Hi! I don't like mayonnaise. You too? Good - we're on the same page. I'm tired of so many offerings at barbecues containing mayonnaise. Potato salad. Chicken salad. Tuna salad. Cole slaw. You know what I mean? So I've got an alternative for you and you're going to love it. And the reason I know you're going to love it is that I've avoided cabbage my whole life. Like, not a cabbage person at all. But my friend made this slaw with our dinner recently and I couldn't get enough of it. Yeah, I'm a cabbage convert now. So here is a fresh and crispy summer slaw that you can really eat completely guilt-free. No freaking mayonnaise.
What is daikon?
Daikon is a type of Asian radish. It is very mild compared to our red American radishes. Daikon is a little sweet and a little peppery. It is a great complement to the carrots and cabbage in this recipe. You can find Daikon at most any Asian market. The size can vary a lot, but they are often large and wide. Which means you can use it for a lot of things. It can be eaten raw or cooked. You can use it for slaws, stir frys and soups.
Summer slaw goes with everything
This is a fantastic offering to show up to a cook-out with. It's unusual and there is no mayonnaise or vinegar. For a summer slaw it is quite versatile. It's going to pair well with summer barbecue fare for sure. If you're making any kind of Asian-style dinner that needs a little something...extra - this slaw will do the trick. This is how I was introduced to it.
I made pad see ew (a Thai dish) at my friend's house and she wanted to make something for us to have on the side. And YES, I have a pad see ew recipe I've filmed and will be posting soon. I'll post a cell pic below. This slaw made the BEST side dish for pad see ew. I couldn't get enough of it.
You can eat summer slaw as a snack, a side or a meal. It's got everything: fresh, crunchy, healthy, the lime juice, the peanuts and fresh herbs!! Don't skip the herbs!
Trying to eat healthy this summer?
Hi - you know how when summer comes we tend to start eating salads and healthy things? Yeah, like a sudden crash diet where you try to forget all those winter-consumed french fries and mountains of cheese? If you're in that place, you should definitely try this summer slaw recipe. I also have this super easy sweet potato salad you might enjoy, or a leek lover's frittata which you can make with or without a little cheese. And since you're going all in - you can replace that bag of Cape Cod potato chips with these crunchy roasted chick peas 3 ways. This is really more a reminder for myself now that I'm re-reading this paragraph. Lol. 🙂
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healthy fresh ingredients for summer slaw
There is an Asian market near where I live that sells the freshest produce around. I normally shop at Market Basket which is the local place for reasonably-priced groceries. But this Asian Market is fantastic for incredible produce, especially items like Gai lan or Yu Choy. They have amazingly fresh mint, cilantro and Thai basil. And they sell half-heads of cabbage so you don't have to buy the whole thing if you don't need it. They have huge carrots which are perfect for the julienne peeler and massive daikon (Asian radish).
everything you need for Fresh and crispy summer slAW
- Cabbage
- Daikon (Asian radish)
- Carrot
- Basil (Thai or regular)
- Cilantro (if you don't like cilantro use all basil)
- Limes
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Peanuts
- Julienne peeler
Ratio of cabbage to daikon to carrots
For this recipe, it's a 3:1 ratio. We're using 3 cups of shredded cabbage to 1 cup of julienned daikon and 1 cup julienned carrots. You'll see in my video how I "measure" a cup of shredded cabbage. I basically stuff it into a measuring cup, so the cups I am referencing are heaping cups. I did julienne slightly more than one cup of carrots carrots since I love carrots so much. But generally, the ratio for this is 3:1.
easy steps for making fresh and crispy summer slaw
Fresh and Crispy Summer Slaw (No mayo!)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 portions 1x
Description
Need a slaw for your next gathering but don't like mayonnaise? This fresh and crispy summer slaw is for all the non-mayonnaise lovers out there!
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded cabbage (about ¼ head of cabbage)
- 1 cup julienne carrots (1 or 2 larger carrots, approx.)
- 1 cup julienne daikon (1 large or two small daikon)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil and cilantro (use one or both)
- ¼ cup chopped scallions or chives
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup unsalted peanuts
NOTE: You will need a julienne peeler for this recipe.
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Instructions
- Cut the cabbage head in half, then into quarters. You will need about one quarter of the head to make three cups. I used my knife to cut out the “heart” because that’s my preference. Then slice the cabbage as thin as you can – about ¼” in thickness. Add cabbage to a large mixing bowl.
- Peel the daikon and run the julienne peeler down the daikon to produce the shredded sticks. Add to the bowl.
- Peel the carrot and run the julienne peeler down the carrot to produce the shredded sticks. I used slightly more than a cup of the carrots… because I love carrots. Add to the bowl. J
- Cut a couple of limes in half and use a hand held juicer to squeeze the juice out. If you don’t have a juicer just use your hands… I like the hand juicer because it really gets the juice out.
- Chop the cilantro and basil. If you don’t like cilantro just use all basil. I usually chop more than I need so I have extra to garnish the dish and serve on the side in case people want more. Add to the bowl.
- Chop the scallions and add to bowl. This another one where I chop a little extra in case anyone wants to add a little more. Add to the bowl.
- Add the olive oil, salt and lime juice to the bowl and toss everything to coat and combine everything. Then add a couple of shakes of unsalted peanuts and toss one final time. As you are tossing, you will already notice the moisture coming out of the cabbage and the slaw will shrink a bit.
- You can serve this immediately, or wait until the next day. Needs to be refrigerated. I loved it both ways. But you do want to make sure you eat within a couple of days of making. Before serving make sure you toss the slaw.
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