Recipe Note

Make ahead:

The ingredients can be prepped and kept undressed up to 1 day ahead and the dressed slaw can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Variations & Ideas:

Sesame-lime slaw with ginger

Sesame, in the form of both toasted seeds and oil, enriches this slaw and makes it a partner to any Asian-style dish.

SPICE BLEND

• 11⁄2 teaspoons white sesame seeds, preferably unhulled (5 grams)
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (3 grams)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger (1 gram)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder; 1 gram)

Mix together the sesame seeds, nigella seeds, ginger, and amchoor. Use this spice blend instead of the main spice blend in the slaw recipe.

Follow the slaw recipe, substituting 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice for the lemon juice and adding 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon fish sauce along with the olive oil in step 2.

Slaw with anise seeds and tangy tamarind dressing

Both tamarind and sumac offer sour notes, the former with a funky fruitiness, the latter with floral notes. The combination makes this slaw ideal for pairing with sweet and savory main dishes.

SPICE BLEND

• 11⁄2 teaspoons dill seeds (3 grams) 
• 3⁄4 teaspoon sumac (2 grams)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Urfa pepper (1 gram) 
• 3⁄4 teaspoon anise (2 grams)

Finely grind the dill seeds, sumac, and Urfa together and immediately mix with the whole anise. Use this spice blend instead of the main spice blend in the slaw recipe.

Follow the slaw recipe, substituting 2 tablespoons tamarind paste for the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil for the olive oil in step 2.

Cabbage, carrot, and apple sauté with mustard seeds

Here the slaw vegetables are cooked until al dente. This hot side dish works well with any rich main dish—I think it is especially good with quick-seared pork chops.

Follow the slaw recipe through step 1. Coat a large, deep skillet or large, wide saucepan with olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the slaw mixture, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, stir well, and season to taste with salt. Serve warm.

Creamy slaw with labne-tahini dressing

In my version of a creamy slaw, labne and tahini replace the traditional mayonnaise. The labne has a tangy edge and the tahini a nutty richness that make this salad very satisfying; use plain Greek yogurt if labne is not available.

Follow the slaw recipe through step 1. In step 2, whisk 21⁄2 tablespoons labne or plain Greek yogurt and 3 tablespoons tahini with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl until well blended. Pour over the slaw and toss until evenly coated. Season to taste with salt.