Cole Slaw with Wasabi Dressing
Feel free use a grater, electric or otherwise, to prepare the vegetables. But I prefer doing it by hand. It’s pretty satisfying to chop everything into thin strips, especially if your knife is sharp.
This dressing is a bit different from the ones you might find on a “Chinese chicken salad” – it’s a bit more balmy and earthy-tasting due to the wasabi powder. You can make the dressing a day in advance and dress the salad shortly before you plan to serve it. At the end of the recipe, I’ve made a few additional notes.
For the wasabi dressing:
- (makes 1/2 cup, 125ml)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons wasabi powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 cup oil, (I used grapeseed oil but you can use peanut or canola)
For the cole slaw:
- 4 cups (200g) shredded cabbage, (about 1/2 head)
- 10 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 avocados, pitted and cubed
- 5 cornichons, split lengthwise, then thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (1/2 bunch) fresh chives, minced
- optional: 8 ounces (225g) Chinese roast pork or bbq tofu
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Make the dressing by mixing together the lime juice and wasabi in a large bowl. Let stand for five minutes.
Stir in the remaining ingredients until well-blended.
Add the vegetables, avocado pieces, cornichons, and chives bowl and toss with the dressing. Then mix in the pork or tofu (if using), then the sesame seeds.
Taste, and add more lime juice, if desired.