I generally think of coleslaw as a summer dish. A staple of picnics, cook-outs and barbecues. But as I continue to enjoy in-season local apples, I remembered many recipes I’ve read over the years that use apples in slaw. So I decided to work up my own version of a fall slaw, with a rich curried dressing, sweetness from apples and a bit of extra crunch from fennel. The finished result is light and refreshing, and beautifully colorful to boot.
The curried dressing is an old favorite for spinach salad that I’ve been making for years. I knew it would be great with the ingredients in this slaw and really give it a unique twist. I like to use red skinned apples with green cabbage, but I don’t see why you couldn’t use red cabbage and green apples, or half red half green cabbage. Look for smaller, flatter fennel bulbs for the most tender pieces, or peel away a couple of top, tough layers from big bulbs. I’ve served this beside a nice roast pork dish, and it would make a great tailgate take along. It is excellent as a sandwich topper or is surprisingly good on fish tacos.
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- One small head green cabbage
- 1 large carrot
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 2 large red-skinned apples
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid, screw on the top and shake until the sugar is dissolved and the dressing is combined. May be made up to two days ahead and stored in the fridge. Shake well before using.
- Remove any stem and tough outer leaves from the cabbage, quarter and remove the hard core. Grate the cabbage with the grating blade in a food processor. Transfer the cabbage to a very large bowl. Grate the peeled carrot and the fennel, then transfer them to the bowl with cabbage and toss to combine. The best tool for coleslaw is your good clean hands so you can separate and clumps of vegetable. Cut the apple into quarters, remove the core and grate. Add to the bowl and toss, then pour over the coleslaw. Toss to combine and make sure the dressing is evenly distributed. I also use my hands for this. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend, but not more than three hours. Stir well before serving.
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