Parsnip, red cabbage and pear ’slaw with honey and thyme

Winter

This colourful winter ’slaw is full of contrast, crunch and curiosity, and every mouthful you take is surprisingly different. I’m using coarsely grated parsnip instead of carrot, and I’m using pears to add a gorgeous sweetness. It’s certainly interesting enough to eat on its own (the thyme and honey see to that), but the ’slaw makes a delicious accompaniment to a smoky roast chicken, a hunk of pork with crackling or, of course, a decent ploughman’s lunch.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, bashed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ red onion, finely diced
½ firm, red cabbage, thinly sliced across its edge
1 large or 2 smaller parsnips, peeled and coarsely grated
2–3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered, then chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon runny honey
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pour the orange juice into a large salad bowl. Add the zest, coriander seeds, extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar and plenty of salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the onion and give it all a good stir.

Add the cabbage and the parsnips and tumble everything through. Use your hands to gently turn through the pear pieces. If the fruit is particularly ripe, you’ll need to be careful not to bash it too much. Trickle over the honey and sprinkle over the sunflower seeds before bringing the ’slaw to the table.

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