Name: Crunchy Salad with Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1/2 cup FRESH orange juice ((or similar)); 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp honey; +/- depending on desired sweetness; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro; Salt; to taste*; 1/8 tsp black pepper; to taste (, plus more**); 1-12 oz package Broccoli Slaw ((Broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage)); 1-6.75 Kale and Brussel Sprouts mix ((omit the dressing, just use the veggies and the seeds/cranberries if offered)); 3 cups chopped purple cabbage ((1 small head approximately)); 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli crowns ((1 medium head)); 1/2 cup pepitas ((shelled pumpkin seeds)); 1/3 cup sunflower seed kernels; 1 cup dried cranberries ((sweetened or un))

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Crunchy Salad with Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette ~ Chopped veggie salad with serious crunch factor in a tangy yet slightly sweet cilantro orange vinaigrette.Well January is speeding along like nobody’s business. I’m actually alright with this since personally and historically speaking, January generally sucks. My car registration is due, but I’m broke from the holidays. It’s cold. It’s snowy. It’s dark. I feel the holiday weight.

This January is no different really. Except instead of just a simple car registration, this month I purchased a new vehicle. My last vehicle had rear wheel drive and with the massive amount of snowfall this season, the safety of my daughter, myself, and others on the road (should I lose control) became paramount.Plus being snowed in for several days unable to drive because my car couldn’t handle the roads was a ‘enough is enough’ situation.

The to the rest of my January woes: Cold….check. Snowy….quadruple check. Dark…snow makes it lighter out, so 1/2 check. Holiday weight…BIG CHECK.January comes with the resolve to eat better, move more, yada yada yada. I am like everyone else and make the same goals. And then every January, I take off to San Francisco for a week where I do nothing but eat (although I do more walking in a day than I do in an average week at home–sad but true).Last night I returned from my annual trip to San Fran where I attended a major food convention. This food convention is non-stop eating from 10 am until 5 pm. I literally walk around from booth to booth, thousands of them, and sample their items. Every booth has food, even those non-food product booths have candy bowls. But look for an article on that next week.

This post is sponsored by Progresso and Walmart, however the content and opinions, whether glowing, gushing, or otherwise, are my own.

After this trip, and the holidays, I feel particularly fluffy and must immediately make eating changes. On my way home from the airport, I popped into my local Walmart and got a few items for dinner and a few things I needed in the house. I was frozen solid and soup sounded particularly comforting.

I picked up some Progresso Light Chicken Noodle, as it’s my daughter’s favorite and all the fixings needed for this Crunchy Salad with Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette. It all came together quick and easy, and is a healthy meal solution using Progresso soups, especially since they use quality ingredients including antibiotic free, all white meat chicken.
Letting the soup slowly simmer on the stove, I chopped my veggies and whisked up the vinaigrette. Start to finish, we were ready to eat in about 15 minutes. Can’t complain about that after a day of traveling, including a plane delay.

The Crunchy Salad with Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette was easy enough because I purchased salad kits along with a head of purple cabbage, all available in the produce section at Walmart. However, feel free to buy everything individually and make one massive salad, adjusting the dressing proportions though. My small family wouldn’t be able to consume a salad made without the kits without a lot of extra produce on hand. And I hate wasting!

Crunchy Salad with Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

Crunchy Salad with Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette ~ Chopped veggie salad with serious crunch factor in a tangy yet slightly sweet cilantro orange vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup FRESH orange juice (or similar)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey; +/- depending on desired sweetness
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt; to taste*
1/8 tsp black pepper; to taste , plus more**

Crunchy Salad

1-12 oz package Broccoli Slaw (Broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage)
1-6.75 Kale and Brussel Sprouts mix (omit the dressing, just use the veggies and the seeds/cranberries if offered)
3 cups chopped purple cabbage (1 small head approximately)
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli crowns (1 medium head)
1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup sunflower seed kernels
1 cup dried cranberries (sweetened or un)

Instructions

Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette

Chop the cilantro, then whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together.
Set aside while the salad is being mixed, giving the dressing flavors time to meld.

Crunchy Salad

Chop the broccoli slaw bite size pieces along with the kale/brussel mix. Toss together in a large bowl.
Chop the purple cabbage, and toss with the other veggies.
Mix in the seeds and cranberries, but they will mostly fall to the bottom of the bowl.
When ready to serve, pour the vinaigrette over the entire salad and mix well, coating everything.
Portion and serve, taking care to pull the seeds and cranberries up and into each serving.

Recipe Notes

*For the salt, start with 1/8 tsp. If the seeds are salted at all, that will salt the salad as a whole, and too much salad in the dressing will render the salad too salty.
**For the black pepper, I used 1/8 tsp in the dressing, but added black pepper to the salad as a whole upon serving.

Meals like these are my go-to on busy days and more so on busy COLD days. Personally, I love the light & fit line of soups from Progresso. Despite the light and fit branding, these soups still have all the flavor you’ve come to love and expect from Progresso and Walmart has a fantastic selection to chose from beyond the delicious Progresso Light Chicken Noodle.

Crunchy Salad with Cilantro Orange Vinaigrette