In Zimbabwe if you ask for a salad, I am 99% sure you will get coleslaw. It was only in high school that I learnt it was called coleslaw salad otherwise it was just salad. Coleslaw salad is for special meals like Christmas usually as a side dish with rice and chicken. Almost all the parties and weddings I attended in Zimbabwe served coleslaw salad, granted I am not a party person so it’s not that many. Cabbage is really inexpensive and the dressing is sold ready-made so it almost a no brainer for feeding many. Besides anyone can make coleslaw salad.
The coleslaw salad we make in Zimbabwe has tomatoes in it, which I have not seen here in Bermuda. Here it is usually cabbage and carrots. The dressing is a lot sweeter than what we grew up eating which usually feels awkward for me. Tomatoes tend to be watery so I de-seed them and cube them. I prefer everything fresh, I once bought the shredded cabbage and carrots and we could not eat the salad, you could tell it had been siting in the fridge for a long time. I use my grater for everything and it only takes a few minutes.
I make the coleslaw dressing each time we have it for dinner. The ingredients are things that are staples in my kitchen. This works out for me, instead of buying a whole container of coleslaw dressing that I will use maybe once in two months does not make sense. As well as the added benefit of making the dressing taste to fit my current mood.
With my vegetables and dressing ready I just mix everything together and place in the refrigerator until we are ready to eat. I think a coleslaw can be anything you want it to be, so if you like kale or collards add them to it.
Coleslaw Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cabbage grated
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
- 1 apple julienned
-
1 to
mato
de-seeded and cubed
Dressing - 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
Instructions
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In a large bowl combine the cabbage, carrots, tomato, onion and apple.
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In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar and salt. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss until fully coated.
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Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving and up to 2 days (or until coleslaw is soggy).
