Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Red Cabbage Coleslaw with Greek Yogurt

This is my favorite way to make coleslaw this time of year. The two main ingredients, (red cabbage and carrots) are available at the markets through June. It seems to me like a perfect confluence of produce, summer time cookout fare, healthfulness and nutrition. Of course there is the 1/3 cup of mayo, but you cannot do without the mayonnaise. I have been eating this for the last two days with turkey burgers, Italian flat beans blanched and sauteed with garlic and olive oil, and my favorite greek- style cucumber salad. A perfect summer meal!

What you'll need..

1/2 a small head of red cabbage
4-5 carrots depending on size
1/3 cup mayo ( I like Dukes)
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (Fage brand 0%)
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 Tsp celery seed
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

The most important part here is to shred the cabbage using a sharp chef's knife and not a grater or food processor. We have made that mistake before and the result is a mushy, watery tasting slaw. Cut the cabbage half into half again and then cut across the length of the each quarter making long 1/4 to 1/8 inch wide shreds. Then chop those a bit so your lengths are no more than an inch or so long. This really only takes a minute.
Scrub and shred the carrots ( I don't bother to peel them) using your grater or food processor. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Taste as you add the rest of the ingredients. As usual my measurements are not exact. Sometimes I add less vinegar, more yogurt, or less sugar. I like it with a good dose of fresh ground black pepper. Once I added too much celery seed ( I'm guessing it was about a tsp.) and that was a mistake. The greek yogurt is of course a stand in for sour cream... so if you like you can go that route as well, however I love the extra tangyness of the yogurt.
This should serve about 6.

1 comment:

  1. This coleslaw recipe sounds delicious. I'll probably use fewer carrots and less sugar because I like it less apple cider vinegar, but I can't wait to try it. Thanks for posting it!

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