Crunchy, healthy cabbage is tossed with a Vietnamese-inspired dressing that is made with peanut butter, fresh lime juice, garlic and Sriracha chili sauce.
First mince the garlic and ginger. Squeeze and measure out the lime juice. Gather the peanut butter, fish sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil and sugar.
*Note: Here is a recipe for “”http://rouxbe.com/recipes/4862/text?tab=recipes">Fish-Less Fish Sauce".
To make the dressing, place the peanut butter into a bowl and add the hot water. Let it sit for a minute or so and then whisk to combine. Don’t worry if it looks split. This is normal and it will come together as you whisk.
Add the remaining ingredients. Once fully blended, taste for seasoning. Add more Sriracha sauce, if desired.
Thinly slice both cabbages and julienne the carrots. Note: While napa cabbage is great in this slaw, if you cannot find it, you can substitute with any other green cabbage.
Clean and dry the cilantro and mint and very roughly chop or tear them. With both of these ingredients you can be quite liberal. Use about 3 to 5 tablespoons each of the cilantro and mint.
Just before you are ready to serve, toss the cabbages, carrots, cilantro and mint together in a large bowl. Next, add just enough dressing to coat the ingredients. Toss evenly to coat. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
Note: Do not toss the salad in advance; otherwise, it can lose its nice, crunchy texture.
Sriracha Hot Sauce is a sweet, tangy paste made from sun-ripened chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar and salt. Though most people associate Sriracha with the plastic bottle with the rooster on the front and the green lid, it actually originated from Si Racha, Thailand. Therefore, when buying Sriracha, try to find brands that say “made in Thailand” as these are generally more authentic, superior in flavor and contain no preservatives. Be sure to check the labels.