Vietnamese-style carrot and cabbage slaw
This salad packs a punch. Sriracha is an Asian hot sauce that’s typically made from chilli peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It is increasingly available in supermarkets and Asian food shops in the UK but replace with a hot chilli sauce if you can’t find it, or reduce or omit entirely if you’re not keen on the heat. Riverford Cook Anna Colquhoun developed this recipe while living in San Francisco, inspired by the city’s many talented Vietnamese chefs. You need to taste the dressing as you go, adjusting the sugar, salt and lime juice to taste.
Ingredients
- for the dressing:
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 shallot, chopped (or a quarter of a red onion if you have no shallots)
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp Sriracha chilli sauce, or to taste (or omit altogether)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- for the slaw:
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks, or coarsely grated
- ¼–½ green or white cabbage, depending on its size (the firmer and crunchier the better), cored and finely shredded
- 4 shallots, finely sliced
- 2 red chillies, halved, seeded and finely sliced
- large handful of coriander leaves, or Thai basil leaves
- large handful of roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped or pounded in a mortar
Method
-
Step 1
First make the dressing: use a pestle and mortar to grind the garlic, shallot, sugar and salt until you have a paste. Alternatively, blitz them in a spice grinder, or bash them in a sturdy bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, Sriracha and oil.
-
Step 2
Taste and add more sugar, salt or lime juice as you like. Toss all the prepared vegetables together with the dressing. If possible, leave to sit for an hour or even overnight – this salad improves with time. Give another good mix and serve garnished with the coriander leaves and peanuts.