The Vegetables I’m Eating to Reset Post-Thanksgiving
My post-Thanksgiving reset plan
“I just want some vegetables.”
That was my wife talking Saturday night, though I imagine it’s what most of America was feeling post-Thanksgiving.
And while I’m right there with her, I’m going to take it one step further—I want crisp, bracing vegetables. I want crunch. I want an antidote to all that buttery, slow-cooked goodness that I swaddled myself in last week.
First up, celery—always available, always delivers. I’m currently fixating on Chris Morocco’s celery, green bean, and tofu salad with chile crisp. The addictive sauce, which you spoon over the sliced-up veg, is what pulls it all together. A mixture of ginger, garlic, cinnamon, chiles and more, it’s inspired by a version that Bad Saint chef Tom Cunanan bestowed upon the BA Test Kitchen last year. It’s one of those condiments that you taste once and insist on always having around—for eggs, rice, salads, you name it.
When chile crisp is not an option, I’ll quickly riff on Alison Roman’s cucumber-and-celery Tiger Salad (watch me make it in this video). It is the perfect complement to a pan-roasted pork chop—hey, I never said I was going vegetarian this month.
Let’s see, what else? Again and again, this past year, I’ve found myself turning to Amiel Stanek’s dead-simple Napa cabbage salad, spiked with lots of lime juice and a flurry of chopped cilantro and dill. It’s as satisfying as it is simple.
And If I’m feeling a bit more ambitious, I’ll pull out my mandoline and trying to recreate Chef Ignacio Mattos’ subtle—almost beguiling—shaved fennel salad. It sings of orange zest and sweet champagne vinegar, while crushed Castelvetrano olives and shaved, sharp Provolone keep kicking at you with every bite.
It’s the ideal salad for a rich meal ahead. Of which, I imagine, I’ll have plenty between now and New Year’s Eve.
Get the recipes:
Celery, Green Bean, and Tofu salad with Chile Crisp
Tiger Salad
Pan-Roasted Brined Pork Chop
Herby Napa Cabbage Salad
Shaved Fennel Salad with Green Olives and Provolone
