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5 from 1 vote

Rainbow Pepper Peanut Slaw

This vegan rainbow pepper peanut slaw is just as fun to look at as it is to eat. Heaps of julienned bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage + chopped cilantro + a thick, nutty peanut-sesame dressing yield a side salad that'll make you want to forgo the main course.
Prep Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salads
Cuisine: American, Thai
Keyword: gluten-free, grain-free, plant-based
Servings: 6
Author: Ashley

Ingredients

Rainbow Slaw

  • 1 pound mini red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, cored, stemmed, and thinly sliced into strips*
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, cored, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced into strips (optional but recommended)
  • 3 cups shredded red cabbage
  • ½ to 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and finely chopped
  • ½ cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts (or sunflower seeds for nut-free), plus more for topping

Peanut Sesame Dressing

  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (or sunflower butter for nut-free)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 ½ tablespoons tamari**
  • 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  • For the rainbow slaw: Add all slaw ingredients to a large serving bowl.
  • For the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together all dressing ingredients until completely smooth and emulsified.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
  • Top with more peanuts if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

*Mini bell peppers work best for this salad as they're sweeter and crisper than regular bell peppers, but in a pinch you can substitute one pound of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers.
**I use regular Tamari. If you use reduced-sodium, you'll want to increase the amount (maybe to 2 tablespoons or so). If you don't need to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can use regular soy sauce instead of tamari.
***PREPARE AHEAD TIP: If you're making this slaw for a party and want to prepare it ahead of time, prepare the veggies, peanuts, and dressing and keep them all separate and refrigerated until just before serving. Then, pour the dressing over top, add the peanuts, and toss to coat.