I remember loving this salad many years ago when I lived in Venezuela. Coleslaw with little cubes of sweet mango, a citrus dressing, and garnished with cilantro. It provided an excellent crunch and balance as a side dish.
The addition of mango to the salad and lemon to the dressing brings a tropical and fresh twist to the traditional coleslaw.
I tried to recreate that coleslaw unsuccessfully, using all kinds of dressings, buttermilk, mayo, sour cream, with poppy seeds, mustard, or even with cumin seeds. They ended up being too greasy or a little acid. Until I found this dressing from Bobby Flay and adapted it for this recipe.
We love to use Napa Cabbage for coleslaw. It is lighter in flavor and it has an amazing texture. Adding lemon to the dressing offsets the sweetness of the mango and provides a fresh and delicious aftertaste. I don’t have to tell you how well this salad goes with hamburgers, sandwiches, sliders, or as a quick side dish.
Coleslaw is super easy to prepare, in fact, I hesitated to make this post since I think everyone must have their own preferred version already, but if you like mango and add it to this recipe you won’t regret it. If you are not a big fan of mango, pineapple is a great substitution.
The salad should be prepared in advance (1 hour is recommended) so that the dressing, cabbage, and carrots are integrated and infused with all flavors, like a marinate. Then, when you add mango, it will release its juices and will hint the mango flavor to the dressing that combined with the lemon is to live for!
The salad should not be swimming in dressing (in fact no salad should), just pour the right amount of dressing, just enough to coat the salad. The cabbage has the tendency to release water after a while. So you can make the salad in advance and just dress it an hour before you will be ready to eat it. Keep a little dressing handy and you can add a little bit before you serve it. Keep in mind though, like all salads the longer it sits dressed the soggier it will get.
Anyway, I thought I would share this quick post with you guys just in case you were looking to change your own recipe or like me, trying to find a different dressing to enjoy this yummy salad.
Below are the details.
Dressing adapted from Bobby Flay.
Coleslaw
Yield: 4 - 8 servings
Ingredients
Coleslaw
1 small to medium Napa Cabbage (about 4 handfulls)
2 small carrots, shredded or 3/4 cup of carrot matchsticks
1/2 cup of small diced (1/4 inch diced) ripe-mango
Dressing
3/4 cup Mayonnaise (I use Saffola)
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp white or rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
(I used 1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp pepper)
Instructions
Cut the Napa cabbage in half. Cut very fine with a sharp knife or you could shred it in the food processor – I like to then wash it through running water on a colander and spin afterwards. Place in a salad bowl.
Shred the carrots or add the carrots matchsticks to the cabbage. Add the diced mango.
Place mayo in a small mixing bowl or mason jar. Add vinegar, sugar, the fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Shake or whisk until mixed. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
Pour half the dressing on the salad and toss. Gradually add more dressing if necessary until the salad is coated. Try to set aside for about an hour and add a little more dressing before serving.
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