Tofu Coleslaw
Coleslaw may conjure up images of soggy supermarket salads in plastic boxes or mayonnaise-heavy American sides but let me let you into a little secret – I love coleslaw. My coleslaw recipe is zingy, rich and packs a punch and guess what? It’s also vegan! The crunch of a decent coleslaw is essential to a summer spread and works perfectly alongside grilled meats or a crunchy katsu fillet. If you’re not a coleslaw convert already then I challenge you to try this recipe and not fall in love with the stuff.
Tofu swap
When trying to veganise something with dairy, cooks often reach for cashews or plant milks but I suggest swapping in tofu for a rich and creamy base to your dishes. I always buy my silken tofu from Clearspring, use the discount code yukiskitchen15 at the checkout for a 15% discount. Silken tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and pressing the bean curds into solid blocks. Sounds familiar no? It’s practically identical to making cheese from animal milk. No wonder this protein rich wonder food makes the perfect dairy replacement in your vegan dishes! Try a tofu shake or smoothie, a tofu cheesecake or even a tofu bechamel sauce – the possibilities are endless. I’ve even whipped up tofu with tahini to make a flavoursome dip.
Cabbage – a fave vegetable
Cabbage is a bit of a wonder veg in my opinion. It’s packed full of fibre and vitamins including vitamin C which is known to ward off serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. It’s also SUPER versatile and tastes great. I’m always impressed by the range of different cabbage varieties you grow here in the UK. Here’s a quick rundown of my fave ways to use cabbage:
· Napa/ Chinese cabbage - The most popular cabbage used in Japanese cooking, this vegetable imported from China has softer leaves and is great stir fried or fermented into a kimchi.
· White Cabbage – The best cabbage for coleslaw. It has a crunchy texture and sweet flavour that keeps you wanting more.
· Sweet heart cabbage – This pointed variety is a great substitute for napa. This is my most used cabbage, I love it in gyozas, stir fries and okonomiyaki.
· Savoy cabbage – I was excited to discover this type when I moved to the UK. We don’t have it in Japan. I love it blanched and then stir fried.
· Red cabbage – vibrant in colour and rich in nutrients, the brightest of the cabbages is perfect for salads and coleslaws.
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Japanese mandolin – a kitchen wizard
A Japanese mandolin is an essential piece of kitchen kit, you can reduce your prep times and make your food look beautifully neat and uniform. The only drawback – you might lose a few fingertips in the process! Every chef in Japan owns a mandolin, they are usually made from plastic and not fancy to look at but have a lethally sharp blade that makes quick work of radishes, cabbage and carrots. If you’re a bit squeamish about using one then you can wear a protective glove or simply use a sharp knife instead. In fact, this is the PERFECT recipe for practising for knife skills. First sharpen your knife with a sharpening steel and place a damp cloth under your board to stop it from slipping. Slice your cabbage into 5mm strips, my top tip is to slice against the grain which makes prepping the cabbage easier. Check out this Insta reel for a demo.
Slaw variations
When it comes to varying your slaw recipe there are so many ways to experiment. Using your base of crunchy, thinly sliced vegetables you can mix things up with a variety of ingredients. Try adding coriander or chives for a herby lift or topping with toasted pumpkin or sesame seeds. Pick up a bottle of Kewpie mayo and use this much-loved Japanese condiment for a non-vegan base. For a tangy salad try using sushi-su, used for flavouring sushi rice, to lightly pickle your slaw. With a whole world of coleslaw on your doorstep, it’s time to get chopping that cabbage!
Tofu Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 200g white cabbage (shredded)
- 200g red cabbage (shredded)
- 1 red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 carrots (shredded)
- ½ red pepper (shredded)
- 1 garlic
- 3tbsp tahini
- 2tbsp rice vinegar
- 110g silken tofu clearspring
- 50ml olive oil
- 1tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 1tbsp water
Method
- Firstly, prepare your vegetables by slicing into 5mm strips. If you have a mandoline then you can use this to make uniform slices.
- To make the sauce, Place all the ingredients except the oil in the blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Then add the oil and mix well.
- Combine the vegetables in a bowl. Add the sauce and toss together.
Notes:
Yuki’s Tip
You can add toasted sesame seeds or chives as a garnish
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