Coleslaw With Apples and Poppy Seeds

Crunchy and fresh, with that straight-from-the-fridge chill on the bowl – a big scoop of really good coleslaw is an easy way to round out anything you happen to be cooking. The milder taste goes perfectly with anything spicy (jerk chicken, anyone?), but it’s just as good with a classic burger and fries, or whatever else is on the menu for tonight. And it doesn’t even take any cooking, so it’s a no-brainer for those days when the heat is unbearable enough without turning on the oven.

In this recipe I’ve jazzed up the basic cabbage-and-mayo formula with some tasty extras: apple slices to add a little sweetness, bell pepper to make it juicier, and poppy seeds to add a fresh new twist to the dressing. Using both red and green cabbage will add more color to the slaw, but if you don’t have red, just substitute with more green – it’ll still taste delicious.

If you’re really serious about coleslaw chemistry, you can get some extremely in-depth tips from The Food Lab here on everything from pre-salting the cabbage to the almost-undetectable differences between the different types. But if you’re just looking for something quick and easy for dinner, the beauty of coleslaw is that you don’t have to stress about salting technique to get a delicious, crunchy salad. Just chop everything up, toss it together, and pop it in the fridge to chill – an hour later, you’ll be enjoying your delicious slaw, completely hassle-free.

Coleslaw With Apples and Poppy Seeds Recipe

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Ingredients

• 2 cups green cabbage, shredded;
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded;
• ½ cup shredded carrot;
• 1 red apple, cored and chopped;
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped;
• 2 green onions, finely chopped;
• ½ cup orange bell pepper, chopped;
• ¼ cup homemade mayonnaise;
• 3 tbsp. olive oil;
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar;
• Juice of ½ lemon;
• 1 tbsp. poppy seeds;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Preparation

1. Combine the green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, green onion, bell pepper, and apple in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Refrigerate for at least one hour and serve cold.