Delicious Crunchy Slaw? Cabbage Salad?

As I have mentioned before, I love cabbage toppings for tacos. I call it coleslaw, but I really don't mean for anything creamy or mayonaise-y to come to mind. I think crisp and crunchy, sour and salty, spicy and tart. For me, it is the perfect foil to the richness of just about any taco meat and sour cream. I have also recently enjoyed it as the base for an out-of-this-world taco salad. Instead of bothering with a tortilla, I just layered taco toppings on my plate. It was the perfect excuse to eat a little more of the good stuff and not waste any calories on the tortilla.


This particular slaw combination was inspired by a slaw I had at one of my favorite local restaurants, The Northstar Cafe. They serve their entrees with a seasonal side salad, and at one location this winter, it frequently was a slaw salad made with shredded green cabbage, chopped peanuts, cilantro and some type of lime juice dressing. It was so tasty! I have been on a cabbage kick lately, and remembered that salad and decided to create something similar for a taco dinner I was planning. I ended up maintaining the simplicity with just a few ingredients, but I omitted the peanuts (the peanuts edged the slaw towards SE Asian, and I wanted a more TexMex flavor) and added a lot of hot peppers. I was thrilled with the results. Give it a try as a side for a Mexican flavored meal or throw in some peanuts for more of a SE Asian meal.


Josie's Crunchy Cabbage Slaw Salad

1/2 medium head of green cabbage, shredded
2 poblano peppers, cut into 2" strips
3-5 serrano peppers (or to taste), diced
1 cup chopped cilantro
approximately 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1-2 T olive oil
pinch of ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and let sit for about 20-30 minutes before serving. It is delicious left over, but some of the crunchiness is lost in the cabbage.