Asian Cabbage Slaw

Most people’s go-to dish using cabbage? Cole slaw.  My family’s go-to cabbage dish? Asian slaw.  Every year when the garden cabbages begin to form into tightly-bound, edible bowling balls, one of my parents is sure to whip up some Asian slaw.  The flavorful spin on cole slaw is lighter and seemingly fresher than your typical mayonnaise-laden slaw.  Plus, it will save you a lot of saturated fat, and add some healthier fats in their too.

We make this dish different nearly every time, depending on the family member that’s doing the slicing and dicing and on what fresh ingredients we have available.  But below you’ll find a recipe for our latest cabbage creation.  We’ve infused it with fresh cilantro and topped it off with salty peanuts to create a bowl of slaw that’s worth more than just a pretty picture.  Go for a red cabbage, if available, for an extra eye-pleasing element.  Plus, as I mentioned in this post, red cabbage has special phytonutrients shown to have anti-inflammatory properties that may do a bunch of other cool things for your body too.

But if green cabbage is what’s growing near you, than it will work too.  It will still bring a healthy dose of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber to the table.  So pick your cabbage and get chopping.  Enjoy as a generous side, or serve atop a burger of your choice.

Also, just two days left to enter my giveaway for some summery treats from Stonyfield’s.

Asian Cabbage Slaw

(Serves 4)

-1/2 cabbage, very thinly sliced, or shredded
-1 carrot, shredded
-1/2 cucumber, diced
-1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
-2 Tbsp. red onion, minced

Dressing
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup rice vinegar
-1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
-1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
-1 Tbsp. salsa
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 serrano chile, minced, or 1/8-1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

Garnish
-2/3 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
-2 scallions, chopped

In large bowl, toss together cabbage, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and red onion.

In a separate bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.  Stir into slaw ingredients.  Garnish with peanuts and scallions, and serve, or allow a couple hours for flavors to marinade before garnishing.