Spicy Southwestern-Style Coleslaw

There are nine coleslaw recipes in this book, and the “Spicy Southwestern-Style Coleslaw”, page 76, is the 5^th one I’ve tried. Coleslaw dressings usually fall into two categories: creamy (mayonnaise based), or tart (vinegar based). The dressing in this recipe calls for two tablespoons of vinegar, and ¼ cup olive oil, so  not quite creamy, and not quite tart. In this case, it’s hard to just completely omit the oil, as it makes up 2/3 of the dressing volume. My solution was to use ¼ cup water and 1/8 teaspoon of guar gum to thicken it up. Along with the southwestern spices (cumin, chili powder, and cayenne), this made a very delicious dressing for the salad, which consisted of both red and green cabbage, red bell pepper, and parsley (or cilantro, which seems more authentic for this dish).  

This salad is pretty to look at, tastes delightful, and gives you a super dose of those important cruciferous vegetables!

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

For the dressing, replace the oil with water and add 1/8 teaspoon guar gum to thicken.