Mexican slaw is the perfect companion to your Mexican food fiesta! Shredded cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, pepitas, and the yummiest creamy avocado dressing to top it off. You’ll love this simple and fresh side dish that is Paleo, Vegan, Keto, and Whole30.
Cabbage is having a moment at this point in time, I am here to take full advantage of that. As a nutritionist, cabbage is one of my staple recipes I keep on hand at all times! It’s loaded with fiber and antioxidants, and has a delicious crunch. I love it for an easy slaw (my Asian Slaw is another variation we eat on repeat), or to saute as an easy side dish.
With my heart still mourning the loss of our cancelled trip to Mexico, and my brain and gut craving all things Mexican food to compensate, I created a Mexican slaw recipe to make me feel better. And it worked wonders!!
Shredded veggies like bell pepper, slaw mix, red onion, and fresh cilantro were the perfect base for an amazingly creamy Avocado Cilantro Dressing. The added crunch of pumpkin seeds was everything I wanted in a salad. I promptly inhaled a large bowl for lunch and kept craving it all week!
Needless to say, I knew you all needed this recipe.STAT. So here we go!
How to make Mexican Slaw:
I started by making my Avocado Cilantro Dressing. This is a blended up concoction of avocado, cilantro, cumin, avocado oil, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, sea salt, and some water.
Now gather up these simple ingredients:
- 1 package shredded cabbage/slaw mix (I used Trader Joe’s)
- red bell pepper, sliced
- diced red onion
- fresh cilantro
- pumpkin seeds (Pepitas)
- Creamy Avocado Dressing
Toss the dressing together with the salad ingredients and serve.
Adaptations/Variations:
- Bell Pepper: can easily be taken out, feel free to swap in a different type of pepper, or add in something like corn or tomatoes.
- Jalapeños: would be delicious in the dressing or in the slaw! Dice up one small jalapeño (without seeds)
- Tomatoes: I chopped tomatoes another time I made this, and loved this addition.
- Black Beans: Feel free to add in black beans for a protein source or boost of fiber.
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Mexican Slaw
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 avocado
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
For the Mexican Slaw:
- 6 cups Shredded green and purple cabbage*
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced thinly
- 1/2 medium sized red onion diced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
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Begin by making the dressing: place the avocado, garlic, vinegar, pepitas, cumin, lime juice, water, salt, and cilantro into a high powered blender or food processor. Begin to blend, and while the motor is running, slowly pour in the oil. If the dressing feels too thick, add additional water by the tablespoon.
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Toss the salad ingredients: cabbage, red pepper, onion, cilantro, and pepitas into a large bowl. Start with one cup of the dressing, and toss in until the salad is coated. If you need more dressing, add by the tablespoon. Continue to stir and toss until well combined.
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Sprinkle a little sea salt to taste and serve.
Recipe Notes
*I used a prepackaged slaw from Trader Joe’s that included green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots. You can use prepackaged slaw, or chop half a head of green cabbage and purple cabbage in small shreds.
This is delicious. Made the NYT Slow cooker honey chipotle chicken and this paired perfectly with it. Will become a regular in our home!
SO GOOD! Pairs well with any Mexican dish! My son even liked it! Bonus!!