Creamy Crunchy Cajun Slaw
my favorite coleslaw recipe
I do a lot of cooking for my Va-Va-Vegan clients in addition to my own family and friends. Over the past decade-plus, I have developed dozens of fun and delicious recipes, and one of my personal favies is the Creamy Crunchy Cajun Slaw.
A couple of friends have asked about the Cajun Slaw — and the Cajun Dressing, which can be used on other salads or even as a dip — so I’m making the recipe available for here!
Obviously, you can make this slaw with regular mayonnaise and dairy sour cream, but I recommend making it as written first. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the rich taste and satisfying texture. My Cashew Créme base for the dressing is so yummy!
And honestly, making the Drunken Fruits was such a great idea I had around December 2022; these little morsels provide a lovely flavor burst to contrast the creaminess and smokiness.
Also, I know many carnivores who are endeavoring to improve their health by limiting certain foods like meat and dairy in their diet. You may be one of those folks!
This Cajun Slaw makes a hearty entrée; simply add half a cup of cooked, drained chickpeas to each two-cup serving of slaw. And it’s a delicious side dish to accompany my BBQ Pulled “Pork,” Creole Black-Eyed Peas, or Un-Crabby Patties with Creamy Cajun Rémoulade.
Gee, all this writing about food and looking a food photos is kinda making me hungry (or at least ready to start prepping something for dinner)! So, here is the recipe in a fun image I edited:
And here is the text version for you to copy and paste into your own document, then format with your favorite recipe font and print the document for future reference!
CREAMY CRUNCHY CAJUN SLAW
INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup Dried Fruits (for Drunken Fruits, see below)
1/2 head Green Cabbage
1/2 head Purple Cabbage
1 large Red Onion
2 - 3 Carrots, shredded
1 - 2 Crisp Apples or Pears, chopped
2/3 cup Smoked Almonds, chopped coarsely
Cajun Dressing (see below)
METHOD:
Make the Drunken Fruits:
The night before you make the slaw, chop into small pieces any combination of dried cherries, cranberries, and apricots. Oh heck, put in some dried lingonberries! Place fruits in a glass bowl and add wine or Champagne, then cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
Make the Slaw:
Slice cabbages and onion thinly then cut the long slices to smaller pieces to the size of your liking, and place it all in a very large mixing bowl. Add shredded carrots, chopped apple/pear, and chopped smoked almonds to the mixing bowl. It’s smelling delicious already!
Make the Cajun Dressing:
2/3 cup Cashew Créme, see below (or use half vegan mayo and half vegan sour cream)
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Agave Syrup
2 Tbsp Benoit’s Salt-Free Cajun Spice Blend (or your favorite Cajun Spice)
1 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar, or other light-colored vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped, or used dried Parsley
1 - 2 tsp Smoked Paprika, to taste (I prefer more!)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt-free general seasoning (I use Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place Dressing ingredients in a medium-small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Remove Drunken Fruits from the fridge and drain off all the excess drunkenness. Squeeze the fruits a bit with your hands until they’re not dripping with booze, then add them to the big bowl.
Add dressing to the big bowl and mix the slaw thoroughly. I would eat some slaw immediately!
Keep the Cajun Slaw refrigerated in a covered bowl. It will be good for a week if vegan, but only about 3 days if you have used any animal products (like egg-based mayo and dairy sour cream).
Cashew Créme: In a high-power blender, add 1 cup raw cashews, 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 2 Tbsp Champagne vinegar, a bit of garlic powder and onion powder. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Use more water if you please to produce a thinner créme.
Please let me know if you make this recipe and how it turns out!
As always, I wish you excellent health, well-being, and life-affirming creativity!💖
Sounds creative and good, I will pass this around.
Sounds delicious!!! Have you ever thought of creating a cookbook to sell with all your recipes?