Tropical Slaw

This tropical slaw is made with a crunchy and vibrant purple cabbage, mangoes, carrot, green onion and cilantro. The tangy and sweet dressing gives it a very refreshing taste. 

We party in the summer like no other time. Except that since we live in Florida, it feels like summer almost all year, so we’re just extra lucky:). Summer parties call for lots of grilling, barbecues and picnics. What could be better to serve on the side than a slaw? I love a good, traditional coleslaw, but sometimes you need to change things up a bit. This Tropical Slaw is so fresh, light and has lots of bright and refreshing flavors.

First of all, can we just stop to admire how colorful and vivid this Tropical Slaw is?  The gorgeous, bright purple cabbage is beautiful, but it’s also really delicious and packed with nutrients. This slaw is so crisp, crunchy and very refreshing. The fresh cilantro and green onions give it lots  of summery flavor, and the juicy mango pieces are a nice surprise. It’s all dressed with a light vinaigrette, that is citrusy, a little bit tart and just a bit sweet. It’s perfect to serve with all kinds of things, more heartier dishes like Pulled Pork or Baby Back Ribs and even chicken or fish. 

Ingredients:

1 small head of red cabbage, or half of a large head (1 – 1 1/2 lbs), shredded

1 – 2 mangoes, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

1-2 Tablespoons each, fresh green onions and cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar or honey

1/2 Tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 Tablespoons cider vinegar

salt, ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup sliced red onion, optional

Instructions:

Prep all the vegetables and herbs and place them in a large bowl. Mix to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar/honey, lime juice, olive oil, vinegar and salt and ground black pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss to combine. You can adjust the flavor of the slaw by adding more or less of any of the ingredients to suit your tastebuds – more or less vinegar, lime juice, honey, etc. It’s very malleable:).

Serve immediately or keep the slaw refrigerated before serving. The flavors will all combine and it will taste even better. The slaw will release some liquid as it stands, so just drain it before serving. You can also add some sliced red onion to the slaw and another great option is to add some mandarin oranges.

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