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Thai-Style Coleslaw with Mint and Cilantro
Looking for a brighter, fresher, cabbage slaw than the mayonnaise-rich American version, we were inspired by a recipe from San Antonio chef Quealy Watson that featured Southeast Asian flavors. Coconut milk in the dressing—instead of mayonnaise—has just the right amount of richness and body. Fish sauce adds savory pungency, while sugar balances with sweetness. For heat, we like fresh chili “cooked” in lime juice, which mellows the bite and helps disperse the heat more evenly. For vegetables, we use tender yet crunchy napa cabbage along with sliced red radishes and snap peas for vivid color and even more texture.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t use “light” coconut milk or “cream of coconut” for this recipe. The former is too thin, and the latter is too sweet (think piña coladas). For a richer version of this slaw, feel free to use thick coconut cream in place of coconut milk, reducing the volume to 4 tablespoons. And don’t forget to vigorously shake the can before opening to ensure that the fat and liquid are fully emulsified.
25 minutes
Ingredients
-
3
tablespoons lime juice
-
4
teaspoons sugar
Directions
-
01In a liquid measuring cup, combine the lime juice, sugar, fish sauce and chili. Let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in the coconut milk until combined.
Reviews
May 22, 2026
Great Picnic Salad
Very easy to make and just enough kick in the dressing. Loved all the mint and cilantro. This is a great no mayo version. My husband was skeptical about it, but it got rave reviews from him and our guests asked for the recipe.
August 30, 2024
Refreshing, easy, delicious!
I ended up not having mint or fish sauce, and this still turned out delicious. I think the coconut milk dressing and just have a few simple veggies to chop made it delicious, unique, and easy. After making this, I suspect I'd only use 1/2 C mint instead of 1 cup. I don't think the dressing would be enough to moisten a whole extra cup of mint, which tends to be kind of dry and chewy in my opinion.
July 15, 2023
Delicious
This recipe was delicious! What a great combination of flavors and texture. I added chopped roasted peanuts on top. Will definitely make it again.
August 14, 2025
Delightful cool noodle salad
I made this with ramen instead of vermicelli and it worked out great. You can also vary the herbs a bit, cilantro goes very nicely in this.
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Refreshing! Would make this again....