Spiced coleslaw is just a new twist on traditional cabbage coleslaw to add a little spice and flavor to a summer salad favorite.
About slaw
Slaw is generally considered to be a cold salad made primarily of shredded, julienne or thinly sliced raw vegetables that will fit into every healthy whole food diet. Coleslaw, the slaw most people will think of first, is made with shredded or sliced cabbage. The cabbage can be either green, red or both. These are great summer and hot weather salad sides to serve with any number of entrees. The best slaw is made fresh shortly before serving, the vegetables are crisp and the flavors are bright.
The traditional dressing for coleslaw is a combination of mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar, brown sugar or honey with salt and black pepper. Usually sweet, some dressings take flavor to the sour side with extra vinegar. A vinaigrette-style dressing can also be used for a different style of slaw. Plain lemon juice works fine for those needing to limit added fats and sugars.
Cardamon and allspice coleslaw dressing.
About this spiced coleslaw recipe
This spiced coleslaw recipe is really just a basic cabbage coleslaw with an unusually flavored dressing. The green cabbage is very thinly sliced by hand and some red onion and carrot is added to boost the flavor profile. The dressing is a mayonnaise base with raw local honey balanced by apple cider vinegar. What makes this spiced coleslaw extraordinary is the addition of cardamon pods, whole allspice and whole black peppercorns ground together in a mortar and pestle just before adding to the dressing. This combination produces a wonderfully exotic taste and aroma in the finished coleslaw that everyone is guaranteed to love but no-one will be able to identify.
Whole cardamon pods and whole allspice. The cardamon seeds are removed from the outer shell of the pod before grinding.
Ingredients for spiced coleslaw
1/2 small head of green cabbage, about 3/4 pound, very thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded 4-5 very thin slices red onion, cut in 1/2 for half-circles
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or vegennaise 2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 2-3 whole cardamon pods, seeds only
2-3 whole allspice 2-3 whole black peppercorns
sea salt to taste
Just the dry vegetables before tossing and dressing the slaw.
Preparing the spiced coleslaw
1.Place the sliced cabbage and onion and the shredded carrot into a bowl and toss together until well mixed.
2. Place the mayonnaise, honey and vinegar into a small bowl and mix together well.
3. Place the allspice, cardamon seeds and peppercorns into a mortar and crush/grind to a fine powder.
4. Add the ground spices to the mayonnaise mix and combine.
5. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to evenly coat just before serving. Leftover slaw will keep one day.
Notes on the recipe
This spiced coleslaw recipe is gluten-free as long as the mayonnaise used contains no gluten. If you make a fresh mayonnaise using raw egg, this salad will also be fully raw. The only added fat or oil is also in the mayonnaise. Substituting vegennaise for mayonnaise will make this a vegan coleslaw by eliminating the egg.
Taste the dressing before adding it to the slaw. If it is too sweet for your taste, add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice or a little extra apple cider vinegar.
A few dried, unsweetened cranberries or tart cherries is a good addition to spiced coleslaw if you have them on hand. Shredded parsnip can also be used in addition to or instead of the carrot. Another variation is to use red cabbage and shredded beet as the main vegetables.
Cabbage is part of the same plant family as broccoli and cauliflower. The nutrients contained in cabbage have similar anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Spices like cardamon, allspice and black pepper are full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds and are more potent when ground just before use rather than buying pre-ground spices.
