Creamy Asian Coleslaw: The Do-Over

I judge you.
I judge you.

I thought I was so clever.

We had a local head of green cabbage in the fridge, friends coming over for dinner and board games, and space in our dinner menu for a delicious vegetable. Why not try something completely new with no reference recipes on hand? What could possibly go wrong?

Peter was making mapo doufu, so I settled on an Asian-style coleslaw. I smirked as I took out a large bowl and stirred up a concoction of peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar, and more (without measuring, of course). Then, for some inexplicable reason, I decided to chop that beautiful head of cabbage into tiny little squares instead of shreds. You know, shredded like normal coleslaw, instead of the mounds of slaw-like bits with which I ended up.

Combined with way too much peanut butter, the oddly-shaped coleslaw ended up an abomination in the THIH kitchen. I won’t show you a picture of what it looked like, but

Jabba_SWSB.
[source]

So! With a 1/2 head of cabbage left, I set out to improve the recipe. The result is, happily, visually unrepulsive.

IMG_9280

This coleslaw is still rather beige; for the next incarnation, I plan to add shredded carrot (which I would have done here had we not been out). Still, this coleslaw has the appropriate crunch-to-sauce ratio, and best of all, it’s shredded!

IMG_9290

Even Maddie wants some.

"Maybe if I just ... stretch ... "
“Maybe if I just … stretch … “

Creamy Asian Coleslaw

  Prep Time: 10 minutes

  Keywords: raw vegan cabbage

Ingredients (6 cups)

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter or tahini
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 large green or Napa cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup carrot, julienned
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cabbage, carrots and sesame seeds. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add cabbage and carrots and toss. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top and serve.

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See you all next week!

P.S. Without carrots, I feel this dish lacks color. Perhaps adding an awkwardly-placed, homegrown cherry tomato will do the trick?

IMG_9310

Perfect.

5 Comments

  1. When I read, mapo doufu, I was really excited! I love that dish, it’s one of my favorite comfort Asian dishes! Your dog, Maddie is cute!

  2. Haha! Isn’t it amazing what a little pop of color can do! I made coleslaw myself this week. Great minds think alike! Thanks for sharing Jessie!

  3. Thankfully heads of cabbage are so HUGE that you had some left over for a second batch! Which looks amazing by the way. I love the dressing you created!

  4. Looks really delicious Jessie…especially nice to see a coleslaw without a ton of mayo (which I am not a fan of!).

    Have a great weekend. 🙂

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