This is a classic, “Hmmm, there’s nothing to eat in my house. But I want a salad. What to do?” kind of dish. You’ll note that I don’t call it “slaw,” because in my mind, “slaw” contains green cabbage and lots of mayonnaise. Since this is based on a vinaigrette and whatever happens to be in the refrigerator, it feels more like a salad to me. It’s fast, easy, and infinitely variable.
Carrot and Red Cabbage Salad
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1 or 2 scallions, or to taste
handful of herbs (your choice), chopped
juice of one lemon, or 2 T mild vinegar, like rice wine or white wine vinegar
2 T or so olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine everything. Let it sit for half an hour or so, then adjust the flavorings to suit. Then eat.
Carrot and Red Cabbage Salad, Thai-style
Add a hot pepper, chopped, and a cucumber. Instead of lemon juice and olive oil, douse the whole thing with about 1/4 c of nouc nam (fish sauce) and a splash of rice vinegar. Of course, if you do this, it’s no longer vegetarian.
This would be even faster with a mandoline, but I fear for my fingers and therefore stick to knives.
