Thai Slaw Engine 2

I never knew raw cabbage could taste this awesome! It only takes about 15 minutes of prep work and you will be rewarded with the most amazing crunchy, delicious, flavorful but yet healthy slaw. The Thai flavored sauce marries prepared salsa and natural peanut butter with just a touch of maple syrup, a tiny bit of tamari sauce, a few red pepper flakes, fresh ginger, crunchy red bell peppers and my favorite herb – fresh cilantro. Sprinkle on a few peanuts just before serving and watch everyone’s face light up with delight. It’s a party in a bowl!

The other day by the time I got home from the store with the ingredients to make this salad hubby Tom was already eating his lunch. I went ahead and made the slaw so he had a little sampling and immediately fell in love with it. Can you fall in love with a salad? Well anyway you get the point.

When dinner time rolled around I called him out of his home office and served him up a vegetable curry dish over brown rice and all he could say is “Where is that cabbage salad that I have been thinking about all afternoon? I thought I was going to get some more of that.” Yep, this is the kind of salad that you will be thinking about all afternoon. It’s another winning recipe from Rip Esselstyn’s My Beef With Meat book – it’s a must have book and my latest obsession – well this book and my new food processor! If  preparing this for a party or to take to a picnic or potluck I would carry the dressing separate from the slaw and toss it together right before serving.

Thai Slaw

• 1 1/4 cups Salsa – I used Kirkland Organic medium
• 1 tablespoon real maple syrup – Whole Foods 365
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter – Trader Joe’s
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon low -sodium tamari sauce – could sub low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons peeled minced fresh ginger
• 2-3 shakes crushed red pepper flakes – my bottle doesn’t shake so I used 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded – use a large head of cabbage as the sauce is plentiful
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded cut into thin strips
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped – this would be a big bunch of cilantro not a little plastic herb container from Trader Joe’s
• 1/4 cup raw peanuts – couldn’t find raw so I went with roasted unsalted

In a saucepan over medium heat combine salsa, peanut butter, maple syrup, water, tamari or soy sauce, ginger and pepper flakes, stir just until it’s well combined. Let the sauce cool down.

In a very large bowl pour the sauce over the shredded cabbage, cilantro and red bell pepper strips, stir to combine. Just before serving sprinkle the nuts over the top.

Notes: I used Napa cabbage because the heads of cabbage at the store didn’t look very good and I think the Napa cabbage is a little too watery and didn’t hold up as well as a good ole head of green cabbage would. I made the slaw at lunch time and by dinner time it was getting pretty watery but the flavor was still amazing. Next time I will use a regular head of cabbage. Trust me there will be a next time as the flavor was addictive and delicious.

Yield: 4 huge servings

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 129.4 Calories, 3.5 g Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 641.9 mg Sodium, 115.8 mg Potassium, 19.5 g Carbs, 5.2 g Fiber, 4.3 g Protein

Recipe Source: My Beef With Meat Engine 2 recipes by Rip Esselstyn who adapted it from Vegan’s Daily Companion