Salsa Coleslaw

We eat a lot of coleslaw at my house, and I use lots of different coleslaw recipes. I’m big on cruciferous vegetables, and I try to eat at least one serving of these healthy veggies every day. Cabbage, by the way, is a cruciferous vegetable, so keeping a bowl of slaw in the fridge is a great way to get my cruciferous fix. When I was thinking up this coleslaw recipe, I really wanted something a little different than regular slaw, so I created this salsa coleslaw. Okay, you’re thinking that it sounds strange. Why do I call it “salsa coleslaw”? I call it that because it has the ingredients of regular coleslaw, along with several ingredients you’d find in most salsa recipes: tomato, peppers, onion, and lime juice. If you enjoy some heat in your food, you’ll love this slaw recipe. It’s creamy and crunchy, and it’s sweet and tangy. Just as you feel the heat on your tongue from the jalapeno and cayenne, the coolness of the dressing washes your taste buds. Give it a try next time you want to kick your coleslaw up a notch!

What you’ll need:

1 package slaw mix (16 ounces)

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup Splenda or sugar

3 tablespoons diced pickled jalapeno peppers

2 tablespoons liquid from pickled jalapenos

2 tablespoons bottled ranch dressing

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 large tomato, diced

Directions: Place slaw mix in a large bowl. I like to chop mine to make the cabbage finer. Add mayonnaise, Splenda or sugar, ranch dressing, diced jalapenos, jalapeno vinegar, onion, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, cayenne, garlic salt, and black pepper. Mix well. If dressing is too thick, thin with a little milk or ranch dressing. If the dressing is too thin for you, add a little more mayonnaise or some sour cream. Carefully stir in diced tomato.

Place lid on bowl and refrigerate. I like to leave my coleslaw recipe in the fridge for at least an hour or two before serving so that it will be good and cold, with all the flavors happily mingled. This slaw is great with just about anything! If you're feeding kids, you might want to reduce the amount of jalapeno peppers and omit the cayenne. If, however, the kids are true southerners from the Deep South, they'll probably love the heat!