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Carrot Peanut Slaw has a twist on a southern classic. This slaw has lime juice, grated ginger, and chopped dried mango for a tropical twist to the classic side dish.

I know what you’re thinking. Because someone else already pointed it out to me. “Coleslaw? For the holidays?” I don’t see why not. Cabbage and carrots have two seasons. They are late fall and early spring. So, it’s easy to have fresh, in season cabbage and carrots for this delicious slaw for the holidays.

What is coleslaw?

For those that don’t know, though I’m not sure who that would be, coleslaw is shredded cabbage with dressing. It could be a vinegar-based coleslaw or the other mayonnaise-based kind. The mayonnaise-based dressing is more typical for this country and this time period. Though that wasn’t always the case.

The traditional spelling is coleslaw as one word. However, some spell it cole slaw. And some, like me, just call it slaw. The cole part is assumed at this point. The name, I think, is derived from the Dutch koolsla which means cabbage salad. Makes sense, right?

Where did coleslaw come from?

From what I can gather, it’s a Dutch creation. The Dutch pretty much founded New York and successfully grew cabbage around the Hudson River. I can attest to the soil in Upstate New York being great for growing cabbage. I went to school in Rochester and saw the BIGGEST heads of cabbage. They made amazing cabbage rolls. Just saying.

Now some might argue that the Ancient Romans created something like coleslaw. They served up a dish that had cabbage, vinegar, eggs (weird) and spices. I guess you could call is a coleslaw of some sorts. The eggs really throw me though. It’s not like they’re popular in coleslaw. Potato and macaroni salad yes. Coleslaw, no. But to each their own, I guess. 

Of all the different variations, cabbage is the only table throughout all of the slaw recipes. And since there’s 14 different pseudo common kinds of cabbage, that can vary greatly based on what’s available and what’s in season. Of course, there’s green and red cabbage. Savoy cabbage and Napa cabbage are usually popular in Asian recipes along with bok choy. When you say cabbage bok choy doesn’t come to mind, but it is a cabbage. 

Then there’s some interesting variations like the kale leaf cabbage. Tuscan cabbage looks like chard to do. The January King cabbage looks like a jewel with all it’s red and green colors. There’s Portuguese cabbage that doesn’t look like cabbage at all. It just forms leaves like kale does but never a “head” per se. So, you can see even though cabbage is the common ingredient in all slaw recipes, there’s even a wide variety of cabbages to use.

What are some other common coleslaw ingredients?

This carrot peanut slaw has, well, carrots and peanuts in there. It also has some green onion, dried mango, lime juice, and ginger. This makes for a Caribbean style party in your mouth. And the peanuts add a great crunch to an already crunchy side dish. 

Other common ingredients for coleslaw are bacon, bell peppers, pineapple, pickles, onions, and herbs. I don’t think I’ve had bacon in coleslaw before. That’s something I should try. I’ve not put bell peppers, but I have put jalapenos on there. And I’ve put onions and pineapple. My colada slaw has coconut chips, crushed pineapple, and macadamia nuts in there.

I’ve also made a garlic radish slaw, a blue cheese radish slaw, and a green onion coleslaw. Apparently, I like radishes in slaw. I mean, I like radishes anyway, but for some reason I really like them in coleslaw. Of course, these are slaw recipes I made for the blog. My go to recipe is a standard Nana recipe. Maybe I’ll share that one someday. It has a secret ingredient in it. 

 

What is barbecue slaw or red slaw?

Okay. I totally stumbled on these when I was research slaw. North Carolina barbecue is not a stranger to me. We used to get NC barbecue every time we went to Florida for a family vacation. I don’t recall EVER having this slaw on any of our travels. 

Barbecue slaw or red slaw gets its red color from ketchup in the dressing. And a little bit of hot sauce in there, too. Some might substitute the ketchup for actual barbecue sauce. Either way, there’s a tomato product in there somewhere making it red. 

Created around the 1920s, red slaw or barbecue slaw wasn’t widely accepted. As I’m sure you can well imagine. The rest of the States and most of the world didn’t even consider ketchup as part of the slaw dressing recipe. However, we make what we know, and this is a slaw that Dell Yarborough apparently ate at home.

Red slaw is very popular in the Piedmont/Lexington area of North Carolina. It isn’t meant to contrast the spicy barbecue of the area like typical slaws. Red slaw has the similar ingredients of the popular vinegar-based barbecue of the area. So, while you’re mouth is kicking with those flavors in your sandwich you can have a bite of similar in the slaw. 

 

What does carrot peanut slaw taste like? 

It’s super crunchy!! From the cabbage and carrots to the peanuts there is so much crunch in there. The lime juice and ginger are a refreshing kick to traditional slaw. Then the hidden ingredient of dried mango is sweet and complement the ginger and lime. It’s a delicious slaw that is great freshly made or even better the next day as the mango absorbs the dressing.

Here are more Side Dish recipes:

• 1 Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Apple Stuffing Muffin Cups from Blogghetti
• Braised Red Cabbage with Cranberry and Juniper from Palatable Pastime
• Carrot Peanut Slaw from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Creamy Kale and Corn from Magical Ingredients
• Garlic Parmesan Green Beans from Cookaholic Wife
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Cranberries from Jen Around the World
• Skillet Corn from Devour Dinner
• Roasted Butternut Squash & Rice Salad from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Whole Roasted Squash from Art of Natural Living