Artificial Food Coloring Free Basil-Pesto Cabbage Slaw
Crunchy, vibrant, and packed with fresh herb flavor, this cabbage slaw is the kind of side dish that steals the show at any table. The dressing is blended entirely from scratch — fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a warm hint of ginger and turmeric — so you know exactly what's going into it. That matters more than it might seem, because bottled dressings and store-bought slaws are notorious for sneaking in synthetic dyes to boost their color. Here, that gorgeous green hue comes purely from the basil and parsley, no artificial anything required. The technique is simple: pulse the herbs and aromatics, stream in the oil, and you've got a silky, bright dressing in under a minute. Tossed over shredded green and red cabbage with julienned carrot and scallion greens, it's crisp, fresh, and satisfying in a way that feels a little fancy without much effort. A short rest before serving lets the cabbage soften just enough to soak up all that herby goodness.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the slaw
- 4 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned or coarsely grated
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (green tops only)
For the pesto dressing
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, and scallion greens in a large mixing bowl and toss to mix.
- 2
Add the basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice, salt, ground ginger, and ground turmeric to a food processor or blender. Pulse 5–6 times until the herbs and garlic are roughly chopped.
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