Feeling Slawsome
giving coleslaw some much needed love
Hey Potheads,
Welcome back to Week Three of my three-week Salad Bootcamp here at Stir the Pot. Yes, we’ve come to the end of this lettuce-filled journey. If you are just joining us, here’s where you catch up. Each week has been filled with tips, tricks, and lots of recipes so you can become the Salad Supreme you were meant to be. This Salad Bootcamp is being sponsored by the one and only SaladSprinkles which means I get to bring my recipes out from behind the paywall to share with all of you, free of charge. Want your own SaladSprinkles? Click right this way and use code STIRTHEPOT for 15% off your order. After this bootcamp, you’re going to be an unstoppable salad making machine so let’s finish strong.
This last week I am dedicating to the middle child of the Salad Family: slaws. I realize that “slaw” or even “coleslaw” might be a specific North American slang but apparently, we ripped it off from the Dutch. Classic America (derogatory). Coleslaw comes from a Dutch word koolsla that combines the Dutch words kool, meaning "cabbage," and sla, meaning "salad." If you’ve only had the overly sweet mayo-based monstrosity they call coleslaw at places like KFC or your local grocery store, you might think I’m insane for loving slaw. Let me set the record straight: they’re insane for serving that mess. Slaws can be anything you want them to be so don’t let your previous experiences color your view.
The greatest selling points of slaw, particularly for those of you who let lettuce rot in your crisper, are that cabbage is very affordable and lasts for weeks in your crisper. Just cut off a chunk and leave the rest whole and you’ve got a veggie that will last and last. You can still get a giant head of green cabbage, enough for several side slaws, for less than $3.00 at your average grocery store. That’s still one hell of a deal. Look for a cabbage with healthy leaves that is heavy for its size. That means the inside leaves are nice and compact which will give you a much nicer slaw. You don’t have to limit yourself to green cabbage though. I love to throw in some red cabbage, napa, or even savoy cabbage if I can find it. You can mix your cabbage with kale, romaine, or even Brussels sprouts to suite your tastes. Add in some strips of carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and all kinds of beans, herbs, nuts, and yes, some SaladSprinkles. Hell, you can even grill cabbage and then slice it up for a new spin on an old classic.
Now, in order to make the best slaw possible you really just need to know two things. First, you want your cabbage to be sliced thinly and consistently. If you’re knife skills are good this is no problem but if they aren’t, I’ve got a little cheat code for you: a cabbage peeler. It looks like an oversized veggie peeler, but it lets you finely peel shreds of cabbage in seconds. There are a bazillion different kinds online but if you have a Japanese market near you, check there first for a better deal. I got mine for $5 last year and have zero regrets. You can use your regular peeler as well, but if you get deep in slaws, get the bigger version. Here’s a little video I found to show the difference.
FYI: I’m not into mandolins because they’re just a future ER visit that I don’t wanna take.
The second thing you need to know about how to make the best slaw possible is to give the slaw a little massage. This won’t be written in the recipes but it should be as natural as washing you cabbage. It’s just your best practice moving forward, ok? After you slice it up, sprinkle a little salt over the cabbage and kind of massage it into there. Roughing up the cabbage like this will help breakdown some of it’s more fibrous qualities, season it, and help it hold on to more flavor from the dressing. It takes less than 30 seconds and will make a big difference on the final product. If you are making a lot of slaw ahead of time, I’d wait to massage and season it until no longer than 2 hours before you want to serve it. It doesn’t get soggy as fast as your typical garden salad but you still want it to have some snap to it, right? Right. Now there’s nothing between you and slaw success.
Here are some of my favorite slaw recipes from over the years including my Everyday Slaw from Hungry as Hell which is staple in my house. My wife’s grandmother Flor served a version of it with every meal and I’m not one to disagree with Ms. Flor. It’s quick and easy to throw together, brings a big, bright flavor to any meal, and is cheaper than a garden salad. I’ve got a grilled slaw, a full meal slaw, and all kinds of slaws in between all free and just for you. My peanut slaw pairs perfectly with Chili Crisp SaladSprinkles, just saying. There’s something here for everybody.
Are you a secret slaw head? Did you grow up calling coleslaw something different? Are you ready to adopt a Salad Lifestyle now that bootcamp is coming to an end? Let me know in the comments! Tomorrow, paid subscribers are getting a masterclass on how to use fried rice (or any panfried grain) to stretch their food budget in the most delicious way. Not on the list? Pop on over.
xoxo,
Michelle
Who knew I needed a cabbage slicer?! You did! That looks so much easier than a knife, and for me, prettier, too. Mandolin. Scary. Just setout the Band Aids at the same time.
I like green apples cut into matchsticks in my slaw.. with carrots and thinly sliced red onion