The Best Winter Veg Coleslaw
Coleslaw is something most of us have grown up eating, yet a lot of the time it must have been made so badly! With this in mind, I want to bring it back with a vengeance. I’ve used yoghurt instead of mayonnaise to bind the vegetables because it not only tastes better, in my opinion, but it’s also healthier. If you’re struggling to find radishes or fennel, don’t worry. Just do what you can, but remember that the more interesting crunchy vegetables you can get shredded into this baby, the better! If you haven’t got round to getting yourself a food processor yet, and you’re serious about cooking, do go and buy one. It won’t be a waste of money – unlike most kitchen gadgets you’ll use it all the time, especially for recipes like this one.
Coleslaw is something most of us have grown up eating, yet a lot of the time it must have been made so badly! With this in mind, I want to bring it back with a vengeance. I’ve used yoghurt instead of mayonnaise to bind the vegetables because it not only tastes better, in my opinion, but it’s also healthier. If you’re struggling to find radishes or fennel, don’t worry. Just do what you can, but remember that the more interesting crunchy vegetables you can get shredded into this baby, the better! If you haven’t got round to getting yourself a food processor yet, and you’re serious about cooking, do go and buy one. It won’t be a waste of money – unlike most kitchen gadgets you’ll use it all the time, especially for recipes like this one.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Shred the carrots, fennel, and your choice of radishes, beetroot, turnip or celeriac on a mandoline, or use the julienne slicer in your food processor.
- Put the veg into a mixing bowl.
- Slice the cabbage, onion and shallot as finely as you can and add to the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix half the lemon juice, a glug of extra virgin olive oil, the chopped herbs, yoghurt and mustard.
- Pour this dressing over the veg and mix well to coat everything.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and the rest of the lemon juice if you like.
Cabbage does the structural heavy lifting in any slaw, providing the dense cellular walls required to hold heavy dressings without collapsing into mush. Dense winter brassicas contain high levels of water and robust fiber, meaning they retain their crispness for hours after salting and dressing compared to delicate summer greens. Swapping mayonnaise for yogurt introduces lactic acid that breaks down surface starches while maintaining a thick, clingy emulsion. Using a mandoline or a food processor fitted with a julienne disc ensures uniform thickness across varied root vegetables like celeriac and beetroot, which prevents dense chunks from dominating every bite. Slice the red onion and shallot paper-thin to distribute their sulfur compounds evenly throughout the mix rather than leaving pungent pockets of raw allium. Fresh herbs such as mint and dill contribute volatile aromatic oils that cut through the rich dairy base, brightening the overall profile. Reserve the final adjustment of lemon juice and sea salt until the very end of the thirty-minute prep window, allowing the salt to draw out excess moisture and concentrate the vegetable sugars.
