Mexican Slaw, Times Two

Lately I've been really intrigued by the idea of slaws. Crunchy, light and full of flavor, I always love a light (read, non-mayonaisey) slaw. At my favorite local (almost) Vegan eatery, Organic Energy, creative slaws are almost always served up alongside Vegan delicacies like lentil burgers and buckwheat cakes. And as a Nutritarian, I am always looking for ways to get more salad into my belly.

That's why I whipped up this slaw for my guests this past Friday evening:

Cabbage and Jicama Slaw with Smoky Avocado and Cumin Dressing

This delicious recipe was posted by Gena on Choosing Raw and it couldn't have appeared at a more perfect moment. I was actually going to her blog to do a search for "slaw" to go alongside the sweet potato enchiladas that I was making and there is was, that day, just posted. A Mexican slaw. If you'd like the recipe, you can catch it here, but be warned, there will be a lot of leftover dressing. You can easily half the dressing component and have enough for the slaw, or make all of the dressing and use it on green salads later in the week.

I also ended up with extra jicama and cabbage, which was the basis of a second slaw I decided to test. This one was inspired by a recipe I had cut out of Clean Eating Magazine many years ago. I have to say, it would be the perfect compliment to some heavier Vegan fare. A little bit sweet a little bit hot . . . a lot refreshing.

Cabbage, Jicama and Cucumber Slaw

serves 6 as a side dish

Printable Recipe

For the dressing, whisk together:

Zest of 1 lime

juice of 2 limes (1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp)

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground pepper

For the salad:

2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

1 1/2 cups grated seedless cucumber

2 cups julienned jicama

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

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