Slaw Recipes

Laurent Tourondel traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia before opening his BLT empire of restaurants in America, and the spicy fish sauce and peanut dressing in this dish come straight out of Vietnam. Any green cabbage can substitute for the napa cabbage; just be sure to serve the slaw immediately after dressing it so that it retains maximum crunch.

Mixing all different kinds of citrus with brussels sprouts, olives and dates creates a delicious and unusual winter salad.

Linton Hopkins calls this vinegary slaw a maceration salad, because it sits overnight to develop its superbly tangy flavor. "I love mayonnaise, but for buffets, I get disturbed by having a lot of mayonnaise-heavy things sitting out in the summer sun," he says.

In this salad, tender haricots verts get tossed with crunchy strips of carrot, red pepper and parsnip. When TV personality Rachael Ray (who is originally from upstate New York) visited the Beekman farm, Lee Woolver made a version of this salad with bacon, but it's just as delicious without.

Most people throw away broccoli stems, preferring to eat the florets. But cut into long thin strips with a fine julienne peeler, the sweet and crunchy stems are perfect in a fresh-tasting slaw with carrots, scallions and salty sunflower seeds.

When Suvir Saran's mother tried this spicy, crunchy cabbage slaw at his restaurant Tapestry in New York City, she said, "Baba, this is the best chaat I've ever eaten!" While Saran didn't intend to make over the traditional Indian snack, a dish with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt and chutney, the crunch, spice and tang immediately elicit an iconic chaat. "There is nothing Indian about it, and yet, it's entirely Indian," says Saran.

Kent Rathbun's weight loss prompted him to create healthy dishes for his Dallas restaurants. At Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen, he makes his crunchy jalapeño-spiced coleslaw with crab, shrimp and lobster, but this shrimp-only version is also delicious.

The ingenious topping of quick-fried cellophane noodles makes this eye-catching slaw irresistibly crunchy. Wendy Leon likes to serve it alongside Peking duck; tossing it with shrimp or tofu would make for an even healthier main course.

Marcia Kiesel tosses cabbage and celery in a creamy dressing, then cleverly garnishes the slaw with quick-brined celery leaves.

Fish tacos are a staple among California surfers but are often beer-battered and fried. Kerry Simon's healthier, grilled version enriches the guacamole with low-fat sour cream.

A simple slaw complements deli turkey in this tempting sandwich. Experiment with different breads, such as toasted sourdough, rye or pita.

For maximum flavor in minimal time, chef Jeff Smith opts for spice rubs over marinades. After experimenting with spice blends for heartier fish, he discovered that a big pinch of ground coffee lends earthiness to the rub.

These luscious, extra-porky ribs are based on a recipe Michel Nischan's mother, a talented Southern cook, used to make. "Mom would stand in front of the grill, flipping the ribs and basting them with ham stock every few minutes until they got incredibly tender. It took forever, but it was so worth it," Nischan recalls. This version uses a broiler and a warm oven instead of a grill.

This Perilla Slaw showcases the sweet aroma of perilla, or shiso, a tender herb reminiscent of basil. It pairs perfectly with crunchy cabbage, apples, and carrots.

Kansas City, Missouri, chefs Colby and Megan Garrelts serve this sweet and crunchy slaw as an accompaniment to their rich and meaty Pork-and-Brisket Chili, but it also would also be excellent alongside barbecued meat and chicken.