Thai (Inspired) Slaw

I find that in the spring I get inspired by Thai flavours. Light and fresh and clean and well, just yummy really. 

At our house, we are also slaw heads. Well, Poppy and I are and we strive to turn Tilly into one and Stephen just eats what is put in front of him for the most part. So, vegetables and salads and slaws reign.

I had some leftover Red Lentil Veggie Burgers and some mango ‘ketchup’ to use up and we had a bunch of stuff that needed eating before we left and it was a beautifully warm spring day out and I really didn’t feel like doing anything inside and this just seemed to jump out of the fridge and cupboards. To boot, I had a very cranky almost four year old and she needed a project. So, I had a helper too.

I spent quite a while in Thailand pre-Poppy and I can be pretty particular about Thai food. But, I have no problem with Thai-inspired as long as it doesn’t try to pass it off as the real thing. So, this is unabashedly Thai-inspired. 

It should have loads of chilli but my main audience for this wasn’t yet four. I wouldn’t mind some sliced right in with the slaw but to make it a little milder, you could blend a little into the dressing. 

It should also have peanuts, not almonds but I was trying to use things up and I did think about going to get some but it was twenty minutes to supper and I wasn’t striving for authentic. 

And the tofu, well, did I mention I was trying to use things up? I wouldn’t normally put smoked tofu in a slaw but it worked here. You could leave it out completely but with it, this slaw becomes pretty much a meal in itself. And, you could use any firm tofu, it doesn’t have to be smoked and would likely be better if it wasn’t.

The dressing emulsifies beautifully with an immersion blender. It would in the jug of a regular blender as well. If you don’t have one, just mince the garlic and ginger. You can mix the ingredients together and strain after a couple of hours if you don’t want the bits in the dressing. You will have more dressing than you need which I don’t think is any hardship because you should find it pretty versatile. It would be pretty good on cold noodles or mixed greens for a quick salad.

This would also be a pretty good accompaniment to just about anything that comes off your barbecue this summer. 

Thai Slaw (serves 6 as a generous side dish)

2 cloves garlic chopped

1inch piece of ginger peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons brown sugar (unless you have palm sugar to hand)

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (use the unseasoned kind if you can)

4 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or another vegetable oil)

1/2 green cabbage finely sliced

1/3 red pepper (that was all I had)julienned

1/3 yellow pepper julienned

1/2 GIANT carrot (see photo, or 1 medium carrot)julienned

150 grams firm tofu (optional)cut into cubes

Handful sliced almonds (or if you have unsalted peanuts, even better)

Handful chopped cilantro/fresh coriander

Put garlic, ginger, brown sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and oil in a bowl, if you have an immersion blender, or in the blender jug and blend until smooth. 

Put all the veggies on a serving plate or bowl.

Gently saute the tofu, if you are using it, until it starts to crisp up on the outside.

Toast the almonds, or peanuts, if they aren’t already. You can do this in the oven, or in a dry pan on the stovetop.

Sprinkle the tofu, almonds and cilantro on top of the veggies.

Dress with half the vinaigrette. Toss and serve.