Lowcountry Pickled Coleslaw

Recipe from Ben Moïse

Adapted by Kim Severson

Published June 30, 2015

  • Hunter McRae for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes, plus chilling time
Rating
4(451)
Comments
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Ben Moïse, a retired game warden in South Carolina, has been serving a version of this coleslaw at his Frogmore stew parties for years. The hot, boiled dressing softens the cabbage and pickles it slightly. The result is a salad that stays delicious even when it sits outside on a picnic table for a few hours. The amount of vegetables can vary, and a finely chopped jalapeño can be added for a little extra heat. —Kim Severson

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

FOR THE SLAW

  • 5 cups chopped green cabbage (½-inch pieces)

  • 2 cups chopped purple cabbage (½-inch pieces)

  • ½ heaping cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion

  • ½ cup finely diced carrot

  • ½ cup finely diced red bell or other sweet pepper

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1 large clove garlic

  • ½ tablespoon salt, more to taste

  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger

  • ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar

  • ½ cup olive oil

FOR SERVING

  • Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lime

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

4 grams carbs; 137 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 163 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the slaw: Put the chopped and diced vegetables in a bowl or other container that will fit in the refrigerator.

  2. Step 2

    Make the dressing: Crush the garlic, and with the side of a knife work the salt into the clove until it makes a rough paste. Add the garlic paste, ginger, vinegar, oil and ⅓ cup water to a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 1 or 2 minutes, then pour over the vegetables, tossing well to combine. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

  3. Step 3

    Just before serving, toss with the lime juice and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and add salt if needed.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
451 user ratings
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Comments

Lesley

You may need to wait until the dressing is completely cooled before adding. My first attempt at this recipe resulted in a soggy slaw. I may reduce the amount of water in the dressing when I try this again. The ginger was a nice twist to my usual slaw recipes.

Carol

Used less than 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt with clove of garlic and a sprinkle of dried ginger. Once the cabbage the s salted it releases its own water. May have benefitted from a touch of honey or sugar, but overall amount of cabbage needs half the amount of dressing suggest.

Catherine DiNardo

Substituted purple-skinned kohlrabi for the purple cabbage and used scallions from the farm for the onion. Very, very nice recipe -- went great with the venison we served (sous vide for 2 hours and finished with a cast-iron pan sear with butter and herbs).

Quinnbob

Do NOT let the dressing cool all the way as some commenters recommended. The hot dressing is what gives the cabbage its pickled texture. I make often, using red wine vinegar and omitting the ginger.

Jessica

I did not like this slaw. It had too much going on. Also, it takes too long prepare

WillKS

A new favorite, and an important one, as I love coleslaw and my wife hates it with mayonnaise. I did not understand why the dressing needed to be cooked, but it works. The water seems to evaporate: I did not have trouble with sogginess as others have mentioned. Lime juice added an essential element, but we needed more hot, so added hot sauce at the table. I'll adjust for this in the dressing next time....

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Credits

Adapted from Ben Moïse

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