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–+ servings
Thai coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrots, and cilantro in creamy chili-lime dressing

Thai Fusion Coleslaw

Susie Thompson
I created this recipe a couple of years ago when I was making scallop sliders and needed a slaw to complement them. I started combining the ingredients I love, nappa cabbage and mango, my Asian side and my American side, and a dressing built on sweet Thai chili sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and rice vinegar. It turned out perfect the first time. The scallop sliders were good. The slaw made them great. And then it kept showing up at other meals because it belongs alongside so many things. Fresh, bright, slightly sweet from the mango, zesty from the dressing. This is the dish that is entirely mine and I am happy to share it with you. Make it once and you will make it again.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Condiment, Side Dish, Sides, Vegetable
Cuisine Thai/American
Servings 4 people
Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups shredded napa cabbage about 1/2 medium head
  • 1 carrot grated
  • 1 small onion or shallot thinly sliced
  • 1 mango (optional) thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, spring onions chopped (optional, for garnish)
  • Sesame oil optional

Instructions
 

  • Make the Dressing:
    Whisk Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and your choice of vegetable or sesame oil in a small bowl. If desired, add rice vinegar for extra tang.
  • Toss the Vegetables:
    In a large bowl, mix together shredded cabbage, grated carrots, onions, and if using, mangos until evenly combined.
  • Mix & Season:
    Pour dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly until well coated. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
  • Chill & Garnish:
    Let flavors develop by refrigerating covered for at least 30 minutes. When ready to serve, top with fresh cilantro if desired.

Video

Notes

Dress the cabbage just before serving for the crispest result. Nappa cabbage is tender and delicate and does not need salting before dressing. It absorbs the dressing beautifully on its own. Toss it, add the mango and optional herbs, and serve within the hour.
Dress the cabbage before the mango and herbs go in. The cabbage needs time with the dressing to absorb it. The mango and herbs do not. Add the dressing to the cabbage first, toss well, wait thirty minutes, then fold in the mango and herbs. This order keeps the mango intact and the herbs fresh and bright rather than wilted from extended contact with the acid in the dressing.
The mango must be ripe. A firm mango in this slaw does not have the sweetness or the juiciness that balances the dressing. The mango should be soft, fragrant, and yielding. If the mango you have is not quite ripe, leave it at room temperature for a day and check again. The right mango makes this slaw. The wrong mango makes something less than it should be.
Taste the dressing before it goes on and taste the slaw after the mango goes in. The mango changes the balance and a small squeeze of fresh lime after the mango is folded in almost always brings everything into focus. My mother never measured anything. I have learned to measure and then taste and then adjust. Both approaches lead to the same place if you are paying attention.
 
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 780mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15g
Keyword coleslaw, Thai Fusion, Thai Inspired
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