Homemade Coleslaw + Dressing

Coleslaw is one of those summertime comfort foods for me. It's a simple 2-ingredient shredded salad with a dressing. (And, usually, the dressing is what makes or breaks it.) I've had the Carolina vinegar based coleslaw (which will do in a pinch, but it's not the coleslaw I grew up with). There's the vinegar+creamy mix (which isn't bad), but my preference is for that good old, mayonnaise-based, creamy slaw.

You can make it with a few basic ingredients, but if you don't have dried mustard or celery seed in your pantry, you'll wish that you did—just to make this dressing.

Coleslaw Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (substitute: white vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:

1. In a non-reactive (non-metal) bowl, whisk the ingredients until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Coleslaw

Coleslaw can be made with any number of ingredients. Traditional coleslaw is usually made with shredded green cabbage and carrots. Sometimes an onion is thrown in. You can also make coleslaw with kale, broccoli, and even ramen noodles. It's such a forgiving salad—you just need crunchy crucifers and a creamy dressing.

Traditional Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 carrots, finely shredded
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded (optional)
• 1/4 cup onion, finely shredded (optional)
• Coleslaw dressing (recipe above)

Directions

1. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl until the dressing has coated the cabbage and carrots.

Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1 large head broccoli, ends trimmed off & reserved for something else
• 2-3 carrots, shredded (or sliced in thin, match-sticks)
• 1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded (optional)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Slice the broccoli stem(s) into thin, match-stick pieces about 2 inches long.
2. Toss the ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add dressing and toss to coat.

* You can also just buy a bag of broccoli slaw from the store & add dressing.

Kale Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 cups kale, massaged and chopped
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 1-2 carrots, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons red onion, diced

Directions

1. Massage the kale leaves. This helps break them down and make them easier to both chew and digest. To massage them, simply rub the leaves between your fingers.
2. Chop the kale into thin strips about 2 inches long.
3. Chop or shred the cabbage and carrot(s)
4. Chop the parsley and onion.
5. Toss all ingredients in a large, non-metallic bowl.
6. Add dressing* and toss to coat.

*With kale, you can get away with a less creamy dressing. It likes the more vinegar-y/acidic flavors, so try whisking these ingredients together:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

To make more dressing, keep the overall ratio of 3 parts oil, 3 parts mustard, and 1 part vinegar.

Ramen Slaw

Ingredients:

• Ramen noodles
• 1 cup cabbage, shredded
• 2-3 carrots, shredded
• 2 tablespoons onions, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)
• Dressing

Directions:

Most ramen noodle slaws use the uncooked noodles crunched up and mixed in with the veggies. And while you can certainly do this (by simply crushing up the noodles and tossing them with the other ingredients), it's also okay to cook the noodles. It's really your preference.

1. Crush up the package of ramen noodles, set the flavor packet aside (or toss it—it's SO bad for you). If you'd prefer cooked noodles, simply cook the noodles according to the package.
2. Toss the shredded vegetables, almonds, and crushed noodles in a bowl
3. Add dressing**, toss to coat.

**Most recipes also have you mix the ramen seasoning packet in with the regular dressing (recipe above) to give it an "Asian" flavor, but let's get real, that stuff is loaded with sodium and is worse for you than the processed ramen noodles. So if you want a more Asian-style dressing I would suggest using this recipe instead:

Asian-style Dressing

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (substitute: white vinegar)
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (if you have nut allergies, just omit this)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (substitute: maple syrup, demerara, or white sugar)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (2-3 cloves) minced garlic

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients in a non-reactive (non-metal) bowl until the sugar is dissolved and an emulsion has occurred.
2. Keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. (Slaws with dressing will generally begin to wilt within a day, even in the fridge, so only dress what you'll eat at each sitting).