Thai Slaw Salad Recipe

Tonight I made one of our all time favorite salads to go along with our meal, so I thought I'd share the recipe here.  First I must admit that the recipe came from Rachael Ray.  When she first started on Food Network many years ago, I started watching her show.  This was one of the first recipes I saw her make and thought it looked good, tried it out, loved it, and have been making it ever since.  I haven't had as much success with many of her other recipes, but this one has stood the test of time and it is perfect for the warmer spring and summer months ahead. Not only does it taste yummy, but it is healthy too. And it is vegan! Double bonus! It doesn't have any mayonnaise or other creamy mixture, so it can stand up to the heat of an outdoor cookout or picnic.  

You start by dumping a preshredded coleslaw (or plain cabbage) mix into a large mixing bowl.  Yes, you could shred your own cabbage, but I am lazy and like it already done for me.  Plus I like the combination of both green and red cabbage as well as some sliced carrots too.  You can throw away the coleslaw salad.dressing packet cause you won't need it! Add to the cabbage mix a diced red pepper, a bit of diced cucumber, and three or four diced green onions.  You can also add a few chopped leaves of fresh basil if you have any.  I didn't, but I have in the past and it adds an additional depth of flavor.  Oh and a handful of toasted sesame seeds could be added here too.  Again, I didn't have any on hand, but feel free to toss some in.  Now on to the dressing.

In my opinion, the dressing totally makes this salad. To make it, you will need soy sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, vegetable oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and a clove of garlic.

I add all the dressing ingredients into a plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid, then shake the heck out of it to combine. Gets my aggression out.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and give it a good stir.  Here's the final product.  You can serve it right away, but I think it is much better if made ahead and allowed to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.  I think it gets better the longer it all "mingles" together.  It is a perfect side dish for burgers or hot dogs or sandwiches.  You can always pair down the red pepper flake if you are not a big fan of heat, but I like it with a little kick.  I hope you are able to give it a try this summer!

Thai Slaw Salad

1 package coleslaw mix

1/4 cucumber, peeled and diced 

1 small red pepper, diced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

10 basil leaves, torn (optional)

handful of toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Dressing:

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. sesame oil