𝑍𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑤

𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑤

𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

4 cups green cabbage, shredded 🥬
2 cups purple cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, shredded 🥕
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro 🌿
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lime juice 🍋
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 🧄
Salt and pepper to taste 🧂🌶️
Tortilla strips for garnish (optional) 🌮
Lime wedges for serving 🍋

𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

1. Prepare the Veggies:
Start by prepping all of your fresh vegetables. Using a sharp knife 🔪 or a mandoline, thinly shred 4 cups of green cabbage and 2 cups of purple cabbage 🥬. The key to a great coleslaw is getting the cabbage finely shredded so that it evenly absorbs the dressing. Place the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl 🥣. Next, peel and grate the large carrot 🥕 using a box grater or a food processor for speed. Shred the carrot until you have long, thin strands that will add sweetness and color to your coleslaw. Slice the red bell pepper 🌶️ into thin strips, ensuring all the veggies are about the same size to create a balanced texture throughout the dish. Once everything is prepped, set the bowl of veggies aside.

2. Make the Dressing:
𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘆, 𝘇𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 🌟. 𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗹, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝟭/𝟮 𝗰𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝟮 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗲 🍋, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲. 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁, 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝟭 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻, 𝟭 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭/𝟮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿 🧄. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗸𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁 🧂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 🌶️ 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘆, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘆, 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿 🌶️.

3. Toss the Slaw:
Now it’s time to bring everything together. Pour the prepared dressing over the bowl of shredded vegetables 🥬🥕. Using a pair of tongs or a large spoon 🥄, toss the slaw thoroughly, making sure each piece of cabbage, carrot, and bell pepper is coated in the dressing. This step is crucial to evenly distribute the flavor throughout the coleslaw. You want the creamy dressing to cling to the veggies, giving every bite a burst of tangy, zesty goodness 🌶️. Take your time while tossing to ensure the dressing is fully mixed with the vegetables—this will also prevent any large clumps of cabbage from sticking together.

4. Garnish with Cilantro and Tortilla Strips:
After tossing the slaw, add 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro 🌿 for a burst of herbal freshness. Cilantro adds a pop of color and a unique, bright flavor that complements the smoky spices in the dressing. Stir the cilantro into the coleslaw gently, just until it’s evenly dispersed. For a bit of extra crunch and a fun texture contrast, sprinkle some crispy tortilla strips 🌮 over the top of the slaw just before serving. If you don’t have tortilla strips, you can also use crushed tortilla chips or omit them altogether. They add a delightful crunch that pairs well with the creamy slaw.

5. Taste and Adjust Seasoning:
Before serving, taste the coleslaw and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may want to add a bit more salt 🧂 for extra flavor or an additional squeeze of lime 🍋 if you prefer more tang. The dressing should be well-balanced, with the right mix of creamy, tangy, and slightly smoky flavors. The longer the coleslaw sits, the more the flavors will meld together, so feel free to let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving for the best results. This resting time will also soften the cabbage slightly while keeping it crunchy and fresh.

6. Serve and Enjoy:
Once the Southwest coleslaw is fully tossed, seasoned, and garnished, it’s ready to serve! 🥗 Transfer the slaw to a colorful serving bowl to showcase the vibrant colors of the shredded cabbage, carrot, and bell pepper. Add lime wedges 🍋 on the side for extra zing, allowing guests to squeeze fresh lime juice over their slaw if they like. This Southwest coleslaw pairs wonderfully with grilled meats, tacos, or as a refreshing side dish for any summer gathering. Serve it cold and enjoy the perfect balance of crunch, creaminess, and zest in every bite! 😋

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀
𝗞𝗰𝗮𝗹: 𝟭𝟴𝟬 𝗸𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝟲

~ 𝑫𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒔