Purple Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Lemongrass Dressing
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: None | Total Time: 30 minutes, up to overnight | Serves: 4 – 6
Apparently, as I continued to buy more and more veggies and placed them into the crisper drawer, a lovely head of purple cabbage unwillingly was pushed further and further to the back. (As my daughter says, “Oopsie.”)
It sat in the refrigerator long enough to be forgotten, but not too long that it had to be tossed to the compost (thankfully).
I must think it is my duty in life to purchase more groceries than I can handle at a time. My brain is filled with filing cabinets that are organized (believe it or not) with drafted recipes for what I think would be the near future. How many innocent ingredients are forgotten, overlooked, pushed so far to the back of cabinets they fall to their doom, or ignored they sit and expire alone?
I feel the “ugh” in my chest (again) and say that I’ll do better… but will do better as in now, not eventually.
If I can toss it in the compost, great. If I have to place it in the household trash, I am tempted to bury it beneath other trash to hide from my husband. They say the first step to recovery is confession. Yes, I compulse buy ingredients.
So, back to the purple cabbage that is actually salvageable. I didn’t want to braise it, I wanted something cold (maybe to help with hot flashes) and crunchy. I have 2 other Asian slaws (Cold Asian Noodle Slaw and Crunchy, Cold Asian Slaw) that have acidic dressings. Let’s create a Thai-inspired peanut butter dressing, still with some pop from soy sauce and lime juice, but a creaminess that makes you want to dip chicken fingers and french fries into it.
This. Dressing. I cannot say enough! My very “non-vegetarian” husband loved this slaw. That speaks volumes. The dressing contains fresh ginger root and lemongrass which sets this recipe above the others. If time and planning allows, whisk up your dressing the day before you are going to serve the slaw, cover it well, and refrigerate overnight. This amps up the flavors!
The peanut dressing is what carries this slaw, so you are welcome to add and/or substitute other slaw ingredients (that make sense) for the slaw itself… shelled edamame, pickled ginger, green cabbage or Napa cabbage, bell peppers, etc. Your veggies may be chopped, sliced, etc. in advance. (Just don’t forget them and allow them to be pushed to the back of your fridge.)
Enjoy! (I mean, really enjoy!)
Purple Cabbage Slaw with Peanut and Lemongrass Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 cups (2 qts) purple cabbage (outer leaves removed and discarded), cored and shredded
- 1 cup shredded carrots, store-bought or by hand
- 2 cups sliced peppers, hot or mild
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, ¼” slices
- ¼ cup cilantro, (hardy stems removed and discarded), chopped
- 1 cup peanuts, toasted and crushed
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Peanut Lemongrass Dressing:
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, good-quality brand
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ - 1 teaspoon ginger root, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste, as found in a tube in produce of grocers
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, preferably fresh
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 - 4 tablespoons honey, or to taste
- 1 - 3 tablespoons water, as needed to thin out consistency
- Fine sea salt to taste
- Freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce optional for heat, see Notes
- 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon chili-garlic paste or sambal oelek optional for heat, see Notes
Instructions
- Toss the cabbage, carrots, peppers, green onion, and cilantro together in a large bowl.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients together very well. Add water to thin if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients/condiments to adapt to your flavor preference. Add more lime juice or rice vinegar for more pop. Add more soy sauce for saltiness, etc.
- Allow the dressing to sit for 15 to 20 minutes or overnight for the flavors to marry together. Stir and adjust any seasonings again as needed.
- Just before serving the slaw, pour the dressing over the veggies and toss together. Sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds.
- Cover leftovers very well or place in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The peanuts will not fare well as leftovers sitting in the dressing, but the flavors will be fine.
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