Red Cabbage Coleslaw

The sun is shining. There's a cool breeze in the warm air. Spring is here, and that means barbecues. We barbecued a lot growing up. My father's shish kabobs were famous in the neighborhood, but that recipe is for another time. Whether it was shish kabob or burgers, there were always two staples at every barbecue: potato salad and coleslaw, both homemade by my mother.

I've been making this slaw for Shabbat dinners for a while and it's always a big hit. The recipe is best with red cabbage, as the spices accentuate the natural bite of the cabbage, but it works well with green as well. 

You have a choice of shredding your own cabbage and carrots or buying them pre-shredded from your local grocer. I find buying a whole head of cabbage is often cheaper than buying the pre-shredded stuff, but I often opt for the pre-shredded carrots. 

Here's a handy how-to video on how to shred cabbage. And here's one on shredding carrots.

I remember one time I brought this dish to a potluck Shabbat lunch and somebody said she really enjoyed the cabbage salad. For some reason,  people just aren't used to seeing a red cabbage slaw outside of Israeli cuisine (red cabbage slaw is a staple of many Israeli salad bars).  Whether you're serving this as a side dish with meatloaf or burgers, at a barbecue or Shabbat meal, or as part of an Israeli salad plate with a side of feta cheese, this dish is versatile enough to fit in anywhere and sure to please.

Red Cabbage Coleslaw

Ingredients

3 c shredded red cabbage, approximately a 3-lb head of cabbage

1/2 cup pre-shredded carrots or 4-6 carrots shredded by hand or with a grating disc on a food processor

Dressing:

2 c mayo

4 tsp of white vinegar

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/2 c of Tofutti Sour Supreme non-dairy sour cream

Shred the cabbage with a knife or in a food processor and toss into a large bowl with the carrots.

In a separate bowl combine the ingredients for the dressing and mix thoroughly until they are combined into a smooth, creamy dressing. The Sour Supreme will add an extra creaminess to the coleslaw. My mother insists on it, but I rarely add it. It does give the dressing a nice texture, but it's not absolutely necessary. 

Fold the dressing into the coleslaw, mixing thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld.