Cabbage Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing

We’re getting temps up in the 90s already in the DC area. So I’m already focusing on meals that don’t require cooking. Salads are also great for taking advantage of spring produce. The star of this is really the dressing, the salad can be made with whatever you have in the fridge (although I am partial to Napa cabbage). This would also be great with chicken or tofu, although I kept it simple by using thawed edamame. And while I’m not usually a huge fan of peanuts, they add a great crunch and extra peanut-y taste to this salad. As with all nuts, make sure you roast them briefly before using them. It really brings out their flavor, and if you’re like me and store nuts in the freezer, it also helps thaw them out. All you need to do is spread the nuts on a dry pan and place them in the oven. Set your oven to 350 or 400 and by the time it beeps to let you know that it’s preheated the nuts will be perfectly toasted.

Cabbage Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing

Serves 6-8

Adapted from Canadian Gift Guide

• 1/2 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
• 1 cup peanuts, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Dressing:

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 limes, juiced
• 2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sambal oelek (chili paste)
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp peeled and minced ginger
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup canola oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

 

Peanut-Lime Cabbage Slaw

So as the first few days of warmer weather are fighting through the cold weeks, it gets a little easier to think about eating cold salads.  However, if you’re still snow bound, maybe the bright colors and flavors in this cabbage slaw will be able to tempt you into eating like spring has arrived.

I’m a big fan of cabbage slaws.  They’re easy to throw together, they hold up well for several days, and they feel heartier than regular salads.  This slaw is a wonderful combination of three kinds of cabbage, fresh herbs and a creamy tart, nutty dressing.

Peanut-Lime Cabbage Slaw

Serves 8-10

Adapted from The Yummy Life

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp white rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp regular creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• sprinkle cayenne pepper, to taste

Slaw:

• About 5 cups shredded cabbage, mix of red, green and napa
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 green onions, thins sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
• 1/4 -1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
• 1/2 cup toasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Puree dressing ingredients in a blender, or whisk vigorously until well blended.  In a large bowl, toss together slaw ingredients, then stir in the dressing.  Cover and refrigerate for  one hour or up to 3 days.

Thai Turkey Sliders with Cabbage Slaw

These were delicious!  I was a huge fan of this meal.  It’s veggie packed, with lean but moist and super flavorful turkey patties that are conveniently baked in the oven.  While I did have a bit of a challenge finding green curry paste (…how is that not at my local Asian market??), I was able to find it in the international aisle at larger chain grocery store.  And while usually I’m a bit hesitant to buy new sauces that require refrigeration, I’m sure that this green curry paste will be gone soon, because these sliders are definitely going to be made again and again.  While I just served these on top of the slaw, you could easily serve them on mini-buns for the full slider effect.  Since I knew I wouldn’t eat all of the slaw in one day, I only dressed the amount of slaw I was going to eat and saved the rest for leftovers, makes for super easy and convenient lunches during the week!

Thai Turkey Sliders with Cabbage Slaw

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Lemons and Anchovies

Cabbage Slaw:

• 3 limes, juiced
• 4 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp agave syrup (or honey)
• 1/2 green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 4-5 kale leaves, stems removed, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeds removed, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, diced (I didn’t have one, but it sounds delicious)

Prepare the slaw first so it has time for the flavors to meld.  Combine first four ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to combine.  In a large bowl, toss to combine remaining ingredients (if you’re nervous about the jalapeño you can omit it, but it just ads a nice mild heat).  Pour dressing over the slaw and toss to combine.  Let sit while you prepare the remaining the turkey sliders.

Turkey Sliders:

• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 Tbsp green curry paste
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp chili-garlic paste (or sambal oelek)
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine panko, green onions, jalapeno, and ground turkey.  In a large measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Pour sauce over the turkey mixture and mix until just combined (this is probably easiest to do with your hands).  Divide meat into 12 patties and place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 17 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and serve over cabbage slaw.

Mennonite Borscht

This is an old family recipe from my Grandma.  Imagine my confusion when I finally heard that borscht has beets in it!  Beets?!  Doesn’t that make it sweet??  Definitely no beets in Grandma’s borscht.  So after a little research I discovered that Mennonites make a type of borscht that’s beef and cabbage based.  Glad I figured that connection out!

This recipe is great, simple, cost effective and delicious.  I made enough to feed about 50 using 3 lbs hamburger, about 2 lbs carrots, 3 large parsnips, 8 small white skin potatoes, 1 head of cabbage, about 4-5 cans diced tomatoes, and 1 6oz can of tomato paste.  Below is a single recipe, but feel free to adjust quantities as you prefer.

Mennonite Borscht

Serves 6

• 1 lb lean hamburger
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup potato, chopped
• 1 cup parsnip, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 3 cups cabbage, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp ground savory
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 can diced tomatoes (or 1 can tomato soup or V8)

In a large skillet, brown hamburger.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Transfer cooked hamburger to a soup pot and add water.

Return the skillet to the stove and sauté carrots, potatoes, parsnips and celery until tender.  Add cooked vegetables to the soup pot and then add remaining ingredients.  Bring soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of dill.

Roasted Cabbage with Toasted Hazelnuts

This salad is a bit different, it doesn’t have a whole lot going on, but it plays well with other dishes.  I served it for a Tuesday night dinner with the most amazing Spiced Stuffed Acorn Squash, which needed a nice supporting character and I thought this Roasted Cabbage fit the bill nicely.  This comes together quickly and can easily be scaled down if you’re not feeding a crowd.  Also, the color is just lovely, who doesn’t like eating purple vegetables?  I’ve also had leftovers with salted pistachios on top, which is also delicious!

Roasted Cabbage with Toasted Hazelnuts

Serves 12-14

Adapted from The Kitchn

• 1 small head red cabbage, chopped
• 1 head savoy cabbage, chopped
• olive oil
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1-2 tsp agave or honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Set oven to broil.  Spread chopped cabbage in a large jelly roll pan, drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for about 5 minutes, until edges brown.  Remove from oven and carefully mix.  Return to oven and roast for another 5 minutes, being carefully not to let it get too dark.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp olive oil with lemon juice, agave, salt and pepper.  Move cabbage to serving dish and drizzle lightly with dressing.  Serve with toasted hazelnuts.

Cabbage and Lime Slaw with Toasted Peanuts

I’m a big fan of cabbage and love finding new ways to eat it.  Cabbage is wonderfully inexpensive and goes a long way.  I made this for Tuesday and have already made it again to go with our Thanksgiving leftovers.  The lime is refreshing and tart, the peanuts add a sweet crunch, and the edamame and some extra protein.  This slaw also incorporates spinach which is a lovely addition adding not only color but vitamins, iron and calcium.

This recipe mixes salt with the cabbage and rests for one to two hours, which was a new-to-me technique to help soften the cabbage so it’s not quite so crunchy.  If you don’t have time you can skip this step or just do it for as long as you have time for.

Cabbage and Lime Slaw with Toasted Peanuts

Serves 10

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/4 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
• 1 1/2 limes, juiced
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts, toasted and chopped

In a large colander, mix sliced cabbage with kosher salt.  Let sit 1 to 2 hours.

In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, spinach and edamame.  Whisk together lime juice, mustard, cumin and oil.  Pour dressing over slaw just before serving and toss to mix.  Top with toasted peanuts.

Tri-Color Slaw

I have a problem.  I am completely unable to estimate amounts.  For the Seekers luncheon we had enough food to feed at least 100 (I’m halving all the amounts I used for a more realistic serving size).  However it’s really hard to guess how much a recipe will make.  For example, the recipe for this slaw says it serves at least 8, but when I quadrupled it it made enough to serve at least 80.  I’m sure part of the problem is what one serves with it, you’re probably not going to take as much slaw if you’re having other salads as opposed to how much you’d take if it was the only salad and you were having burgers.

If you have any advice on how to estimate serving amounts I could definitely use the help!  I’m going to try to start thinking about how much will fill a plate, but I can use a lot of help in this area!

Tri-Color Slaw

Serves 45-50 maybe

Adapted from The Kitchn

• 1 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 head red cabbage, cored and shredded
• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and shredded
• 2-3 large bunches cilantro, chopped
• 6-7 limes, juiced (about 2/3 cup)
• 1 1/3 cup oil (I used half canola and half olive oil)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• salt and pepper to taste (at least 1 tsp each)

Combine cabbage, carrots and cilantro in a large bowl.  Whisk together the lime juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper.  An hour before serving pour dressing over the slaw and mix well.

Cabbage Slaw

To go with the Indian theme of the Tomato and Red Lentil Soup, I found this Cabbage Slaw recipe in this month’s Cooking Light magazine. I thought it was a great complement to the soup!  This is also great on it’s own and was good the next day too.

Cabbage Slaw with Tangy Mustard Seed Dressing

Serves 15-18

Adapted from Cooking Light, June 2012

For the Salad:

• 1 head white or green cabbage (about 3 lbs), thinly sliced
• 1/2 head purple cabbage (1 1/2 lbs), thinly sliced
• 1 Romaine heart, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped

For the Dressing:

• 4 Tbsp canola oil
• 4 Tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 Tbsp cumin seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add mustard and cumin seeds, cook 90 seconds or until mustard seeds begin to pop.  Remove from heat.  Stir in garlic and jalapeno, let stand 2 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk.  Pour dressing over the salad, toss to coat, let stand 15 minutes.

Mango and Mint Salad with Cashews

This salad might sound a little strange or off-putting, but give it a try.  I was skeptical at first, but now I can’t get enough of it.  It’s a bright, summery flavor that’s perfect for the coming spring and summer weather.

You can use whatever kind of mangoes are convenient for you.  I like champagne mangoes and can get them by the box at the local Asian market.

Mango and Mint Salad with Cashews

Serves 6-8

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and julienned
• 1/2 of a napa cabbage, sliced very thinly
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup toasted cashews, chopped

Toss mangoes, cabbage, pepper, and shallots in a large bowl.  Whisk together lime juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and red pepper in a smaller bowl and pour over slaw.  Either serve immediately or allow flavors to meld together for about an hour in the fridge.  Just before serving mix in mint leaves and top with toasted cashews.