Korean Coleslaw

Crisp Cabbage, funky, sweet, and just enough heat to be cooled by the mayo, this Korean Coleslaw is absolutely delicious.

Impressive dishes in any cuisine are often incredibly artfully presented, extremely delicate in appearance or nuance of flavor, or richly bold in the flavors used while maintaining an impressive “WOW” factor.  Think along the lines of an intricately constructed sugar sculptures, a whole roast pig for a wedding celebration, or even a perfectly seared scallop settled upon a pureed root vegetable with a stunning gastrique to elevate the dish.  To veer in a different direction, often the unfettered, simple food that is so often not elegant nor refined, gets overlooked and often taken for granted in both execution and flavor.  Those unrefined foods however, when executed well and seasoned in surprising new ways, can often steal the show from the main dish leaving you craving more long after the meal has ended.

One such food that is often overlooked, and executed poorly, is a simple coleslaw.  It is one of those side dishes served with main dishes at restaurants that tend to be over sweet and bland.  The forlorn little cup of coleslaw often gets sent back to the kitchen amid dirty silverware and crumpled napkins, doomed to the heavy duty industrial sized black trash bin.  Perhaps I am a staunch supporter of the underdog, but I love coleslaw when it is put together well, the crunch of the vegetables that soften over time that are slicked with a tangy, sweet, creamy sauce.  It lightens up a fried meal of fish and chips, or cuts through the sweetness or smoke of a tender piece of BBQ.  It adds crunch and incredible texture to tacos, and I love it served with delicate crab cakes.

A slightly different twist on a traditional coleslaw, this Korean Coleslaw features rice wine vinegar and Gochujang paste to give it that something extra.

When I worked in restaurants, they tended to use the most basic of coleslaw recipes.  A little mayo, a little sugar, a little vinegar, salt and pepper whisked together and tossed with finely shredded green cabbage.  A classic rendition, if a bit uninspired.  At home, I love to play with the different textures of the vegetables and see what each element can bring to the table, and often swap out ingredients depending on what I am serving the coleslaw with.  This version, however, I keep coming back to as I think it is a perfect compliment to smoky, BBQ meats, Asian inspired dishes, and anything that lends itself well to a bit of heat.  The attention to detail in how the coleslaw is sliced to how the scallions add underlying earthiness make this so adaptable to such a variety of dishes.

While I appreciate and strive to learn more refined techniques in the kitchen everyday so I can create very refined dishes at home, I never underestimate how incredibly delicious a sloppy, drippy, and frankly, unbeautiful plate of food can be.  Each element on the plate should bring something special to the entire food experience, and from simple little flourishes like these Pickled Red Onions to a seemingly unimportant side dish like this Korean Coleslaw, can make or break a meal from something “meh” to “memorable”.  This coleslaw I have come up with is memorable because the sum of all its individual elements is greater than what you would expect from such a short list of ingredients.

I call this my Korean Coleslaw, as I use a good scoop of Gochujang paste to help flavor the mayo mixture.  It adds a kick of heat, funk, and something just a bit different to counter the cool creaminess of the mayo.  Rice wine vinegar adds a light, bright tang, and I slice the cabbage, carrots, and red peppers in slightly different widths and sizes to keep each mouthful fresh and exciting.  The scallions used add a subtle earthy flavor to counteract the sweetness from the sugar used.  I eat this by itself as a light lunch, I eat this in Dak Bulgogi Tacos, I eat this on BBQ chicken sandwiches…you get the picture.  While this coleslaw will never win a beauty shot contest, and rightfully so, when there are perfect racks of lamb moseying out of kitchens somewhere, it surely would win you over with its unique, yet slightly familiar, take on coleslaw.

Coleslaw that is ridiculously delicious by itself, this Korean Coleslaw enhances a plethora of other dishes as well.

Korean Coleslaw

Author:  Iris Anna Gohn

Servings: 4

The amounts listed are for good sized scoop as a side for a sandwich for a lunch portion.  If you are making this ahead of time for a larger crowd, this recipe is easily doubled.  I have a tendency to just buy green cabbage, but if you like the look of green and purple cabbage mixed together, by all means o ahead and do so.  While you can serve this coleslaw immediately after putting it together, I find that a couple hours in the fridge help the flavors mingle and help the vegetables soften slightly.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Thinly Sliced Cabbage (1/2 of a head of Cabbage)
• 1/2 Cup Grated Carrots (1 large Carrots)
• 1/2 Cup sliced Thin Red Pepper (1/4 to 1/2 Red Pepper)
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Scallions
• 1/2 Cup Mayo (I used Light Mayo)
• 3 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tsp Gochujang Paste.(I use this brand)
• 1 Tsp Granulated White Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt

Directions

1. Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core from each half.  Discard the outer two layers of leaves.  Then very thinly slice the cabbage into long, thin shreds of cabbage.  Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Peel and slice the ends off the carrot and grate using a box grater.  You can also shred the carrot in a food processor.  Add to the bowl containing the cabbage.
3. Core and very thinly slice the red pepper, then cut the very thin strips into 1 inch pieces.  Add to the bowl containing the cabbage and carrots.
4. Remove the root of the scallions, then finally chop the scallions.  I used both the green and white parts, but if you prefer a stronger onion flavor use just the white parts - similarly if you prefer a milder onion flavor use just the green parts.  Add to the mixing bowl and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, rice wine vinegar, Gochujang paste, sugar, and salt.  Taste, then adjust salt levels if needed.
6. Using a spatula, gently incorporate the sauce into the cut vegetables.  You can serve immediately, though letting it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours will allow the flavors to meld and the coleslaw to wit down just a touch.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.