This recipe makes a good quantity of slaw – great for a gathering, or for a few meals throughout the week. Try wrapping the salad in rice paper for a quick Vietnamese Summer Roll starter, or folding through vermicelli noodles to bulk out to a more substantial supper.
SERVES 8-10
FOR THE SLAW:
1/2 red cabbage, core removed and finely shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into long ribbons with a potato peeler
1/2 cucumber, sliced in half lengthways, and seedy core removed with a teaspoon
2 beetroot, peeled and cut into matchsticks (or grated on the largest setting on your box grater)
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 large pinches Pure Sea Salt
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 sprigs mint, leaves washed and picked
1/2 small bunch coriander, leaves washed and picked
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp nigella seeds
FOR THE DRESSING:
Small thumb-sized piece ginger, grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
2 limes, juiced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 green chilli, sliced finely
Mix the beetroot in a bowl with the vinegars, sugar, salt and lemon juice, cover and set to one side. Slice the cucumber into 1/2 cm slices.
Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and adding more lime/salt/maple syrup to taste. In a large bowl, stir the dressing through the red cabbage and leave to marinate for 5 minutes before you add the cucumber, carrot, herbs and seeds. Lift the beetroot out of the bowl with the vinegar mixture and squeeze through your hands over a sink to remove any excess moisture. Toss the beetroot through with the other ingredients.
Serve in a platter as a light side, as a summer roll or stirred through with some noodles for a vibrant, veg-packed dinner.
IMAGES: Jess Lea-Wilson
RECIPE: Anna Shepherd
