Chipotle-Cilantro Coleslaw
Rich, smoky, and sweet – this coleslaw has flavor for days.
This Chipotle-Cilantro Coleslaw may seem ordinary at first glance, but when you take a bite, you’ll know you’ve discovered something truly exceptional. It begins with thinly sliced cabbage, green onions, or garlic chives and is then elevated with roasted golden beets, making it an exciting twist on a classic coleslaw recipe.
Golden Detroit beets have a lighter flavor than their dark red cousins and lack the earthy character, but surprisingly, they are sweeter. I slow roast them in a traditional Japanese charcoal grill called a Kamado, cooking them between 250-300°F for approximately an hour or until a toothpick easily slides in.
The aromatic, smoky mesquite charcoal-roasted beets complement the coleslaw’s taste. After roasting, just let them cool, peel them, and slice them into matchsticks.
The chipotle peppers’ adobo, or sauce, adds another hit of smokiness with just a hint of spice and heat, which is easy to adjust to suit heat level preferences. Combined with the bright, citrusy hit that the cilantro adds, it creates an unforgettable taste explosion that won’t be forgotten.
Here’s what you could grow in your garden for this recipe –
Let’s get started!
I’ll show you just how easy this coleslaw is…
Begin by slow-roasting Golden Detroit beets. Once cooked, peel and slice them into matchsticks or however you like.
I used Red Acre cabbage for this recipe, but the Savoy Perfection variety is excellent as well. It has a lighter flavor, and the crinkles hold the sauce well.
You can slice and dice the cabbage into bite-size pieces or into matchsticks similar to the roasted beets, however you like.
The dressing is very easy to make: simply combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together, or use a hand blender for a smoother, creamier consistency.
Mix all ingredients together and stir well to coat the vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper or add more sauce to taste.
This recipe produces a crunchy, flavorful coleslaw. For a wetter coleslaw, increase mayonnaise and sour cream to 3/4 cup each, but avoid drowning the vegetables.
Chill for at least 30 minutes, then enjoy.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 small canned chipotle chile finely minced plus 2 tsp adobo sauce from the can
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 medium head of finely chopped cabbage - red or green or mixed
- 3 small to medium roasted golden beets sliced into matchsticks
- 1 medium bunch of green onions both tops and stalks, sliced into thin rounds (can substitute chopped garlic chives)
- 1 cup packed coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, molasses, sugar, minced chipotle chile, adobo sauce and salt.
- Stir thoroughly and set aside.
- Add cabbage, green onions or garlic chives and 3/4 cup of chopped cilantro. Toss or stir well, mixing colors and ingredients together.
- Pour dressing over slaw, mix well again.
- Taste, adding salt if needed.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving, adding remaining chopped cilantro just before serving
For some extra flavor, add a 1/4 cup of orange juice to the dressing.