It's not often I get my paws on fresh cranberries. I grew some once, when I had a dacha. They didn't do very well; more leaves than berries. I didn't have fresh berries for this recipe, but I had some frozen ones and, it turns out, they are just as good. A tablespoon or two don't take long to defrost and that's all you'll need for this salad. Put the berries on a small plate or something before you start the recipe and they'll be ready to use just when you need them.
I've stipulated a red onion bellow. That's really just because I had one. I had some white ones too, but red cabbage, red berries...? It just seemed the right thing to do..
You could expand on the red theme by adding some grated raw beetroot to this recipe. It will go very well. A little chopped apple is also a nice addition (although that's not really red.). And if you don't have balsamic vinegar, try cider vinegar instead.
Okay. Here's the salad...
Half a small red cabbage
A small red onion
A tablespoon of cranberries
A few sprigs of fresh coriander and mint
Half of a small onion
A little fresh or dried basil and oregano
A splash of balsamic vinegar
A little olive oil
Salt
Shred cabbage thinly. Add salt and scrunch it up well with your hands. You don't have to do this, but it's great fun and it helps the cabbage absorb the flavours of the other ingredients. Add cranberries, thinly sliced onions and herbs and mix everything together. Add a little olive oil and a wee splash of balsamic vinegar, stir once more and serve.