gras recipes, we’ve totally got you covered. CLICK HERE for the recipes.