Fruit Slaw with Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing

I feel like I’m on a never-ending adventure to get my kids to eat more vegetables. They do really well with fruit, but the oldest two don’t like many vegetables and they’re hesitant to try new ones.

I decided to try giving them a fruit salad that has a vegetable in it. My middle child does like eating lettuce from salads on occasion, so I wondered if I could use cabbage (a highly nutritious cruciferous vegetable) to create a lettuce-like texture that she would enjoy. This Fruit Slaw is what I came up with. It ended up being a great idea!

Ingredients

For the dressing

(Adapted from this recipe.)

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup raspberry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground dry mustard
• A dash of salt
• A dash of onion powder

For the salad

• 1 lb. shredded cabbage (or slaw mix)
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, sliced
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Prepare the dressing

Use a blender or food processor to mix the oil, vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, salt, and onion powder. Stir in the poppy seeds. Refrigerate while you assemble the salad.

Prepare the salad

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, strawberries, oranges, grapes, and pecans.

Top the salad with the dressing

Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir until the dressing is evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Best if used within 12 hours. Yield: 8 servings.

Notes

My kids were a little reluctant to try this. Once they did, though, they both willingly ate several bites of it. I thought it was great! It has a great crunch and a wonderful flavor. It would make a great side dish for a picnic, BBQ, or a variety of other spring or summer gatherings.

This slaw is very easy to make, especially if you use a bag of shredded cabbage. If you are really short on time, you can also use premade poppy seed dressing. If you don’t have raspberry vinegar on hand, you can use regular white vinegar and the dressing will still be great. You can use a variety of other fruits or nuts in this. I think blueberries and granny smith apple would be great fruits to use and almonds would be a great nut.

What recipes are you using to get additional veggies in your kids? I’d love to hear them!

Shared at the following:

Encouraging Hearts and Home, Busy Monday, Tuesdays with a Twist, and Weekend Potluck.