Crunchy & Colorful Winter Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette

I try to eat a salad for lunch everyday but, let's face it, salads get boring.  A typical lunchtime salad for me includes romaine or spinach leaves with cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, carrots and lowfat feta.  Simple, easy to make the night before, and light on the calories.  This week I decided to mix it up by making a Crunchy and Colorful Winter Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette.  I swapped out the boring old green leaves for some purple cabbage and included lots of decadent goodies like dried cranberries and slivered almonds.  Obviously I kept the feta.

The Red Onion Vinaigrette took a bit more time to make, but it was the perfect tangy complement for this winter mix.  Here's how I did it. For the Salad, You'll Need:

• 1 small head of purple cabbage, chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb, julienned or cut very thin
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 3 radishes, sliced very thin
• Cranberries
• Slivered almonds
• Feta

Directions: Toss first 4 ingredients in a bowl, add final 3 to taste.  Toss with vinaigrette. For the Red Onion Vinaigrette, You'll Need: *from The Kitchn

• 1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (from about 3 sprigs)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper

Directions: Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor (I used an immersion blender in a tall-sided container). Add the vinegars, 1/2 cup of the olive oil, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.