Fruity summer coleslaws: Apple peanut butter slaw and sweet + spicy pineapple slaw

There is a big coleslaw divide in our household. I can't stand the traditional sort - it is up there with macaroni cheese as one of my most disliked dishes - whereas Mr Bite loves it. Unfortunately for him, my dislike of mayonnaise-y coleslaw means he rarely gets it at home, and if he does, it has to be store bought. More fortunately, he is quite tolerant of coleslaw variations like the Asian style slaw I've posted before (with a dressing of ginger, lime, soy and chilli instead of mayonnaise).

Peanut butter slaw

Whilst he likes some of my coleslaw variations, the two in this post were more to my tastes than his. This may be attributable to the inclusion of fruit in both; I am always happy to have fruit in my savoury dishes whilst he's not such a fan. So, if you share my preference for fruit in your salads, and for light coleslaw alternatives, I recommend these salads to you!

Sweet + spicy pineapple slaw

The apple peanut butter slaw is a dish I made twice, the first time with pear instead of apple (and the above picture actually shows pear instead of apple). Apple worked much better, so I have posted that version. I also slightly cooked the cabbage for this dish and found the slightly warm cabbage a good match for the creamy peanut sauce. However, I am sure it would be enjoyable raw too.

I did keep the cabbage raw for the sweet and spicy pineapple slaw. This was flavoured with fresh pineapple, sweet chilli sauce and coriander. Sweet chilli sauce is one of those products I buy even though I know I could make my own, healthier version without much fuss. Feel free to take a DIY approach to it if you prefer. If you do use store bought sauce, you're working with just 4 ingredients and no cooking to bring the salad together. You can't get any easier than that!

Apple peanut butter slaw

An alternative to traditional coleslaw that retains some creaminess, but is lighter and fresher than the mayonnaise-laden sort

A side dish for 4
Vegan and gluten free

Author: Bite-sized thoughts

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Ingredients

1 small red cabbage, chopped

2 small carrots, sliced

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tsp maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice

1 large apple (or 2 small), sliced

Method

If opting to lightly cook the vegetables, heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and add the chopped cabbage and sliced carrots. Saute for a few minutes until the cabbage is just starting to soften and then transfer to a mixing or serving bowl. If serving raw, skip this step and add the vegetables to a mixing or serving bowl.

Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, peanut butter and maple syrup and then pour over the cabbage and carrot. Stir through. 

Add the sliced apple pieces at the time of serving and stir through.

Sweet and spicy pineapple slaw

A perfect summer salad!

A side dish for 4
Vegan, low in fat and gluten free

Author: Bite-sized thoughts

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 small red cabbage, chopped

1 whole fresh pineapple, cut into cubes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped, or 1-2 tsp dried coriander

Method

Combine the cabbage and pineapple in a mixing or serving bowl. Add the sweet chilli sauce and coriander and stir or toss to mix though.

If time permits, allow to stand for at least 30 minutes before serving (the pineapple juice will soften and flavour the coleslaw). 

This also keeps well in the fridge for several days, so can be made ahead of time if needed.

Do you enjoy coleslaw and cabbage-based salads?

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