Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Orange-Tahini Dressing

Coleslaw just sounds so 1980s.

I know it was probably a disservice to rename the Raw Pad Thai as Coleslaw with a Spicy Almond Dressing. I mean, coleslaw? How lame…

How about cabbage salad?  The word coleslaw originates from the Dutch word koolsla which means cabbage (kool) salad (sla). Same thing, then!

But why am I raving about a cabbage slaw, you may be wondering…

Well, for some reason I have been craving fresh cabbage. A sweet, crunch salad with a hint of cabbage-y tartness.

So I made this and ate it throughout the day… lunch, snack and dinner….

The nice thing about this salad is the dressing, which I adapted from My New Roots. Not mayo-laden like typical coleslaws. Rather, tahini is used as a creamy base and the sesame is highlighted by toasted sesame oil and freshly toasted sesame seeds. The fresh twist comes from the orange zest and fresh lemon juice. Cilantro perks up the salad with further crunch from sunflower seeds.

The next day, I was sad I had none left and craved it once again… and so the cycle repeats itself!

This is my submission to Deb for this week’s Souper Sundays, to Simple and In Season, to Ricki’s Wellness Weekend and to this month’s citrus love blog hop.

Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Orange-Tahini Dressing

10 oz green cabbage, thinly sliced (~3 cups)
1 large carrot, grated (1 cup)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/8 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/8 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1.5 tbsp lemon juice (half a lemon)
1 tsp agave (or maple syrup)
1.5 tbsp tahini
1/4 cup water
zest of a clementine or small orange
pinch of salt, or to taste

1. Place cabbage, carrot, green onion and cilantro in a bowl and toss.

2. In a small cup, mix together the sesame oil, lemon juice, agave, tahini, water, zest and salt.

3. Plate salad, top with sesame and sunflower seeds and drizzle with dressing.

Serves 2-4.