Nutrient-Packed Coleslaw
If you don’t want to make a salad every day, coleslaw is one of the best ways to make a large salad that lasts in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The main ingredient, cabbage is another nutrient-dense vegetable that adds to a healthy diet.
In fact, just 1 cup (89 grams) of raw green cabbage contains (2):
Calories: 22
Protein: 1 gram
Fiber: 2 grams
Vitamin K: 85% of the RDI
Vitamin C: 54% of the RDI
Folate: 10% of the RDI
Manganese: 7% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 6% of the RDI
Calcium: 4% of the RDI
Potassium: 4% of the RDI
Magnesium: 3% of the RDI
Cabbage is part of the coniferous family, and like broccoli and cauliflower, it is packed with fiber. It contains ½ of the daily recommended vitamin C and 85% of the recommended amount of Vitamin K, a nutrient that helps blood coagulation and may help with calcium absorption. Red cabbage has 10x more Vitamin A than green cabbage. Vitamin A is essential for vision, growth, cell division, reproduction, and immunity.
I take a creative approach to make coleslaw—cabbage is just the base! My sister Pam introduced me to a coleslaw recipe that revolutionized the way I make it now.
It is excellent side dish to offer at a barbeque, to put in tacos, or as a side dish for a heavy entree. With added protein like sauteed tofu, a veggie burger, seeds, and nuts, this is an excellent entree for a vegan.
What I think is the most important is that you shred the cabbage. Here is how to do that by hand—a large sharp knife is the tool that will make this go well:
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage.
Slice the cabbage in half, and cut the halves in half. Cut away the inside core with a diagonal slice.
Thinly shred (slice) the cabbage. You can make the cabbage as thin or thick as you like. Feel free to cut the shred as small as you want if you feel they are too long.
For two 1-cup servings, I start with ⅛-¼ of a head of shredded cabbage—they come in so many sizes…
Add in thinly sliced radishes, red pepper, daikon, and carrots. The colors are fantastic!
Put a dressing on it—use your favorite. I like sauerkraut (a fermented probiotic food) and olive oil (remember that cold-pressed organic olive oil is medicine!) We enjoy Annie’s Goddess dressing too.
Add nuts, seeds, proteins, and other crunchy toppings before serving.
