Summertime is slaw time! I just love a cool, crunchy slaw on a hot summer day. There's something so refreshing about lots of crispy, thinly shredded vegetables tossed with a light and tangy dressing. This salad is full of good stuff like spicy radishes and mellow, sweet Romaine lettuce with a hit of stringent cilantro.
Although mayonnaise is synonymous with slaw dressing I like to use it sparingly, if at all. This recipe uses just enough to give the dressing that signature mayo tang but without the heavy, oily weight of it. I used light coconut milk (no pantry should be without it!) to thin the dressing out but keep it creamy, and lime juice adds a hint of sweet and sour. I had this salad along with some Black Bean, Zucchini and Roasted Garlic Cakes and used the extra dressing to drizzle over the top.
Radish and Romaine Slaw with Tangy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
serves 4-6
Slaw:
1 large head of Romaine lettuce
1 cup radishes, shredded (1 small bunch)
2 cups red cabbage, shredded (1/2 a small head)
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro leaves
Dressing:
1/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup cilantro (leaves and stems)
juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper, to taste
First, prep your Romaine. Slice off the bottom core and soak leaves in a clean sink full of tepid water, stirring the leaves occasionally, until the dirt settles to the bottom - about 15 minutes. Use a salad spinner to dry leaves, then slice them into thin shreds. In a large bowl, mix Romaine with remaining ingredients and set aside.
Add dressing ingredients to a blender and puree until the cilantro is well-incorporated. Add anywhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of the dressing to salad, reserving the rest for drizzling on top of the black bean cakes or reserving for another purpose*. Serve immediately.
*If you are making enough for leftovers, only dress the amount of salad you will be eating right away. Keep the dressing and slaw ingredients separate until ready to serve.
Although mayonnaise is synonymous with slaw dressing I like to use it sparingly, if at all. This recipe uses just enough to give the dressing that signature mayo tang but without the heavy, oily weight of it. I used light coconut milk (no pantry should be without it!) to thin the dressing out but keep it creamy, and lime juice adds a hint of sweet and sour. I had this salad along with some Black Bean, Zucchini and Roasted Garlic Cakes and used the extra dressing to drizzle over the top.
Radish and Romaine Slaw with Tangy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
serves 4-6
Slaw:
1 large head of Romaine lettuce
1 cup radishes, shredded (1 small bunch)
2 cups red cabbage, shredded (1/2 a small head)
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro leaves
Dressing:
1/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup cilantro (leaves and stems)
juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper, to taste
First, prep your Romaine. Slice off the bottom core and soak leaves in a clean sink full of tepid water, stirring the leaves occasionally, until the dirt settles to the bottom - about 15 minutes. Use a salad spinner to dry leaves, then slice them into thin shreds. In a large bowl, mix Romaine with remaining ingredients and set aside.
Add dressing ingredients to a blender and puree until the cilantro is well-incorporated. Add anywhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of the dressing to salad, reserving the rest for drizzling on top of the black bean cakes or reserving for another purpose*. Serve immediately.
*If you are making enough for leftovers, only dress the amount of salad you will be eating right away. Keep the dressing and slaw ingredients separate until ready to serve.