by amanda
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Photo by Sarah Shatz
1/2 to 1 napa cabbage, trimmed and very thinly sliced (about 8 cups) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons basil leaves, thinly sliced (or torn) Ask a question about this ingredient
3 scallions, thinly sliced Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lemon and lime) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon grated ginger Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons mayonnaise Ask a question about this ingredient
Salt Ask a question about this ingredient
4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
Combine the sliced cabbage, almonds, sesame seeds, basil, and scallions in a large bowl. Mix together.
Ask a question about this stepWhisk together the lemon juice, ginger, and mayonnaise. Season with salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until smooth.
Ask a question about this stepPour most but not all of the dressing over the cabbage mixture, and toss until lightly coated with the dressing. Taste, and add more dressing or seasoning as needed. Feel free to add more oil or mayo if desired. Eat soon. The cabbage gets watery as it wilts.
Ask a question about this stepGlad you commented -- you should add the recipe to the site, it sounds terrific.
Amanda...friends and I on an art retreat (with the emphasis on "eat") made your summer slaw and voted it one of the best of our 6 day stay. We used savoy cabbage because I thought the napa was a bit too "lettuce-y." Of course, it was fine. The flavor was so delicate and refreshing with the ginger, and the tiny amount of Hellman's mayo gave it all the creaminess it needed. Thank you so much!
Delighted to hear this -- and I'll have to try it with savoy. I love savoy and don't eat enough of it!
I had a cabbage I have to use in the fridge, so I used it instead of napa. I also used cilantro, chopped hazel nuts. It still came out really refreshing and so summer!
Just beautiful -- and imagine the delicious 'crunch' as a well sharpened chef's knife slices into that cabbage. My cooking mantra is 'notice ALL the benefits of preparing good things to eat.'
Napa cabbage is very satisfying to slice because it's so light and crisp -- and you don't have to work all that hard.
Stephanie is the Head Recipe Tester of Food52.
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Napa cabbage: looking like an exotic sea plant.
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You can shave with a mandoline -- I like using my handy chef's knife. Those are toasted almonds on the left.
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My cabbage was a little scruffy, so I gave it a wash after slicing (and dried it in a salad spinner -- you want it very dry before dressing it).
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Toasted sesame seeds, basil, lemon and ginger -- some of the rest of the slaw team.
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Sliced scallions.
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Adding the sesame seeds to the mix.
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Shredding basil.
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I use a spoon to scrape the skin from a knob of ginger.
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Grating ginger and looking away. Not recommended at home.
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I use both lemon juice and zest.
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And no slaw is complete without a little Hellmann's.
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So far, the dressing is lemon juice, zest, mayonnaise, and now some oil.
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It starts out looking like this, then gets very smooth.
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My work space.
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All mixed up!
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I doubled the amount of cabbage, and used a cucumber-chili aioli instead of mayonnaise, and forgot to add the basil, so maybe I shouldn't even comment . . . but everyone liked it. It's nice it wasn't too sweet and the flavor was quite mild.