Butternut Squash Slaw

Ok, so, before you crinkle your nose, just go with me on this one, ok? Do you trust me? Have I ever lied to you before?
 I saw Damaris Phillips making this on her show, Southern at Heart, and I immediately thought "oo that sounds interesting!" I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE regular Cole Slaw, but I figured maybe this is the perfect swap for someone who isn't a fan of cabbage! Makes perfect sense to me! Only one way to find out! So I gave it a try. And guess what! It's absolutely delicious! At first I wasn't sure how it would go with this being a vinaigrette dressing, since regular cole slaw has a mayonnaise based dressing. But it absolutely works! Its fresh and crunchy, and sweet and tangy!
 So if you're not a fan of regular cole slaw, or if maybe you'd just like to try something new and interesting, give this one a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, grated on a box grater
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Whisk together the maple syrup, vegetable oil, and sherry vinegar in a large bowl. Add the squash, parsley, dried cherries and sunflower seeds; toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

 

Tips:

The key to this recipe, at least for me, is the parsley and the toasted sunflower seeds. The parsley gives such a freshness to cut through the sweetness, and the sunflower seeds add the most amazing toasty note. 

I used apple cider vinegar, just because I had it on hand, and I used dried cranberries instead of cherries, just because I like them and dried cranberries felt more like Thanksgiving. 

Btw, I used a food processor to shred my squash. SO much easier!