Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.
Although this slaw is slightly more involved than your average salad, your ½ hour of prep and assembly will definitely pay off in the way of compliments to the cook.
Colourful cabbage is combined with just enough tropical fruit to evoke summer, helping to get you through the winter.
Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, which has been widely praised for its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous, cholesterol-reducing and liver-friendly properties due to the high nutrient density and presence of antioxidants. In short, this is a food you're going to want to get better acquainted with, and this salad is a tasty place to start.
An added bonus is the sweet and zesty dressing that is irresistible to even the fussiest of eaters. We tested this on some of the pickiest people and they couldn’t get enough!
This will easily serve 6 as a substantial side dish. If you'd like to make it as a main, try adding some grilled chicken or tofu.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
6 ½ Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped into small pieces
3 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp tamari
¼ tsp chile flakes
4 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
For the nuts:
1 ¼ cups hazelnuts
2 tsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp agave syrup
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp chile flakes
For the salad:
7 inner leaves of Savoy (or Napa) cabbage, finely shredded
½ red cabbage, finely shredded
1 mango, cut into thin strips
½ papaya, cut into thin strips
1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely sliced
¼ cup mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1 ½ cups cilantro, leaves picked and roughly chopped
Dressing:
Stir first 6 ingredients (everything but the olive oil) into a saucepan over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, reducing the mixture to a thick, syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat for a couple of minutes. Strain the cooled mixture into a bowl and add the olive oil. Set aside.
Nuts:
Dry roast the hazelnuts in a frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll know they are done when they’re lightly toasted on all sides. Add coconut oil, agave, sea salt and chile flakes. Use a wooden spoon to stir consistently, coating the nuts while the mixture caramelizes. This will only take 1-2 minutes, so make sure to pay attention in order to avoid burning! Empty the nuts onto a sheet of parchment paper. Once cooled, give them a quick, coarse chop.
Salad:
Mix all 7 salad ingredients and the nuts into a large bowl. Slowly drizzle sauce over the salad, tossing as you go to avoid over-dressing. Serve and enjoy!
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Plenty is a compilation of Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes from his long-running vegetarian column in The Guardian. This book offers a beautiful collection of food photography and is the ideal go-to for gourmet veggie sides or main dishes. Find it at Amazon.
