My vice is any salty, crunchy snack. Seriously, if you open a bag of potato chips near me, good luck getting away with half the bag. But that’s why I’m a big fan of pickles! They satisfy my crunch and salt cravings all in one go. I recently decided to play around with pickle salad recipes, and wow, does this one live up to my hopes. It is crunchy, tangy, and savory all at once. My only concern is that I’m going to eat this one so often that I’m going to burn out on it!
Ingredients:
Creamy Dill Pickle Dressing:
⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
⅓ cup chopped dill pickle (about 1 large pickle)
⅓ cup water
1 T pickle brine
1 T organic white wine vinegar
1 T nutritional yeast
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp maple syrup
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp dried dill weed
Seasoned Breadcrumbs & Salad:
1 T olive oil
1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
1 tsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp dried dill weed
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups finely chopped red cabbage
2 cups chopped romaine heart
2 cups finely chopped cauliflower
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¾ cup cannellini white beans (optional protein)
Directions:
Make the dressing. In an upright blender, combine the cashews, chopped dill pickle, water, pickle brine, white wine vinegar, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Blend this mixture on high until smooth and creamy. Check the dressing for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Pour the dressing into a small bowl and stir in the dried dill weed. Set aside.
Make the toasted and seasoned breadcrumbs For topping the salad. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the breadcrumbs to the skillet. They should sizzle a bit. Give them a stir and then add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, dried dill weed, salt, and pepper. Once the breadcrumbs are starting to darken around the edges, lower the heat to medium-low. Keep stirring the breadcrumbs until they have dried out a bit and are evenly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove the breadcrumbs from the heat and let them cool completely.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, romaine, and cauliflower. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Using tongs, give the salad a thorough toss until all vegetables are coated in the dressing.
Top the salad with the toasted breadcrumbs, fresh dill, and white beans. Enjoy!
