Chopped Cabbage Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing

Anyone else on this planet would call this a slaw of sorts, but someone in our family grew up with KFC's creamy gloppy concoction, so will not allow me to call this what it actually is. So, chopped cabbage it is. Regardless of the name, it is freaking tasty.

This is inspired by a recipe I saw online, and then I went from there. I love this just the cabbage-y goodness, but you can definitely make this a whole-meal-deal by adding tofu or chicken or whatever protein you love.

Chopped Cabbage Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing

Yield: 4 - 5 servings

Ingredients

Sesame-ginger dressing

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

5 tablespoons white miso

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 garlic cloves

One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 fresh jalapeño, stemmed (seeded if desired) and cut into chunks (can use pickled jalapeño too if that is what you have on hand)

1/2 cup oil, like canola or veggie

pinch salt

Cabbage salad

1/2 head thinly sliced cabbage (green, red, napa, or whatever you have on hand)

2 carrots, coarsely grated or chopped smallish

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

2 scallions, sliced thinly on a sharp bias

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 cup almonds, roasted, and coarsely chopped (salted is fine here, too)

Optional (but adds protein):

Well-seasoned Tofu

One box medium or firm tofu, cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices, then each square cut in half diagonally to create triangles

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

1⁄3 - 1/2 cup cornstarch, for dredging

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Make Dressing

In a blender's container, combine all dressing ingredients. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust with salt, lemon juice, and vinegar as needed. Set aside while chopping veggies.

Cabbage Slaw

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds, and almonds. Toss with a generous amount of dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more dressing, as it suits you best.

Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

If adding, here's the instructions for well-seasoned tofu:

Place the tofu in a shallow dish and drizzle 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce over the pieces. Carefully turn the tofu a few times to coat with the soy sauce. Put the cornstarch in another shallow dish or plate. Dredge the tofu with the cornstarch, making sure the tofu pieces are evenly coated. In a medium skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-low heat for about 1 minute. Place the tofu in the skillet, placing as many as will fit in the pan without overcrowding. Sear 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until richly browned. Place the tofu on a clean plate. Repeat with any remaining tofu.