A few weeks ago, I made a batch of mojo criollo (a citrus-garlic Cuban marinade/dressing) to use with a beef tongue. I ended up making a bigger batch than I should have just for the meat, so I brainstormed a bit for how to use up the leftovers. I had a nice red cabbage in the fridge, so it didn't take long for my brain to jump to using it as the dressing for coleslaw.
I am not a fan of mayonnaise (not even homemade), so it's always been hard for me to find a good slaw that I can eat and enjoy, as most people use mayonnaise in theirs. So, I was really excited at how great this recipe turned out!
I just finished reading The Wahls Protocol and, while I knew about her recommended 9 cups of colorful vegetables and fruits each day, I'm taking it more to heart now. She also recommends eating a variety of both raw and cooked foods.
Before I started my leaky gut healing journey, I had some trouble eating raw vegetables, especially crucifers like cabbage. But, now that I'm doing SO much better, I can enjoy dishes like this without any GI tract discomfort.
This dish is a great recipe if you are following the Wahls protocol, as it is a very tasty way to help you reach both the goal of eating 9 cups of colorful or sulfur-rich veggies and for eating raw, enzyme-rich vegetables.
Red Cabbage Health Benefits
I've written before about the amazing health benefits of cruciferous vegetables like cabbage. They are well-known for their chemopreventive (anti-cancer) effects as well as being a great source of antioxidants. World's Healthiest Foods also has a great evidence-based article all about crucifers that I recommend you read. Here's a quote from that article about red cabbage in particular:
“A recent study showed that a 100 gram (about 3 ounces) serving of raw red cabbage delivers 196.5 milligrams of polyphenols, of which 28.3 milligrams are anthocyanins. Green cabbages yielded much less per 100 grams: 45 milligrams of polyphenols including 0.01 milligram of anthocyanins. The vitamin C equivalent, a measure of antioxidant capacity, of red cabbage is also six to eight times higher than that of green cabbage. Red cabbage is one of the most nutritious and best tasting vegetables around”
Meal Ideas
This recipe makes a GREAT picnic food. In fact, I made a big batch of it the other weekend and took it on a road trip down to Key West. I also made a big batch of my Reina Pepiada (avocado chicken salad) and Perfect Paleo Crackers and brought along some Sa Mai plantain chips (which are cooked in locally-sourced red palm oil). It was awesome to stop along the way and have a tailgate picnic lunch right on the water!
This slaw stood up well to living in a cooler on ice for 2 days, and I think it would also be great to take camping. And,of course, it is a great side dish to bring to cookouts and BBQs this summer. Non-paleo guests will love this recipe, too!
I am also currently reading and cooking from the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook by Mickey Trescott. One of the first recipes I wanted to try from it was the Cherry BBQ sauce. I put it on top of crispy oven-baked chicken thighs and had a big ol' side of this slaw with them. That was my Memorial Day "cookout" food, and boy was it delicious! If you haven't checked out Mickey's book yet, I highly recommend you do! There's nothing better than being able to pick up a cookbook and know that you can eat 100% of the recipes inside. And this cookbook is FULL of amazing, delicious recipes!
Chicken thighs with the Cherry BBQ sauce from the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook
This recipe packs a lot of flavor with just a few ingredients and is a great option if you are egg-free or simply just don't like the flavor of mayonnaise-based coleslaw like me. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes, too! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)
Zesty Red Cabbage Coleslaw with Mojo Criollo Dressing
Mojo Criollo sauce makes an excellent egg-free, autoimmune paleo dressing for a zesty red cabbage coleslaw.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: n/a
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups red cabbage, shredded (about 1 lb)
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded (about 3 large carrots)
- 1/3 cup cilantro, minced (about 1/2 a bunch)
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup mojo criollo dressing (made WITH olive oil)
Cooking Directions
- Make mojo criollo dressing. NOTE: you may wish to start with 1 clove of garlic and add more to taste since you are using it raw in this recipe.
- Rinse outside of cabbage and remove any outer leaves that are wilted or discolored. Cut in half and then quarters and remove the tough inner core.
- Cut a cabbage quarter into thin strips with a sharp knife. Then, cut strips into shorter pieces by cutting crosswise. Chop again until you have fine shreds. For a great pictoral tutorial, click here.
- Peel and shred your carrots. This is the peeler that I use and love. It can even take the skin off of delicate fruits like tomatoes! I used a cheese grater to shred my carrots.
- Mince shallot and cilantro and all all your veggies to a big bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour in mojo criollo dressing. You can start by adding 1/4 cup and add more to taste.
- You can serve immediately, but the texture and flavor will improve if you let it sit in the fridge for about 30-60 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
Recommended Tools and Ingredients
This post contains affiliate links for things that I use in my own kitchen and believe you will enjoy, too. My full affiliate disclosure is here. Thanks for your support! :-)
This is the best peeler I've ever used -- comfortable and very effective!
