Good old coleslaw: 4 recipes to try

If you are trying to add more vegetables to your meals, coleslaw is a fast, low cost, and effective way to do so. Slaw is a great side dish, added to burgers, or as a light lunch.

However, not all coleslaws are created equal – if they are slathered in heavy dressing, their nutritional value can be compromised, so here are some tasty ways to add extra interest to your slaw.

• Start with a bright base – use red cabbage to add colour and antioxidants, slice thinly and use 1/3 of a small cabbage as a base
• Add dark green leaves – thinly sliced spinach, silverbeet or kale to add more nutrients
• Get grating – carrot, beetroot and fennel bulb are delicious
• Heavenly herbs – chop in parsley, coriander, mint or basil for flavour
• Fabulous fruit – slice apples or pears into matchsticks for a burst of crunch and sweetness
• Make it crunch – celery, nuts, seeds and spring onions add flavour an
• Just a spoonful of sugar – sprinkle your slaw with a couple of teaspoons of sugar, mix through and chill for an hour before serving. You won’t need a dressing and the vegetables will be juicy and crunchy

Here are some combinations to try:

Nutty and spicy slaw

• 1/3 cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 bunch coriander, finely chopped
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
• 100g spinach, chopped
• chilli roasted peanuts
• black sesame seeds
• sesame oil

Mix all the chopped vegetables and herbs together, then sprinkle with nuts, seeds and oil. Refrigerate for an hour then serve.

Coconut and apple slaw

• 1/3 red cabbage, finely sliced
• 100g silverbeet, sliced
• 1 large apple, match sticked
• 1 carrot, grated
• 3/4 cup coconut thread
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Mix all ingredients together and chill

Fennel Slaw

• 2 fennel bulbs, finely chopped or grated
• 50g kale, finely sliced
• 1 pear, chopped into tiny pieces
• 1/4 cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 tbsp sugar

Mix all ingredients together and chill.

Beetroot and mint slaw

• 100g spinach, finely sliced
• 1/3 cabbage, finely sliced
• 1/2 raw beetroot, grated
• 1 cup mint, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds

Squeeze some of the liquid out of the beetroot, then mix all ingredients together and chill.