Last updated on May 12th, 2021 at 08:24 pm

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw is a hearty and refreshing salad that’s a little bit sweet and a little bit crunchy.

This time last year, my husband and I were driving to Savanna, Georgia to celebrate Valentine’s Day. He’s Chilean and spent most of his adult life in Canada before moving to California where we met (not that you care, but it’s a great story). While I was living in Alabama, I made a point of showing him America. By “America,” I mean feeding him all the food. 

In keeping with my purpose, for Valentine’s Day dinner, we stopped in Macon (where Otis Redding grew up) to eat at Cracker Barrel. It’s about as American as it gets. We feasted on chicken fried chicken with cream gravy (confusing to Chileans and Americans alike), hamburger steak, turnip greens and mac and cheese—all for $8.99.

But it wasn’t all fat and starch: the one thing on the menu that is actually pretty healthy and surprisingly delicious is the kale and Brussels sprouts slaw. I make it fairly often because it’s fast, easy, healthy and friggin’ delicious. It’s sweet, tart (dried cranberries) and a little bit crunchy (roasted pecans). I love it. 

This year, we decided to recreate the experience on the west coast. But instead of a restaurant packed with families and truckers, we’re doing it pandemic-style with curbside pickup at the closest Cracker Barrel—128 miles away in Sacramento. 

But today, much to my chagrin, I learned that the kale and Brussels sprouts slaw is not on the menu (it’s not on the menu in Macon anymore, either). I don’t know what happened to it, but I’m going to help it live on beyond my memory: I’m sharing my recipe for it.