Mayonnaise is Not Welcome Here

I really can't get on board with mayonnaise based salads in the summer. They are heavy, gloppy, greasy, and they definitely do not benefit by a couple of hours in the sun.

This aversion has left me with an empty spot in my summer repertoire: cabbage salad. Slaw is not something I want to make or eat, but I do want a good shredded cabbage salad. Cabbage is so crisp and crunchy, a little spicy, and treated right, it can be light, filling, and refreshing. Perfect for summer salads just as long as it is not bathed in a rich sauce that smothers it into limp, heavy, greasy submission.

Lots of recipes call for salting shredded cabbage, which pulls the moisture out and makes it more pliable and relaxed. While this is perfect for a fish taco topping, I find that fresh chopped cabbage is much more vibrant.

When I saw a recipe posted on I made that! for a cabbage peanut salad I knew I had to try it. A base of freshly chopped red and green cabbage is festooned with shredded carrots, chopped scallions, sliced red bell peppers, a showering of cilantro and a handful of peanuts. Everything is then baptized with a savory-spicy peanut dressing generously spiked with fresh ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. My kind of cabbage salad.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get my hands on a copy of the book from which the original recipe came, Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes. My local library seems to have lost their copy. However, that did not stop me from altering the recipe to suit my needs and taste. First of all I made a small batch, enough for a dinner for two, or perhaps as a side for four. Then I lightened up the dressing a little bit, cutting down a little on the fat and sugar, as I am prone to do. Another reason this is great for summer is that it doesn't require any heat besides what it gets from the hot pepper. All it takes is a little bit of elbow grease to get all the vegetables chopped. What you end up with is a perfect mix of bright crunchy vegetables and savory peanut sauce. My boyfriend aptly described it as a spring roll salad.

Not Your Average Slaw

Adapted from Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes (& Look I made that!)

Enough for 2 full meals, or 4-6 sides

3 cups shredded green cabbage

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 small red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1/4-1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup peanuts, roasted or toasted

Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar (mine was seasoned)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 + tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

1/2 -1 jalapeno or serrano chile, finely chopped (use type and amount based on heat preference, I used a whole serrano)

1 tablespoon hot water

Mix the ingredients for the dressing together, stirring in the hot water last, it should help thin the dressing and should also help make the peanut butter creamy. When you are ready to eat, mix the vegetables together and then toss them with the dressing. Dive in!