Carrrot Apple Slaw With Maple Vinaigrette

One of my favorite things about cooking is how dishes you throw together from leftovers can turn into magic. This delicious carrot apple slaw is the perfect example. 

I wanted some type of side salad to go with pork chops. I had a partial bag of matchstick carrots, an apple, a few grapes, and a sad stalk of celery. Since I have a mandolin slicer, I got the idea of making the apple into matchsticks the same size as the carrots. Then I made a variation on one of my favorite dressings. And a star was born. 

This crunchy salad is not only delicious, there's nothing in there to wilt. It stays crunchy for days, even after it's dressed.

Let's check out the ingredients.

For a large batch, you'll need a bag of matchstick carrots, two sweet apples like Fuji or honey crisp, seedless grapes, and two or three stalks of celery.

For the dressing, you'll need 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, (real maple syrup, please. No Aunt Jemima's brown pancake goop. If you can't get maple syrup, use brown sugar.) 1 tablespoon of mayo (not Miracle Whip), and some salt and pepper. And about 4 tablespoons of olive oil.

I like to use a small jar to shake the dressing in. If you don't have a jar, you can whisk it in a bowl.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, and maple syrup with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Give it a good shake or whisk.

Once it is well-combined, add the mayo and olive oil. Then shake or whisk again to combine it all. Now let's make the slaw.

Having a V-slicer or mandolin like this with the matchstick blade makes this incredibly easy to put together. Otherwise, you can just cut into neat slices with a knife.

I start with a bag of matchstick carrots. You could also cut them into matchsticks yourself or just grate the carrots on a box grater.

Then I use the v-slicer to make matchsticks out of the apple. I leave it unpeeled to add color from the peel. Thanks to the acidity in the dressing, the apple will not brown in the salad. But don't leave them undressed for very long.

Now thinly slice the celery. The mandolin will make it super-thin, but you can use a knife.

If the seedless grapes are large, you can halve them.

Mix it all together. Pour on the dressing and coat everything thoroughly.

This is especially good for summer picnics. It was also absolutely beautiful on an Easter buffet.