Ginger Carrot Slaw

Sometimes it's the side dishes that steal the show. That's what happened with this Ginger Carrot Slaw. I served grilled tuna burgers with it to friends and, while everyone happily devoured the burgers, it was the slaw they kept talking about afterwards, and several people asked me for the recipe.

The funny thing is, there's really not much to this dish — it's mostly just shredded carrots tossed with a simple dressing. But it's incredibly crunchy and the combination of sesame, fresh ginger, rice vinegar and soy sauce gives it so much flavor.

I especially love when something this healthy and simple gets people excited. This is a great dish to have in your repertoire — quick and easy to make, delicious as a side dish, and great for piling onto burgers and sandwiches.

P.S. The tuna burger recipe is coming soon!

Ingredients and Substitutions for Ginger Carrot Slaw

• Carrots: I like to shred them using a Thai vegetable peeler, but you can also shred them in a food processor. To make this recipe super easy, look for bagged shredded carrots at the market. They generally come in 10-ounce bags.
• Rice vinegar: Gives the dressing its bright, tangy flavor. Unseasoned rice vinegar is best, as seasoned rice vinegar has added sugar and salt and will throw off the flavors.
• Olive oil and toasted sesame oil: Use your everyday olive oil here. Mine is California Olive Ranch. For the sesame oil, look for toasted or roasted sesame oil. My favorite brand is Kadoya.
• Soy sauce: Adds saltiness and savory umami flavor. This recipe calls for reduced-sodium soy sauce (you can always add salt if needed). To make the slaw gluten-free, use a reduced-sodium gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, such as San-J Lite Tamari.
• Fresh ginger: This is what gives the slaw so much of its zingy flavor.
• Honey: Adds just enough sweetness to balance the vinegar, soy and ginger. For a vegan slaw, swap the honey for an equal amount of sugar or maple syrup.
• Scallions: For fresh oniony flavor and a splash of color.
• Sesame seeds: Toasted sesame seeds add another layer of sesame flavor and texture to the slaw. I also like to sprinkle some on top just before serving.

How To Shred Carrots for Slaw

If you haven't used a Thai peeler, I highly recommend trying one. I learned about this wonderful little gadget many years ago in culinary school and I've loved it ever since. It's inexpensive, easy to use, and makes beautiful long, thin carrot shreds. With so many elaborate gadgets out there for turning vegetables into "noodles," it's amazing how well this simple tool does the job.

A food processor fitted with the coarse shredding blade works really well too, as does a simple box grater.

How To Make Ginger Carrot Slaw

Make the dressing: Combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey and ginger in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the olive oil and sesame oil while whisking.

Time Saving Tip: Make the dressing in a small food processor like a Nutribullet. Roughly chop the ginger and add it to the Nutribullet with all of the dressing ingredients and process until smooth.

Assemble the slaw: Put all the slaw ingredients into a large bowl: the shredded carrots, chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Pour in the dressing and toss well to combine.

Make Ahead and Storage

This slaw is at its best and brightest the day it's made, but it will keep well in the fridge for up to three days.

You can serve it right away, but if you have time, I like to let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes before serving, tossing it once or twice, so the carrots can soak up the flavors of the dressing.

If you're making it ahead, refrigerate it until ready to serve. It's delicious chilled. Be sure to give it a good toss just before serving, as some of the dressing will pool at the bottom of the bowl.

What To Serve With Ginger Carrot Slaw

This slaw brings zest and crunch to whatever you're serving. Pile it onto burgers or sandwiches, or serve it on the side with grilled meat, chicken, fish or tofu. It's especially good with Asian food. Try it with Korean BBQ Burgers, Indonesian-spiced Grilled Lamb Chops, Yakitori Chicken Skewers or Pan-Fried Tofu with Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce.

If you try this Ginger Carrot Slaw Recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Recipe

Ginger Carrot Slaw

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• Author: Lisa Goldfinger
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 6 side dish servings 1x
• Diet: Dairy-Free, Vegetarian

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Description

A quick and easy carrot slaw with lots of crunch, zesty ginger-sesame flavor and a bright splash of color. Great for topping burgers and sandwiches or serving as a side dish with grilled and Asian-inspired meals.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Dressing

• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger from an approx. 3 inch x 1 ½ inch piece
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Slaw 

• 1 pound carrots, shredded
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. Whisk the rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil and sesame oil while whisking. Alternatively, make the dressing in a small food processor: roughly chop the ginger, add it along with all the other dressing ingredients, and process until smooth.
2. Put the carrots, scallions and toasted sesame seeds in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Serve right away or, for even more flavor, let the slaw sit for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. 

Notes

• To make this gluten-free, use a low-sodium, gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari, such as San-J Tamari.
• To make this vegan, swap the honey for an equal amount of sugar or maple syrup.
• To shred the carrots, I recommend using a Thai vegetable peeler. It's inexpensive and is a wonderful tool for hand-shredding carrots (and other veggies too). It's easy to use and there's no setup or cleanup. You can also use a food processor fitted with the coarse shredding disc, or even a simple box grater will work.
• If you can't find toasted sesame seeds, you can toast raw sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until slightly colored. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to toss the seeds in the skillet for another minute so they continue to toast in the residual heat.
• Make ahead and storage: This slaw is at its best the day it's made but will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Toss well before serving.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: No Cook
• Cuisine: Asian-inspired