Spicy Pineapple Slaw
This spicy pineapple slaw recipe has crisp cabbage mixed with mild jalapenos, sweet pineapple, and a citrus dressing for a no mayo coleslaw.
Ingredients
Pineapple Slaw:
- ½ head green cabbage, shredded, about 4 cups
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, see note
- 2 medium carrots, shredded, about a cup
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ whole pineapple, diced, about 2 cups
- 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and diced small
Lime Dressing:
- ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
Directions
- The first step is optional if you have time, but I recommend it for crispier cabbage and a longer shelf-life. Shred ½ head green cabbage into a colander and mix it with a tablespoon of kosher salt. Let it drain for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Rinse under cold water before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
- While the cabbage is sitting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Julienne 2 medium carrots, dice half a pineapple about a ½”, thinly slice half the red onion, finely dice the 2 seeded jalapenos, and finely chop the mint leaves. I like to soak the red onion in cold water for 5-10 minutes as well, to remove some of the bite from raw onion.
- Once the cabbage is drained and rinsed, you can pat it dry with some paper towels. Add the cabbage, carrots, onion, jalapeno, and pineapple into a large, non-reactive (not metal) mixing bowl and gently mix.
- Now make the dressing by combining 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, ¼ cup chopped mint leaves, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder. You can whisk everything together in a bowl, or place everything into a small mason jar and shake vigorously.
- Add the dressing to the slaw mix and gently stir together to combine.
- You can serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve, giving everything another toss before serving. If you have time, I recommend refrigerating at least 3-4 hours before serving as it gives the ingredients time to mellow together and the flavors deepen.
Equipment Used
Notes
1) Shredding Cabbage – Chop a head of cabbage in half and remove the hard core. To shred cabbage, you can do it by hand with a sharp knife, but this is more difficult and inconsistent. I recommend a vegetable peeler, a mandolin, or a food processor if it has a shredding disc attachment.
2) Salting Cabbage – This is an optional stop in the directions if you have time. Tossing the shredded cabbage with a tablespoon of kosher salt and letting it rest will draw a lot of water out of the cabbage. This helps keep the cabbage crispier and lengthens the time before the slaw becomes too soggy.
Salting the cabbage and then rinsing it seems counter-intuitive to removing water, but it’s the water from inside the cell walls of the cabbage you’re trying to remove. You must rinse it to remove the excess salt, but once rinsed you should squeeze it dry, pat it down with paper towels, or use a salad spinner.
3) Pre-packaged Ingredients – While I like to use fresh fruits and vegetables, feel free to use packaged options as well. This can save money and time if you need a quick version. Look for a pre-shredded coleslaw mix with cabbage and carrots in the grocery store near where they sell packaged lettuce mixes. You can also use canned pineapple either diced or rings, but you may need to cut them a bit more. Buy canned pineapple packed in juice instead of syrup though.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sideCalories: 58kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1040mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gCalcium: 35mgIron: 0.5mg
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