~Amanda~
A good coleslaw recipe should be a staple in everyone’s recipe book. There are so many times that coleslaw just brings a meal together and adds a great creamy, crunchy, and (in this case) healthy component to your plate. This coleslaw has a nice mild taste that goes with so many things like in sandwiches or wraps, as a side to a burger and fries, to complement a nice spicy meat, or on top of a nice big roll with some barbecued meat. I recently made this to go along with my Chipotle BBQ Peach Crockpot Chicken, and we all devoured it; crunchy cool coleslaw combined with warm and spicy barbecued meat is just heaven in your mouth.
There are so many varieties of coleslaw recipes out there, but the majority of them have the same base; cabbage and carrots. In this recipe, I like to use both red and green cabbage (to add some extra color to the dish) and some shredded carrots. We were up in the mountains while I was making this and there was no fresh green cabbage at the store, only red, so I bought one of the packages of pre-shredded green cabbage and carrots and then just added the red cabbage to that. This is a good tip if you’re in a time crunch; there’s nothing wrong with buying the pre-packaged coleslaw mixes if you don’t want to spend your time cutting up all the cabbage by hand.
The next addition to the cabbage mixture is apples. I was at a party once where coleslaw was served with apples in it, and I just loved the little hint of sweetness and tartness that they brought to the coleslaw. With that in mind, I add a julienned apple to the cabbage and carrot mixture (use a granny smith apple if possible). For the ‘dressing’ I prefer to use non-fat greek yogurt as a base. I honestly love the lighter, refreshing, and tangy flavor it adds to the coleslaw, and it makes it so much healthier than using mayonnaise. However, if you love your mayo, substitute that instead! After adding some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and poppyseeds (for a nice new twist), you mix the dressing together, pour it over the cabbage mixture, stir, and then let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Then you’re ready to enjoy it alongside a delicious plate of food; in our case on top of some BBQ Chicken! YUM!
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1 green apple, julienned
- 3 tablespoons non-fat greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- salt and pepper, to taste
- In a large bowl, combine the cabbages, carrot, and apple.
- In a small bowl, combine the greek yogurt, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper with a fork or whisk.
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve cold.
- *If you're in a time crunch, buy the packages of pre-shredded cabbage and carrots a the store for the base and then just add the dressing.
