Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Not all winter food needs to be heavy to be satisfying. This dish is filling, but still light and full of flavor. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that’s easily found in most stores, but it’s easy to make your own. It’s not spicy, per se, but has a tremendous depth of flavor. The yogurt flavors and tenderizes the chicken, and the slaw is easy to make, fresh and delicious. Swap out the cabbage with shaved Brussels sprouts, or use radishes instead of kohlrabi. This salad can also be rolled into a lavash or pita sandwich wrap for a winter picnic on the go.

Serves 4

For the chicken:
1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt (Greek would work as well)
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup chopped scallions
2⁄3 teaspoon garam masala
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Crunchy Winter Slaw:
1 medium head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (4–6 cups)
1 medium bulb kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon chopped ginger
½ teaspoon minced jalapeño (seeds discarded)
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place first 5 ingredients into a food processor and blend for 10–15 seconds. Coat chicken with mixture and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove most of the yogurt from the chicken and place on a foil-lined sheet pan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook through, about 20–25 minutes; chicken will be pale in color, without much browning. Set aside to rest while you make the slaw.

For the slaw: Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, saving aside a few pomegranate seeds for garnish; use your hands to evenly coat all of the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss again.

To serve, slice the chicken breasts and divide slaw onto plates; place sliced chicken on top. Garnish with more pomegranate seeds and extra cilantro if you like.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2023 issue as part of a larger story on Farm to Table Cooking.