Vegan Basil-Pesto Cabbage Slaw
This slaw is a serious upgrade from anything you'd find in a deli case — vibrant, herby, and packed with color from two kinds of cabbage, sweet carrot, and fresh scallion greens. The real star is the blender pesto dressing, which skips the usual parmesan and pine nuts entirely and still delivers bold, grassy flavor thanks to a generous pile of fresh basil, bright lemon juice, and a surprising pinch of ginger and turmeric that gives the whole thing a subtle warmth. Because every ingredient here is whole and plant-based, there's no need to second-guess labels or swap anything out — it just works as written. The technique is simple: pulse the herbs and garlic, stream in the olive oil, and you've got a glossy, bright green dressing in under a minute. That short rest before serving is worth every second — the cabbage softens just enough to soak up the dressing without going limp. Serve it alongside grilled mains, pile it into tacos, or eat it straight from the bowl with a fork.
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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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