The coleslaw conundrum - the raw slaw principle

For me a coleslaw is not just a summer side for a BBQ. I like the flexibility of having the raw ingredients, prepped and ready to use. This type of “salad” is delicious all year round.

You can use any dressing that takes your fancy and the balance of the cabbage, carrot and whatever else you throw in a bowl is entirely your own choice. There is an added advantage too – if you like to eat sensibly say, during your working week, then making up a batch of raw slaw will be your best friend – so often we set out with the best of intentions but after a long hard day at work your resistance is really low. The answer is to have your ingredients ready and waiting to assemble quickly.

So, with that in mind :

Slice your cabbage – bag, clip and fridge.

Julienne your carrots – as many as you like – bag, clip and fridge.

Spring onions are mild, you could use a Spanish onion if you prefer or a red version. You can get a sweet, mild variety in the Tesco Finest range. Slice, bag, clip and fridge.

Here's an alternative dressing if you aren't fond of a mayonnaise base.

Pomegranate Dressing

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

juice of two limes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

pinch of nigella seeds

1-2 tsps sumac

Mix all the ingredients together, preferably in a jug then

pour into a clean jar (with a lid!) and shake well

You might have noticed that it's healthy too. If you are a virtuous person and have leftover protein in your fridge, like salmon or chicken - try creating your own wrap together with the pomegranate slaw. Leftover Asian Spiced Salmon would work well too – the recipe is on the blog.

By the way – did you know its origin is Dutch – from the word koolsla, meaning cabbage salad and evolved into the word coleslaw.

I hope I haven't bored the pants off!