Crunch, spicy cabbage-free slaws
Radish and Pea Slaw
Welcome at any summer picnic or potluck, this slaw gets its peppery spirit from three types of radish and a chile-laced sesame ginger dressing. And it just gets better as it sits.
Use a mandoline or a food processor fitted with a grating disk to make quick work of the radishes and carrots. The peas should be slivered by hand.
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
¼ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons plain rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon peeled, freshly grated ginger root
½ seeded Fresno or jalapeño chile pepper, minced (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1 medium watermelon radish, peeled and grated (about 1 cup; see note)
½ small daikon radish (4 ounces), peeled and grated (about 1 cup)
About 5 medium red radishes, trimmed and grated (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, scrubbed well and grated (about 1 cup)
1 pint snap peas, stringed and slivered (about 1 cup)
¼ cup packed, finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped Thai basil
Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, grapeseed oil, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, chile pepper, salt and pepper in a small jar with a tightfitting lid. Seal and shake vigorously. The yield is about 1 cup.
Combine the watermelon, daikon and red radishes, the carrots, peas, cilantro and Thai basil in a serving bowl. Use your clean hands to mix everything together gently and thoroughly.
Shake the dressing again; open and add about two-thirds of it to the slaw, mixing until well incorporated. Wait 10 minutes, then taste and add more of the remaining dressing, as needed, or salt and pepper.
The slaw will be delicious for 4 hours, after which it is still delicious but will appear more wilted, and the red from the radishes will bleed.
Note: The vegetables may be shredded up to 1 day in advance, individually stored and refrigerated; add the cilantro and Thai basil to the salad just before you add the dressing. You may have some dressing left over.
Serves 8 (makes 4 cups)
Nutrition | Per serving (using two-thirds of the dressing): 80 calories, 1 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar
From columnist Cathy Barrow
Kohlrabi Poppy Seed Slaw
This slaw uses kohlrabi, which is crisp, crunchy and amenable to the same dressings used with cabbage. Use a box grater or the grating disk on a food processor to shred all the sturdy vegetables here.
½ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1½ teaspoons powdered mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
4 medium kohlrabi, trimmed and peeled, then grated (about 1½ cups; see note)
2 medium carrots, scrubbed well then grated (about 1 cup)
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and cored then grated, plus a few fronds for garnish (about ½ cup)
½ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup packed chopped fresh mint
Combine the oil, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, powdered mustard, salt and pepper in a small jar with a tightfitting lid. Seal and shake vigorously to form a creamy, emulsified dressing. The yield is about 1 cup.
Combine the kohlrabi, carrots, fennel, onion and mint in a serving bowl. Use your hands or two forks to mix everything together.
Shake the dressing again; open and add about two-thirds of it to the slaw, mixing until well incorporated. Wait 10 minutes, then taste and add more of the remaining dressing, as needed, or salt and pepper.
Note: The vegetables may be shredded up to 2 hours in advance, individually wrapped and refrigerated. The slaw will be delicious for 3 hours, after which it is still delicious but limp.
Serves 8 (makes 4 cups)
Nutrition | Per serving (using two-thirds of the dressing): 120 calories, 0 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugar
From columnist Cathy Barrow