I tried my hand at making Tom Yum soup the other night. I had tried it before, and realized that my local Thai Thai restaurant makes the very best, and every time I try to recreate their comforting creation that is known as the chicken soup for the soul of Asia, I realize they do it the best…so stop trying. (Though a link to my attempt is here.) With that I had about 3/4 of a head of cabbage left over (as I always add a side of steamed veggies to my soup.)

Gary isn’t a big cabbage fan, and even less one of cole slaw, so my job was to create something that would be both tasty for him and help utilize our leftovers. This spicy slaw came out just perfect, and was the perfect side dish to grilled chicken marinated in olive oil, white wine and lots of fresh herbs. I made the slaw early in the day as well, to really let the flavors meld with the cabbage.

Serve with a refreshing white wine, like a juicy Pinot Grigio from Tiefenbrunner in Alto Adige or a crisp Muller Thurgau.

Recipe:

Siracha and Sambal Slaw
Ingredients:
1 head of Cabbage, shredded (as I noted, I had about 3/4 of a head of cabbage, but a little more or less is fine)
2 green onions, sliced very, very thin, dark green parts only
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, I used cilantro, mint and basil
1/2 cup reduced fat mayo, you could also use 1/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, but then omit the lemon juice
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (traditional slaw uses apple cider vinegar, which you can substitute here as well)
splash white wine
1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek
1-2 teaspoons Siracha, to your taste
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
pinch sugar
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each salt & black pepper

Preparation:
Add the shredded cabbage, green onions and herbs to a bowl and toss with lemon, salt and pepper.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Toss together with the cabbage and herbs. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, so the flavors meld. Serve under grilled fish, chicken or on its own. Sprinkle with a touch more cilantro before serving.