Hoisin Snap Pea & Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe - Cookin Canuck (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between coleslaw and slaw? ›

The real difference is that the raw, chopped vegetables in coleslaw are primarily cabbage: Napa, red, savoy, or bok choy. Slaw without the cole can feature any crunchy veggie in place of cabbage, including chopped or shredded broccoli, carrots, snow peas, jicama, and more.

Finely slice the cabbage, discarding the core. Remove the woody ends from the asparagus, then finely slice along with the trimmed spring onions and celery. Peel and coarsely grate the apple and carrot. Pop all the shredded fruit and veg into a large bowl.

By cutting, crushing or biting into these cruciferous heads, a series of enzymatic reactions is triggered that causes the glucosinolates to break down into allyl isothiocyanate, another volatile compound that gives these Brassicas their fresh vegetal, cabbage-like scent and slightly bitter, peppery bite.

But a simple treatment for raw cabbage — salting — makes it just a tad more tender and considerably more flavorful while preserving its distinctive crunch. When you salt any vegetable that has high water content, the salt draws out some of the water by simple osmosis.

KFC's coleslaw stands out because of its sweet and tangy dressing, but the slaw's texture is what makes it one of a kind.

The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said. The slaw is made up of cabbage and carrots coated in mayonnaise.

To prevent this, toss the cabbage with 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.

You need to salt the cabbage first to draw out excess moisture before dressing the slaw.

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.

But red cabbage has higher levels of some types of antioxidants than other types of cabbage. These nutrients are thought to help reduce the risk of health conditions such as cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.

What pairs well with red cabbage? ›

Sautéed red cabbage is a versatile side dish you can serve with a variety of main dishes including pork chops, sausages (especially smoked sausages), roast pork, roast chicken, duck, lentils, beans, and chickpeas. Also, try it with a boldly flavored fish such as salmon.

Adding baking soda to your boiling cabbage can help reduce the objectionable smell and maintain the green color long after when it typically turns grayish from cooking for too long. However, this may rid the cabbage of its nutritional value.

Flavor enhancement: Vinegar can add a tangy, bright flavor to vegetables, making them more palatable. The acidity in vinegar can also help to balance out other flavors and bring out the natural sweetness in the vegetables.

Cabbage contains lots of water. Alton Brown suggests salting the cabbage and letting the water drain for two hours, then rinsing the cabbage and spinning it dry before dressing it. That purges the excess water out of the cabbage before it is dressed, so it doesn't get watery.

Coleslaw Name Evolution

Whatever the reason for the formation, people familiar with the food item began tinkering with its name. For instance, the Latin-based cole was substituted for cold and the spelling variant slaugh was used with cold or cole. The name was also chopped to slaw or slaugh.

What is slaw? Slaw is a cold salad commonly made from sliced or chopped raw vegetables, especially cabbage or carrots, mixed with a dressing made with mayonnaise or vinegar. It often includes other seasonings and ingredients, such as onions and apples.

While cabbage salad often consists only of one vegetable seasoned and dressed, coleslaw can include a few other ingredients like shredded veggies, fruits, or seasonings to give some variety to the dish. While both feature cabbage as the star of the show, the different dressings set the two apart.

Slaw is shorthand for coleslaw, a side dish or salad that always includes cabbage and sometimes other shredded vegetables. Some slaw is dressed with vinaigrette and other types have a creamy or mayonnaise-based dressing.