Eating With Deb

Basil Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a summertime favorite salad with picnics and barbecues. Use purple cabbage to make a crisp slaw and add fresh basil for a refreshing flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Total Time15

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Basil, Cabbage, Coleslaw

Servings: cups

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

Large bowl and rubber spatula
Cutting board and knife
Citrus Zester

Ingredients

Slaw Ingredients

4 cups purple cabbage shredded
2 each carrot shredded, approximately 1 cup
1 each red bell pepper julienned and cut down to about 1’ strips
1 each green onion sliced
¼ cup fresh basil chiffonade
¾ cup cranberries dried

Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp granulated garlic
½ each lemon zest and juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine dressing ingredients and set aside.
Prepare veggies and add to dressing up to 1 hour before serving.
Enjoy!

Notes

To chiffonade basil, stack and roll the leaves into a tight roll. Gently slice through as basil bruises easily.

You can use green cabbage if you wish, I use purple because it holds up to the acid in the dressing longer so it stays crisper.

Nutrition

I will admit it, I am a coleslaw snob. I haven’t found a restaurant coleslaw that I can say I really like. There have been a few that I can tolerate. Generally they are way to creamy or way to acidic, but mostly way to sweet.

I like to use purple (I know technically it’s called red) cabbage because it holds up better to the acid that is in coleslaw. Side note – I also use purple cabbage when I make sauerkraut for the same reason – it stays more firm and crisp.

Start by gathering and prepping your veggies. Shred the cabbage, grate the carrots, chop the bell pepper (I had a half of a red and green one on hand), cilantro, and onions, get your pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas).

Technically pumpkin seeds and pepitas are different. The pumpkin seed is the whole seed (has the white husk around the green seed, and a pepita is the green, inner seed. You can find the green seed called by either name in the grocery store.

Now mix your dressing ingredients. In a large bowl, add your mayo, lime zest and juice and adobo sauce. Chop the chipotle pepper and add that to the bowl and mix it all together.

To dress just prior to serving or in advance. I know people who will only add the veggies to the dressing right before the coleslaw is ready to serve. This is one reason I like using purple cabbage – it holds up and doesn’t soften right away so you can dress your coleslaw in advance so it is ready to eat when the rest of your meal is done. In fact, it will generally last a few days before it starts softening.

Print Recipe

Chipotle Slaw

A slightly spicy and crispy slaw that pairs well with any Tex-Mex meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex

Keyword: Coleslaw, Salad

Servings: cups

Calories: 177kcal

Author: Eating With Deb

Ingredients

4 cups purple cabbage shredded
2 medium sized carrots shredded
1 each bell pepper chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
3 each green onions sliced
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 each lime juice and zest
1 each chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced
1 tsp adobo sauce

Instructions

Shred cabbage.
Grate carrots.
Chop bell pepper, cilantro and onions.
In a large bowl, combine dressing ingredients (mayo, lime juice and zest, and chipotle pepper and adobo sauce.
Add veggies and pumpkin seeds and mix well.
Enjoy!

Notes

I like to use purple cabbage instead of green because I like the flavor better and it holds up in a slaw longer. This slaw will hold up for 3-4 days in the refrigerator (if it lasts that long).

If you don’t have chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see my tip on what to do with the rest of the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) you can replace it with 1 chopped jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, and ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder.

Nutrition