Lime Miso Cabbage Slaw with Poblano Chile – A Fresh and Crisp Winter Salad
We celebrate my husband’s birthday on New Year’s Day. This year we celebrated with a taco bar. Among the condiments sat a colorful bowl of cabbage slaw. In the few short weeks since the first of January, that cabbage slaw went from having a supporting role on a taco bar, to becoming a headliner. 
The addition of Asian miso, ginger and toasted sesame oil to the original Southwestern poblano, cilantro and fresh lime juice made Lime Miso Cabbage Slaw with Poblano Chile a star. So light, easy and tasty, you’ll want to enjoy this winter salad over and over again throughout the year.
Luckily there’s cabbage
Featuring a blend of both purple and green raw cabbage, Lime Miso Cabbage Slaw is a wonderful winter salad. It provides a delightfully fresh and crisp counter to the long cooking times of most winter vegetables. This slaw also offers a boon to your health. The vegan, creamy and brightly flavored dressing is both mayo and dairy-free.
Poblano chiles
If you’ve ever eaten Chile Rellenos, you’ve enjoyed these large, dark green, mild to medium-hot poblano peppers (pronounced “po-BLAH-no”). Finely diced, they add just a touch of heat to Lime Miso Cabbage Slaw. If unable to find poblanos, substitute equally mild Anaheim peppers.
Click here for a visual guide to peppers and their Scoville heat units.
Immersion or “stick” blender
It may be four, or even five years that I’ve had an immersion, or stick blender, sitting in a bottom kitchen drawer. I tried puréeing soup a couple of times when I first bought this blender. But I didn’t like the neither smooth nor chunky results. So other than for making 
Spicy Peanut Sauce a few times a year, the blender sat unused in that bottom drawer.
Until a few weeks ago, that is, when I took it out to purée a portion of Red Lentil Soup with Tomato, Garlic and Cumin. The hand-held blender did its job easily and quickly. I then used it to make the creamy smooth Lime Miso Dressing for the cabbage slaw. Wow. This easily cleaned and mighty blender is fast becoming my new best friend in the kitchen.
Lime Miso Cabbage Slaw with Poblano Chile
A most light, crisp and flavorful winter salad. Delicious on its own (I enjoy leftovers for breakfast) or as an accompaniment to tacos, Veggie Patties with Quinoa & Black Beans.
Try not to slice the cabbage less than 1/8th inch thick. The thinner the cabbage is sliced the quicker it softens as it sits in the dressing. Though, even if a bit limp, Lime Miso Cabbage Slaw remains delicious.
Purchase organic, refrigerated, unpasteurized miso to take advantage of its beneficial bacteria.
Dairy-free, vegan and naturally gluten-free.
Makes 8 cups Printer-Friendly Recipe
Total time 45 minutes
Ingredients
Lime Miso Dressing
¼ cup white or brown miso
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lite seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Cabbage Slaw
10 to 11 cups (scant 1 ½ pounds) lightly packed cabbage
— a mixture of both purple and green cabbage
1 large poblano chile, halved, seeds removed and finely diced to equal 1 cup
¾ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
- Prepare the Lime Miso Dressing: Use an immersion (stick) blender or a regular blender to purée the dressing ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the dressing to a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare the cabbage slaw: Slice the cabbage into quarters. Remove the core. Use a knife or a food processor to thinly slice the cabbage at least 1/8-inch thick. Toss the cabbage with the dressing.
- As the chile, cilantro and scallions are prepared, toss them in with the cabbage. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and serve.