Recipe: Vegan Cole Slaw

I just invented my first (on purpose) vegan recipe that is good enough to share! I've invented a few others that weren't even worth repeating, much less sharing, but this one is excellent.

I've been loving me some cabbage lately. Last week, I roasted some and it was superb. This week, I wanted to go with something raw instead. And what better dish for raw cabbage than cole slaw?

The challenge was the sauce, which is usually mayonnaise-based. The eggs were out with a vegan diet. Oil and salt were out with the Eat to Live Challenge. I did a little research but all the mayonnaise replacements I found had oil in them. So, I got creative.

Ingredients
For the salad:
1 head of cabbage (I used half red and half Savoy)
1 medium onion
1 apple
Carrots (I used 5 small ones)

For the dressing:
3/4 cup raw cashews
1 large clove garlic
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup vinegar of your choice (I used red wine)
1 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp dill seed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

• Soak the cashews in water overnight.
• Slice the cabbage, onions, apple, and carrots however you'd like to. I sliced everything thinly, including the carrots.
• Drain any excess water off the cashews and put aside. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add back the cashew water as needed to get the sauce to your desired consistency.
• Add the sauce to the sliced vegetables and toss until they are coated.
• Enjoy!

I made a few dressing recipes from Eat for Health but they were all so bland. This one is incredible. The cashews make it creamy and a little sweet, the garlic adds some zest, the lemon and vinegar balance the fat in the cashews, and the dill and fennel provide great flavor. SO GOOD! Someone please try it and tell me what you think.

The finished product is beautiful and delicious.