Red Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
To make Red Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, toss sliced red cabbage and shredded carrot with a rice vinegar-soy dressing, let it rest 15 minutes, then finish with sesame seeds and cilantro.
Red cabbage has the structural integrity of office furniture, which is useful when you want a slaw that can sit for more than seven minutes without turning into damp confetti. Thinly sliced cabbage and shredded carrot stay crisp under a dressing of rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, and toasted sesame oil, while green onion, sesame seeds, and cilantro push it away from standard mayonnaise-based coleslaw. The 15-minute rest is not dead time. Salt and acid begin softening the cabbage just enough to take the raw edge off while leaving the crunch intact, and the sweet-salty dressing gets a chance to work into all those tightly packed layers. Slice the cabbage thin so the dressing can reach it; thick ribbons will survive the meal with the confidence of building materials. This is especially good beside grilled meat, fish, tacos, sandwiches, or anything rich enough to need something cold and sharp on the plate. It also holds up well in the refrigerator, which makes it a useful make-ahead side when the rest of dinner is already demanding attention.
