Inspired by the creamy North American side dish, here’s a Coleslaw with an Italian Twist that’s also gluten-free and plant-based… Lots to be happy about 🤓
Coleslaw, the simple and refreshing salad made of shredded cabbage is a picnic and barbecue staple.
Welcome to our plant-based recipes collection – the fruit of a collaboration between ottimoblog.com and appetibilis.net | Here happily edited and translated by Orsola 😀
Its origins are unsurprisingly international. The name comes from the Dutch word “koolsla,” which translates into “cabbage salad”, brought-in sometime early 17th century, apparently with the arrival of the Brassicas… After all, cooking is an ongoing operation of revisiting, exchanging and refining, is it not?
The essential components of the recipe are:
- The freshest cabbage (green to begin with) to provide a robust base;
- A fatty component, being a vinegar-based dressing or a creamy one with mayo;
- Basic seasoning (salt and pepper are a classic).
- Must have a sharp knife and a mandoline-slicer, an excellent and inexpensive tool to consider.
As additional ingredients you could add:
- Crunch – Red cabbage (for its vibrant color), carrots (for color and sweetness), and some chopped celery for a refreshing bite. Green apples and fennel are also a great add (sliced with a mandoline) to create a nice multi-colour layered effect.
- Sharpness – Red onion, or shallots for a mellow pungency; green onion offers a milder flavor.
- Aromatics – Fresh herbs to add a pop of crispness: basil and parsley are the ultimate Italian touch – (hopped dill, or cilantro work as well).
Last, but not least, we dry pickled the cabbage and prepped a mellow vinaigrette made of oil, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper; with a splash of veggie mayo… A tangy, lightly creamy sauce that ties it all together, in perfect harmony, as a lively melody.
“Lots of chopping and mixing to do” you say? True. – And, that “You could use pre-shredded cabbage”… I see.
It’s true that you got packaged ready chopped coleslaw mix, in grocery stores. Yet, as fresh as that can be, the veggies tend to look so dull… Nothing beats a freshly chopped cabbage!
The result? A refreshing salad, just like a cool breeze on a summer day.
Recipe for a Coleslaw with an Italian Twist.
It’s a picnic-perfect salad, just keep the coleslaw refrigerated, until ready to serve.
- Can be easily made ahead of time, allowing it to chill 3 to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Store it for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. Yet, it’s best consumed within the first couple of days.
[servings: 4 + | total time: 3 hours (20 min. prep + 2 hours 40 min refrigeration) | difficulty: easy]
| Please note that the info and directions provided for the recipe are indicative: the end result may vary from person to person |
Ingredients
For salad
- 150 g green cabbage
- 150 g red/purple cabbage
- 150 g carrots
- 1 shallot (or 2 small ones)
- a bunch of fresh parsley
The dry pickle
- 50 g coarse salt
- 25 g caster sugar
The seasoning
- 100 g plant-based mayo (check our recipe for Majonesa)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (unfiltered)
- 1 tablespoon organic sunflower seed oil (cold extraction)
- 1 tablespoon of mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Let’s start with the seasoning – In a screw-top jar, combine the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well until fully combined. Set aside the vinaigrette while you prepare the vegetables for the coleslaw.
- Time to make the salad – Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and, with the help of a mandoline-slicer, slice it as thinly as possible – watch your fingers, please! Then rinse it under cold water and drain well. Set aside in a bowl.
- Meanwhile, peel and grate the carrots. Add them to the cabbage. (A bit of fennel, remember?)
- For the pickling – Season the veggies with the salt and sugar mixture. Mix well with your hands, squeezing from time to time, it serves to soften them.
- Let it stand at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes, toss and turn occasionally.
- After that, rinse well and drain, possibly with a salad spinner.
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl (remember to add the roughly chopped parsley), shake the jar, and pour the dressing over the vegetables. Mix together thoroughly.
- At this point let the dressed salad sit for about ten minutes and you are ready to serve it.
Qui trovate la ricetta in italiano per la Coleslaw, l’insalata coraggiosa
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I’m an Italian gluten-free Gourmet Traveler+ and a passionate storyteller, writing in English and Italian. Fluently speaking (eating and dreaming) in Italian, English, French, and Russian. When I’m not writing, I cook and test recipes for special diets, and photograph (also on film). Not necessarily in that order. — / — Sono una viaggiatrice buongustaia (la Gourmet Traveler+) senza glutine, appassionata narratrice di storie. Scrivo in italiano e inglese, parlo (mangio e sogno) fluentemente in italiano, inglese, francese e russo. Quando non scrivo, cucino, testo ricette dolci e salate per diete speciali, fotografo (anche in pellicola). Non necessariamente in quest’ordine.
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