Summer Salad Series: Carrot, Cilantro and Chile Slaw

Now that it is officially summer and warmer weather is FINALLY here to stay will be making an appearance from time to time in the lower mainland, I have the desire to eat lighter and fresher foods; those heavy stews and pastas can wait till the fall. And when I think of summer food, I think of sitting out on the patio with a cold drink, BBQ'd whatever with a side of fresh salad and good company. 

One of my very favourite summer salads is coleslaw; who doesn't love the tangy crunch of a fresh slaw served on the side of a juicy burger?. My only problem with it, and I admit I'm probably in the minority here is that I absolutely HATE mayonnaise with a passion to the point where I've been known to gag if I find it by surprise in a burger. Yes, I am that annoying person and I apologize to my husband for all the times that I've embarrassed you. Anyway, this aversion of mine rules out about 99% of all slaws and so when I see one that doesn't call for the offending condiment, I get excited. 

I stumbled upon this recipe in the latest issue of bon appetit and I couldn't resist it due to it's absence of mayonnaise and for the fact that it allowed me to pull out my beloved juli-peeler. The original recipe called for 2 deseeded jalapenos and when I added the first pepper it seemed plenty hot enough for me but feel free to added more jalapeno if you feel like it. We served our slaw on the side of chicken burgers and I ended up slapping a bunch of it into the burger which added a wonderful tangy crunch. 

I only had regular-joe orange carrots on hand but yellow carrots would really take the presentation of this salad to the next level if you happen to find some at a farmer's market or specialty store. 

Carrot, Cilantro and Chile Slaw (4-6 servings)

adapted slightly from bon appetit July 2011

4 cups carrots, peeled and julienned

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

11/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste

1 minced jalapeno, deseeded

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

3/4 tsp ground coriander

freshly ground black pepper

Toss carrots, oil, lime juice, sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt and jalapenos in a large bowl and let marinate for about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add cilantro and coriander; toss to evenly incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.