Slaw

An craveable slaw with sweetness from the fresh coconut and sneaky, creeping heat from the chiles. This recipe is from Bad Saint, one of Bon Appétit's Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

A tangy side dish of sautéed cabbage and bacon from the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook.

Serve this tangy vinegar-based slaw with roasted pork or Guy Turland's smoky Barbecue Brisket

Crunchy raw broccoli and brussels sprouts meet their match in a punchy triumvirate of olives, anchovies, and lemon juice.

Nutty caraway adds a pop of flavor to this sweet combination of apples, beets, and carrots.

You may not think of coleslaw as sexy, and you'd be right—most coleslaw is far from a turn-on. But this colorful, lighter version brings the sexy back with superfoods like carrots and red, yellow, or orange bell peppers. It's also a great way to enjoy your kale in the raw.

Once you try the combination of tangy and smoky flavors of pickled, grilled cabbage, you'll always want to make your slaw this way.

Skip the dried-out grocery store slaw packets. Instead, grate broccoli stems and toss with chopped florets and an Asian-inspired dressing for a great combo of textures and bold, beautiful flavor.

Light, crunchy, and downright pretty, this fresh spring slaw will brighten any spread.

Amaranth is a small herb seed, not a cereal grain, that tastes a bit peppery and is rich in protein and high in fiber. Here, it is toasted until it pops, much like popcorn. The lemon juice is not only for flavor; it also keeps the apples from turning brown.

These two members of the cabbage family deliver an interesting twist to standard coleslaw. Both kohlrabi and turnips offer fiber, iron, and vitamin C, and the thick kohlrabi leaves boast a high dose of cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Kale makes for a surprising alternative to cabbage in this sweet-sharp slaw. Curly kale, the most widely available, is used here; remove the tough stems and center ribs before slicing the leaves.

One of the preparations that make Thai cuisine so fresh and refreshing in the tropical heat is its raw vegetable salads that serve as backdrops to fish or meat. The sauce used on these salads is typically a blend of chiles, fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and herbs, with fresh cabbage as one of the side dishes. This Thai slaw is inspired by those classic recipes. Use it as a base for Thai Shrimp tacos (page 59) or for other shrimp or seafood fillings.

Traditional rémoulade is made with mayonnaise. We have lightened this traditional side dish with a lemony yogurt dressing.

There are two classic styles of slaw—vinegary and creamy mayonnaise—and probably more than a few hundred variations of each. Our cheater slaw combines the two classic styles, which you can easily push to one side or the other. We go light on the mayo and make it sweet and tangy. If you prefer creamier, add more mayo. If you want a vinegary slaw, simply substitute water for the mayo. See the recipe as a blueprint for your own creative preferences. We redesign it all the time by tossing in an extra ingredient or two. The usual suspects are chopped fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, shredded carrots, chopped bell pepper, bits of fresh jalapeño pepper, chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, green apple chunks, sliced green onion, celery, and blue cheese crumbles.

The traditional yogurt-cucumber mix that cools Middle Eastern and Indian barbecue dishes operates the same way with cheater BBQ. This slaw is a natural side to Tandoori BBQ Chicken Thighs (page 96) and Cheater Q’Balls (page 129). When we have any leftover brisket, burgers, or turkey, it gets loaded into pita pockets with as much slaw as will fit topped with whatever hot Indian chutney happens to be in Min’s fridge door condiment collection at the time.

When you need to add color and crunch to a dinner plate, this fruit-filled slaw is a pleasing option. I like using Granny Smith apples in this recipe, but use any crisp apple you have on hand. Make this salad before starting your meal’s centerpiece; it benefits from having time to let the flavors blend and the cabbage soften.

JÍCAMA IS A ROOT VEGETABLE that is used throughout Latin America. It looks like a large radish and has a clean, neutral flavor that adds a crisp texture to any dish. This refreshing salad, with its Asian vinaigrette, will be a welcome addition to a summer picnic or barbecue. I leave out the salt and pepper because the soy sauce provides the seasoning.