TL;DR
The Kitchn has published a Thanksgiving kale slaw recipe built around lacinato kale, cabbage, dates, roasted nuts and shallots prepared three ways. The recipe serves four to eight and is presented as a make-ahead side that can retain its crunch after dressing.
The Kitchn has published an updated Thanksgiving kale slaw recipe, adapting a holiday salad by replacing shredded Brussels sprouts with cabbage and keeping its signature crispy fried shallots. The recipe serves four to eight and is designed to be prepared ahead, offering a crunchy side for a holiday meal.
Get baking supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The slaw combines lacinato kale and green cabbage with chopped dates and roasted nuts. Its dressing is a maple-Dijon vinaigrette made with shallot-infused oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard and maple syrup. Shallots also appear raw in the salad and fried as a topping, giving the ingredient three roles in one dish.
The recipe lists about 20 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking, and makes roughly six cups. The Kitchn says the components can be prepared in advance and that the assembled salad can hold its texture. The source does not specify an exact maximum storage time for the dressed slaw.
Recipe developer Rachel Perlmutter says she simplified an earlier version by using cabbage instead of shredded Brussels sprouts, which she described as time-consuming to prepare. The revised recipe retains kale and fried shallots, which she calls essential to the salad’s flavor and texture.
A Make-Ahead Side for Holiday Meals
The recipe addresses a practical challenge for Thanksgiving cooks: fitting a fresh side dish into a meal with many components competing for oven space and last-minute attention. Its make-ahead approach could let cooks prepare the vegetables and dressing before serving, while sturdy kale and cabbage are intended to keep their crunch.
Its flavor and texture also offer contrast to richer holiday dishes, according to the recipe’s developer. That is the recipe’s stated appeal, not a nutritional assessment: the source provides no nutrition information or comparison with other sides. The instructions also allow some ingredient flexibility, including seeds in place of nuts for a nut-free version.
Products Worth Considering
Instant Pot Duo Crisp 8-Quart 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Pressure Cooker
Vitamix Touch & Go Advance 32-Ounce Bar Blender, White
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round Bread Oven, 9.5-Inch, Cerise
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Brussels Sprouts to Cabbage
Perlmutter says the original salad dates back nearly a decade, when she made it for Thanksgiving at her parents’ home. In the current version, she is more often hosting and wanted a dish that kept the earlier salad’s central flavors while reducing preparation work.
The main change was swapping shredded Brussels sprouts for green cabbage. The recipe keeps lacinato kale because it holds up to dressing, and preserves fried shallots as its defining element. The Kitchn’s recipe tester, Deputy Food Editor Kristina Razon, also singled out the fried shallots and infused oil in her assessment.
“The one non-negotiable: fried shallots.”
— Rachel Perlmutter, recipe developer
Storage Times and Nutrition Details
The source describes the slaw as make-ahead- and leftovers-friendly but does not give a specific refrigeration period or say how long the fully dressed salad remains at its best. It also does not include nutrition figures or detailed food-safety instructions for storage and serving.
The provided ingredient list is incomplete after the dressing ingredients, so the full recipe quantities and instructions cannot be verified from the source material supplied here. The Kitchn’s claims about crunch and make-ahead convenience are recipe guidance and tester feedback, rather than independently measured shelf-life results.
Check the Full Recipe Before Cooking
Readers planning to make the slaw should consult the complete Kitchn recipe for the remaining ingredient quantities and step-by-step instructions, including how to fry and store the shallots. Cooks can then decide which components to prepare ahead and follow the recipe’s directions for assembling and storing the salad.
The source does not identify a separate follow-up announcement or future publication date. The recipe is available now, with the tester’s note pointing to plans to serve it during the 2026 holiday season.
Key Questions
What is in the Thanksgiving kale slaw?
The listed ingredients include lacinato kale, green cabbage, dates, roasted nuts and shallots, with a maple-Dijon vinaigrette made using shallot-infused oil. The supplied source excerpt does not show the complete ingredient list.
How many people does the recipe serve?
The Kitchn lists the yield as four to eight servings, or about six cups.
Can the slaw be made ahead?
The Kitchn says the ingredients can be prepared ahead and that the salad is designed to keep its crunch after dressing. The source does not give a precise storage time, so follow the complete recipe’s storage guidance and keep prepared food refrigerated.
What can replace the nuts?
The source suggests toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a nut-free version. Anyone managing an allergy should check ingredient labels and avoid cross-contact during preparation.
Why are shallots used three ways?
Raw shallots add sharpness, fried shallots provide a crisp topping, and the oil used to fry them becomes part of the dressing. The recipe developer describes the fried shallots as the element she did not want to remove.
Source: thekitchn.com
