Tonight I gussied up an old favorite recipe for an Oriental cabbage slaw. It's been a favorite for years. So what's been the knock on this tasty salad?
The flavor is amazing but quite honestly, it always looks kinda bland and boring. The pale brownish-green color reminds me of socks that should have been presoaked.
So I zinged it up with a punch of color and I love the new look! Check out those beautiful jewel tones!
I'm on a cabbage kick and it seems most of America is too. And why not? A head of cabbage is a bargain. Cabbage is rich in antioxidants, it lasts a long time in the refrigerator, and is the most Changeable Charlie of all veggies.
Cabbage has found its way into the schmaltziest restaurants and is the new darling of cooking shows on TV. This cruciferous vegetable, once the staple of only the poorest kitchen, is now enjoying rock-star status.
Crisp, delicious green cabbage is the foundation of this old favorite. The one we've loved for years. But it needed some pizazz. The solution was right in my crisper drawer!
Purple cabbage and carrots added so much color! Like choosing the right accessory for an outfit, this simple addition made it a standout! What's more, it did not change the flavor profile, just made it look better on the plate!
Ramen noodles, from your old starving-college-student days, are the base of the slightly sweet, crunchy part of this salad. Recently, two of the top ramen noodle brands relabeled "Oriental" as "soy-flavored".
Apparently, it is a move to more accurately depict the flavor because there are so many different sauces in Asian cuisine.
Soy is by far the most popular in the U.S. and this is the flavor you'll want to choose for this recipe. Set aside the flavor packets for the dressing. Now on to making the topping!
Melt butter in a skillet and add the brown sugar. Crunch up the uncooked noodles into small pieces and heat them along with the almonds and sunflower seeds until everything is a little bit toasty and lightly browned.
The butter and brown sugar create a crisp, tasty glaze on everything. Set aside to cool. I always snitch a little when I make it, I'm not lying!
Combine dressing ingredients in your favorite salad dressing shaker or a small glass jar and mix or shake it like crazy until everything is combined.
All you need to do is toss together the cabbage and carrots, drizzle on the dressing and stir it all together. Wait until serving time to add the crunchy topping and mix it in.
Hint: This salad is best when it's all eaten on the day that you serve it. The crunchy doesn't stay crunchy in the refrigerator!
Here's what I do when I make it for just Papa and me. The slaw itself keeps well in the fridge for a few days. I keep the topping separate in a zip lock bag and add it to part of the salad when we eat it. Crunch, crunch, crunch, yeah!
That's it! You may want to add sesame seeds to the topping or some green onion to the slaw, you know, make it your own! We like the soy dressing on the sweet side, you may want to adjust the sweetness for your family.
Colorful Cabbage Slaw with a slightly sweet soy dressing and a crunchy glazed noodle and almond topping.
This would be something unique and interesting to serve at your Thanksgiving get-together. Do you have a favorite recipe for cabbage? When I was growing up, Scandinavian style sweet and sour red cabbage was always on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas too!!
I'll share that recipe with you soon along with some of our other favorites!
If you enjoyed this recipe today, please share it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. I’d sure be tickled and ever so grateful, thank you!
Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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