Thai Coleslaw

Thai coleslaw. It is something that you do not hear that often. I started thinking about this coleslaw when I had my mind on making Thai pla rad prik, a whole fried fish served with a great Thai sauce on top. When I had asked my wife if she wanted this great Thai sauce on top, she declined, and this is what pushed me to come up with great Thai flavors that would balance out this fried whole fish. Now if you have never had a fried whole fish before, I highly recommend it, but I will get to that later. Right now, let’s focus on this Thai coleslaw.

When I first thought of this recipe, I wanted a great crunch in the vegetables, along with a dressing that would lightly coat the vegetables. Not only that, but I really wanted that whole sweet, spicy, sour combination that Thai flavors excel at to come out in this recipe. At first I was hesitant if my wife would love this dish as she is not the biggest fan of fish sauce, but wow, was she ever impressed.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tbsp palm sugar, or light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp good fish sauce
• 1 whole Thai chili, lightly smashed
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste

Ingredients for the coleslaw:

• 1 whole carrot, julienned
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 whole red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 small head of radicchio lettuce, thinly sliced
• 1 small kohlrabi, trimmed, julienned
• 1 cup of bean sprouts, washed
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Start by making the dressing. Add everything to a bowl, and stir well. Add to a small skillet, and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes, then set aside to cool.  Remove the Thai chili pepper.

Next, prepare the coleslaw ingredients and toss everything into a large mixing bowl.

Pour the dressing over the coleslaw, give a good mix, and set aside for 3o minutes prior to serving. When you are ready to serve, pour over the peanuts, and give a gentle stir.

Everything about this coleslaw is freaking amazing, and if you love Thai food, you are going to love this one. It’s everything you would probably expect in a coleslaw but then you get that impact of the sweet, sour, and mildly spicy. My wife, and I were loving this one. If you are looking for something different to make this summer, give this one a shot. Plus, you get the bonus of adding a few more ingredients to your Asian pantry, and to me, that is alright! Hope you enjoy.

Thai Coleslaw

Dax Phillips

A great spin on a classic coleslaw with Thai infused flavors

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Sides

Cuisine Thai

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• Ingredients for the dressing:
• 2 limes juiced
• 2 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp good fish sauce
• 1 whole Thai chili lightly smashed
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• Ingredients for the coleslaw:
• 1 whole carrot julienned
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh mint chopped
• 1/2 whole red bell pepper julienned
• 1 small head of radicchio lettuce thinly sliced
• 1 small kohlrabi trimmed, julienned
• 1 cup of bean sprouts washed
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Instructions

 

• Start by making the dressing. Add everything to a bowl, and stir well. Add to a small skillet, and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes, then set aside to cool. Remove the Thai chili pepper.
• Next, prepare the coleslaw ingredients and toss everything into a large mixing bowl.
• Pour the dressing over the coleslaw, give a good mix, and set aside for 3o minutes prior to serving. When you are ready to serve, pour over the peanuts, and give a gentle stir.