Simple Healthy Slaw — The Bright Side of Spring You Didn’t Know You Needed

The ice went out this week. Thursday. The groaning, the cracking, the splitting, the drift. I walked to Brighton Beach with Sven and we sat on the rocks and we watched the ice break apart and the open water appear, dark blue against the white, and the lake was doing what the lake does: waking up. Renewing. Continuing. I thought about last year at this time — two weeks after Paul's death, locked down, alone, the ice going out without him. The grief was a hurricane then. The ice going out was the cruelest beauty — the world renewing while I was destroyed. This year: the ice goes out and I watch it with something that might be peace. Not happiness — peace. The peace of a woman who has survived the year of ice and who is watching the water return and who is still here, on the rocks, with the dog, watching. Sven sat beside me. He's nearly thirteen now. His hips are stiff. His walk is slow. His eyes are cloudy. The golden retriever who ran through snow and barked at waterfalls and chased squirrels he'd never catch is now a gray-muzzled gentleman who walks carefully and sleeps deeply and looks at me with eyes that say: I'm here. For now. I'm here. I know the math. I've done the math for golden retrievers: ten to twelve years average. Sven is nearly thirteen. The math says what it says. I'm not listening. I refused to do the math for Paul and I refuse to do it for Sven. The math can do itself. I made a spring dinner: poached salmon with dill and new potatoes. The meal that means: spring is here. The ice is out. The world is open. The kitchen is open. I ate at the table. Two places. The salmon was pink and the potatoes were small and the dill was from the co-op (garden dill won't be ready until June) and the dinner was spring and the spring was here and the ice was out and I was here. Sven got the salmon skin. He always gets the salmon skin. The tradition continues. The ice is out. The lake is open. The spring is here. I'm here. Sven is here. The salmon is good. We continue.

I’ve made this slaw so many times alongside the salmon that it has become part of the same ritual — the potatoes go in the pot, the salmon goes in the court bouillon, and this comes together on the cutting board in the time it takes for everything else to finish. There is something about shredding cabbage and carrots by hand that I find grounding, almost meditative: the clean smell, the bright colors, the way the bowl fills up and looks like spring itself. On a night when I needed to feel the kitchen open around me again, these small acts of preparation were exactly enough.

Simple Healthy Slaw

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus 20 min chill) | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 cup purple cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 cup carrots, shredded (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Shred the vegetables. Using a sharp knife or the shredding disc of a food processor, finely shred both cabbages. Peel and shred the carrots on a box grater. Combine in a large mixing bowl with the green onions and dill.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and celery seed until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss and season. Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss well to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.
4. Chill before serving. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow the cabbage to soften slightly and the flavors to come together. Toss once more before plating.
5. Serve. Plate alongside poached salmon, grilled fish, or any spring main. The slaw keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days — the texture holds well.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 85 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 95mg