Thanks to a major overhaul in the dressing department – we can all revisit coleslaw with our heads held high. It needs to make a break for it, get the heck off the picnic table (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and show up any time of year. Invite a few new players to the party, bag the high-fat dressing, and bust out as the new way to down a truckload of veggies. It all starts with thinly sliced cabbage and then the rest is up to you – shredded carrot, thin slices of celery, peppers, scallions or red onion. And the new kids on the block – thinly sliced asparagus, green beans, radishes, snap peas, zucchini, even broccoli or cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces come together in a whole new way. And don’t forget about root vegetables any time of year – believe it or not, beets, fennel, celeriac or turnip can all be peeled, julienned or thinly sliced and added to the mix – winter veg coleslaw works whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall! I feel a song comin’ on – thanks Carole!
And now for the fun part – the dressing! The dressing is always the fun part, well, not always – but when it comes to putting something special on – meet the new & improved, dressed-to-kill coleslaw. If you’re a fan of creamy slaw – cut the mayo in a major way with plain yogurt and/or light sour cream, add a healthy shake of onion & garlic powder, s&p, a swirl of olive oil and give it a good whisk. If you’re a fan of the vinaigrette – your choices are endless – so dress for the weather, a lighter wrap or a more considerable coat of delicioso dressing– and you will never be hard-pressed to get a mess of veg on the table again!
click here to jump down to the coleslaw with spiced greek yogurt recipe
1. First make the dressing – plain yogurt, mayo, dijon, lemon juice, chopped parsley – all whisked up together, and add a swirl of blue agave – that’s what we love about coleslaw, that little touch of sweetness. 
2. Gather the primary players – the cabbage, celery & scallions.
3. Cut the cabbage in half, and lay flat, cut out the core. Slice into thin strips. And depending on how much you want to make, use half a cabbage, a whole one or more.
4. Cut the strips in half – they’re easier to manage.
5. Add to the bowl of sliced celery and scallions.
6. Just lay a grater over the bowl and start shredding carrots – 1, 2, 3 – whatever you like.
7. Add it to the bowl along with the dressing.
8. And if you want to really go to town – keep going with shredded red cabbage and a little green pepper – and stir it all around.
9. It’ll look like this without the red cabbage.
10. And it will look like this with the red cabbage.
11. And without it, it will look like this.
coleslaw with spiced greek yogurt
1. This is a method rather than a specific recipe. For the salad itself, it all starts with the usual suspects, and the quantities are up to you. Count on 1-2 cups of slaw per person so have a look and to see how many cups you have of shredded veg to guesstimate how far it will go. And 2 cups of dressing will dress 8-10 cups of coleslaw fixins’ – and fyi – a mandoline or a food processor makes slicin’ up a storm a bit of a breeze! Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
- 1 green and red cabbage, shredded
- 2-3 carrots, shredded
- 2-3 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
- 4-6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2-3 peppers, sliced
2. Add a few celebrities:
- zucchini, coarsely grated (excess water squeezed out) or julienned
- fennel, thinly sliced
- celeriac, peeled & coarsely grated
- asparagus, thinly sliced on the angle
- green beans, cut into 1″ pieces
- red onion, thinly sliced
- chopped parsley or cilantro
- sliced artichoke hearts
3. For the dressing, these are guidelines – let your taste buds be your teacher – the cook who tastes becomes the cook who triumphs! If you like it sweeter, add more sweet, if you want it zingier, add more zing (vinegar), if you want it hot, add some heat – so let’s make a little coleslaw dressing:
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup light mayo/sour cream
- 1-2 tbsps. dijon mustard
- 2-3 tsps. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tsps. blue agave, maple syrup or sugar
- 1-2 tbsps. oil (olive, grape seed or vegetable)
- 1 tsp. celery seed
- 1/2 tsp onion and/or garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- good crack of pepper
- as many shots of hot sauce as you like
get creative
- spread a tortilla with a little flavored light cream cheese, lay in the slaw and roll up to make a wrap
- lay a little over a hotdog
- tuck into a burger for added crunch
- add a cup of slaw to cooled, cooked noodles for a heartier meal
- stuff a little into tacos instead of shredded lettuce
- under or over any main – grilled chicken, fish, pork chops, steak, bratwurst, portobellos
seared surimi crab
brownies with black beans, double chocolate & walnuts
eggs in pepper rings
hummus with spice & parsley
wild rice salad with toasted nuts & grapes
