My partner has a thing for coleslaw, the kind you buy in the supermarket. He claims it’s not that bad as it’s full of vegetables. Thing is it’s also full of cheap mayonnaise, double cream, sugar and chemical stabilisers. Indeed the mayonnaise is listed before the carrots and onions meaning you’re getting loads more unhealthy fats and sugar than a quick glance at the label suggests.

Scarily a Food Commission report showed that a large pot of KFC coleslaw contains 22.4g of fat which is more than its fillet burger (15.6g) or large fries (19.4g). Just one tablespoon of some supermarket versions can contain 150 calories. So this popular ‘salad’ isn’t as healthy as it seems. The bottom line is if you want to get any health benefits from eating coleslaw, you really need to make it at home.

healthy asian coleslaw dressingI was attempting to make a creamy coleslaw to imitate the shop bought rubbish my partner craves. I hoped that using avocado, tahini, vinegar, maple syrup and mustard for the dressing would do the trick but disappointingly it didn’t taste as good. Left with a giant bowl of shredded vegetables I got to work on creating a much more interesting and far more nutritious coleslaw than anything you can buy. We both kept going back to the fridge for more throughout the evening which is a firm indicator of approval in our house. I now keep a jar of the dressing in the fridge, it keeps for about a week and it’s deliciousness enlivens every salad. Plus it’s super healthy too.

I used my mandolin slicer to get long, thin strips but you could use a vegetable peeler and slice the strips, or grate in a food processor although with this method it doesn’t turn our quite so aesthetically pleasing.

The main ingredient is cabbage known as the ‘king’ of the cruciferous family which also includes kale, broccoli and cauliflower. The benefits of cabbage go far beyond its rich vitamin and mineral content – it contains powerful anti-cancer compounds known as glucosinates. Studies demonstrate more anti-cancer activity with the cabbage family than any other vegetables so that in itself is good enough reason to regularly include them in the diet. These compounds are damaged by heat so its a good idea to eat cruciferous vegetables raw sometimes to get the maximum benefit and this coleslaw is a tasty way.

asian coleslaw

Asian coleslaw
Print Recipe
This is one of our favourite recipes for detoxing the liver and healing the gut. The flavours are much more interesting and far more nutritious than any shop bought coleslaw. Cabbage is a rich source of glutamine which is repairing to the gut and helps support healthy digestion. Coupled with the garlic, ginger and coriander, this is a recipe for ensuring you're getting all the benefits out of the food you eat and also removing any toxins which may be lurking in the gut.
Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Asian coleslaw
Print Recipe
This is one of our favourite recipes for detoxing the liver and healing the gut. The flavours are much more interesting and far more nutritious than any shop bought coleslaw. Cabbage is a rich source of glutamine which is repairing to the gut and helps support healthy digestion. Coupled with the garlic, ginger and coriander, this is a recipe for ensuring you're getting all the benefits out of the food you eat and also removing any toxins which may be lurking in the gut.
Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Finely grate the cabbage, onion and carrots using a mandolin, food processor or by hand. A mandolin gives the best results - you're looking for long, thin strips.
  2. In a large bowl combine the grated vegetables with the beansprouts, cashews and coriander, retaining some nuts and coriander for garnish.
  3. Place the dressing ingredients in a small processor or blender and blend until they're emulsified. Alternatively you can grate the ginger and garlic and then shake the ingredients vigorously in a jar to combine.
  4. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and mix well. Garnish with a few coriander leaves, some toasted cashews and a few chilli slices.
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