A tropical purple cabbage slaw is a unique twist on a classic salad. It's made with crunchy cabbage, mangoes, carrot, green onion and cilantro. The tangy and sweet dressing gives it a very refreshing taste.
This Tropical Purple Cabbage Slaw is so fresh, light and has lots of bright and refreshing flavors. We party in the summer like no other time. Since we live in Florida, it feels like summer almost all year, so we're 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.
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.
red cabbage is so colorful and impactful in this salad. Of course, you can use green cabbage instead, or almost any other salad instead or in combination with the purple cabbage. You can do a mix of purple, green and napa cabbage. You can also add some kale and/or grated broccoli stems for additional flavor and texture.
mangoes
the mangos are a lovely surprise in this salad. Sweet, juicy and soft - such a wonderful pairing with the cabbage. It really gives the tropical flavor a boost.
carrot - a classic addition in slaw
fresh green onions and cilantro
these fresh herbs, especially the cilantro add more tropical flair. If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley instead.
sugar or honey, to add a bit of sweetness
lime juice, for acidity and flavor
olive oil, the base of the dressing
apple cider vinegar, a great addition to the dressing, pairs so well with the mango.
salt, ground black pepper, to taste
How To Make Purple Cabbage Slaw
Prep all the vegetables and herbs and place them in a large bowl. Mix to combine.
Make the dressing. 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 mix to combine. You can adjust the flavor of the slaw by adding more or less of any of the ingredients to suit your taste buds - more or less vinegar, lime juice, honey, etc. It's very adaptable:).
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.
Change Up the Flavors
You can add some sliced red onion to the slaw and another great option is to add some mandarin oranges.
Instead of the mango, you can also use apples. They are crips and sweet, so they are wonderful in this salad.
This tropical purple cabbage 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.
Author:Olga's Flavor Factory
Prep Time:15 mins
Total Time:15 mins
Yield:6
Category:Sides
Ingredients
Scale
1 small head of red cabbage, or half of a large head (1 - 1 ½ 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
½ Tablespoon lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
salt, ground black pepper to taste
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.
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.
Notes
To change up the flavor, add some sliced red onion and some mandarin oranges to the salad.
Instead of the mango, you can use some sliced apples, any variety. (I love Granny Smith apples for salads). The additional crunch and sweetness is wonderful here.
Great way to spice up dull slaw. I like the tropical twist too.