I’ve kind of fallen in love with this recipe, which is just a component in a meal to come. So I guess it’s a “teaser” recipe. Bright and crunchy with a Vietnamese “flair” this is a marvelous slaw to serve with all kinds of things.
Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw
The upcoming recipe that this slaw goes with is Vaguely Vietnamese Slow Cooker Tacos, and I’ll have that out to you, soon. It’s been a crazy, crazy week! Painting, puppy classes, yard work & Halloween decorating! (See, I already amended this post and added the link in…)
About Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw:
Do not for a minute feel like you’re limited to serving this dish with Asian recipes; I’ve so far served it with all kinds of meals! It’s that good and just about addictive. Heck, I’ve already made it two times this week!
While I served this slaw initially with Slow Cooker Tacos, it also came out again as a side with some pulled pork sandwiches and another time as a side with plain old sandwiches for lunch. It just gets better and better over time.
On the first day, it was bright, crunchy, and a little benign but still delish. It was the next day that cabbage had absorbed a bit more flavor and the slaw developed a bit more of a kick. Not a hard kick, just a gentle nudge to let you know there’s some personality involved in this slaw! 🙂
Vaguely Vietnamese Slow Cooker Pork Tacos
Making Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw:
I poached this recipe from the New York Times. The recipe in the Times used Asian pear (which, alas, the folks apparently took a bite out of and tossed in the trash) and cucumber, which I forgot. And cilantro which I thought I had. I loved it as is, and repeated my “mistakes” for the second round!
With a slaw like this, you can add just about any vegetable your heart desires. I stuck with the basics, only adding a touch of parsley to pretty it up.
Options for Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw:
As mentioned above, just about any veggie is going to be good in this slaw but do keep away from anything too watery. You can add napa or purple cabbage, and an assortment of peppers, any color or any heat would be fun.
And while I love the idea of Asian pear, why not any pear, especially one that’s a little crisp or some apple? Maybe you would like water chestnuts. The sky and your palate are the limit.
Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw
Storing and Serving Again:
Like most slaws, you know they will be more watery coming out of the fridge than they were going in. It’s just a given.
I usually deal with this by tossing the slaw and then draining off any excess liquid before serving. This is great for three or four days but is really at its best during the first day or two.
Saving Money on Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw:
- Cabbage: Pick the largest cabbage you can find if sold by the head and be careful if buying by the pound. Cabbage is always less expensive in the fall/winter and usually, there are great sales around New Year’s and St. Paddy’s Day. It makes sense to pick up an extra if you have room in your fridge when you see a rock-bottom price and use a lot of it for stuffed cabbages, slaws, soups, etc. Generally, green cabbage is the cheapest with red cabbage as a runner up and napa cabbage is the priciest.
- Carrots: Carrots are an inexpensive item even not on sale. but keep so well that they’re worth picking up if you should happen to see them on sale. Larger packages are often cheaper per pound than smaller ones. Carrots will keep better in a ventilated bag so if the bag they’re in doesn’t have holes, poke some of our own in the packaging. Rotate the package occasionally; if your vegetable drawer has ridges, make sure the carrots are placed at right angles and not lying inside the ridges. Ventilation and circulation are key to avoiding condensation which can cause rot.
- Sauce Ingredients: The sauce ingredients are going to be all over the place in pricing. If you have an Asian market close by it may be worth shopping for some of these things there, along with the cabbage.
Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw
Vaguely Vietnamese Slaw
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus sit
- Total Time: 12 minute
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- juice & zest of one lime
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil, toasted sesame seed oil if you have it
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 to 2 heaping teaspoons of Sambal Oelek, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 small green cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
- 1 quarter red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 medium-size carrots, peeled and sliced into julienne
- 3 or 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped, optional
Instructions
For the dressing, in a small bowl or jar, combine the vinegar, lime & zest, ginger, oils, Sambal Oelek or Sriracha to taste, sugar & fish sauce. Mix.
Place slaw ingredients, the cabbage, onion, carrots, and radishes, and mix. Add dressing to moisten (there may be a bit of leftover dressing) and toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
This is best if made a little bit ahead and continues to improve with time for a day to two.
Keywords: Asian, Cabbage, cabbage slaw, Carrots, new york times, radish, Red onion, Salad, Salad Dressings, Side, Slaw, Vegetable Side, Vietnamese
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