Mexican Pickled Cabbage Slaw
Pickled cabbage offers a perfect balance of tanginess, sweetness, and spiciness, which makes it a versatile addition to any Mexican meal. Best of all, it is so simple and easy to make! This recipe uses the ‘quick pickling’ or ‘vinegar pickling’ method, where fruits or vegetables are immersed in a hot vinegar solution. Which is much faster than pickling via fermentation. I absolutely love having pickled cabbage with tacos, as it adds an element of crunch, and the tanginess of the vinegar naturally compliments the flavour of the spices!
Nutrition
Pickling recipes can be high in sodium and sugar, which act as preserving agents. This recipe has a moderate amount of dietary fibre at 4.3g per serve, so it does have some benefits for gut health. It is low in fat (including saturated fat), sodium and cholesterol, which means this recipe is heart friendly. Each serving contains only 14.3g of carbohydrates, making it also diabetes friendly. Finally, it is also completely gluten free and vegan!
What you need for Mexican Pickled Cabbage Slaw
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Red cabbage – Takes on the flavour of the pickling liquid whilst still being crunchy. Red cabbage contains an antioxidant called ‘anthocyanins’, which gives the cabbage its red colour, but also helps reduce inflammation and prevents cell damage. It’s also a great source of potassium, which can help regulate our blood pressure, and vitamin K, which assists with wound healing and bone health.
- Carrots – Are great for pairing with red cabbage and onion while providing more dietary fibre. Carrots are naturally high in vitamin A, which our bodies use to maintain our eye health and vision.
- Jalapenos – For a touch of spiciness and flavour. If using jarred, choose one low in sugar and sodium (I used Coles brand jalapeno slices). Jalapenos contain a chemical called ‘capsaicin’ (the spicy chemical!), which research suggests may assist in reducing inflammation. They also have a good amount of vitamin C, which our body uses for skin and tissue health.
- Maple syrup – Adds a touch of sweetness that cuts through the acidity of the vinegar. However, maple syrup still contains a lot of sugar, so it is best eaten in moderation.
- Lime juice – Adds a zest, subtle sweetness, and depth to the pickling liquid. Similar to jalapenos, limes are also a great source of vitamin C.
- Black beans – If cooking dried beans, avoid adding salt; or if when using canned beans, choose reduced or no added salt. Black beans are a fantastic source of dietary fibre, which helps keep us regular, and protein for maintaining our muscles. They also contain vitamin B1, which helps our bodies break down food into energy, and magnesium, which our bodies need for muscle and nerve function.
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Red onion – Is ideal for this recipe as they retain their sweetish and peppery onion flavour whilst providing a crunch element.
- Red wine vinegar;
- Coriander seeds;
- Sweet paprika;
- Oregano – I used dried oregano.
- Corn – If using canned, opt for reduced or no added salt. Or if using frozen, steam in the microwave and set aside to cool.
How to make Mexican Pickled Cabbage Slaw
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Place the pickling jar and lid on a baking tray and put into the oven for 10 minutes to sterilise. Check if your jar lid has a rubber seal, if so, it should not be sterilised in an oven; otherwise, the rubber will burn. Instead, put the lid into boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Once sterilised, remove the pickling jar from the oven. Transfer the cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic, and jalapenos to the pickling jar using a pair of tongs. Alternate between layers of vegetables and the coriander seeds and oregano, squishing them down with the tongs as you go. Be careful not to burn yourself, as the jar will still be hot!
- Add the water, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and maple syrup to a small saucepan. Whisk in the sweet paprika and bring to the boil. This will be our pickling solution.
- Pour the boiling vinegar mix over the vegetables and place the lid on the jar. The metal lid will shrink once the heat is gone, so do not tighten it too much. If the lid is too tight while heated, getting off when cooled can be challenging. And yes, I found this out the hard way.
- Set aside the jar to cool before placing it in the fridge. This is important, as putting the jar in the fridge while it is still hot will risk cracking or breaking due to the massive temperature difference.
- Before serving, use tongs to remove the pickled cabbage mix from the jar and drain in a sieve over the sink.
- Once drained, add the black beans, corn, and cabbage (and extra jalapenos if desired) to a serving bowl and mix. Top with a drizzle of my avocado, jalapeno and lime crema.
- Serve as a main meal or side dish and enjoy!
Serve with
This recipe can be used with almost any Mexican meal, such as burritos or nachos, or as a side to enchiladas. Otherwise, you can have it on sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs or even in a small bowl as part of a charcuterie board or vegetable platter.
This recipe pairs amazingly with my Easy Fish Tacos and Avocado, Jalapeno & Lime Crema.
Storage
This recipe only uses vinegar and a small amount of maple syrup, so the shelf life is not as long as pickled vegetables in grocery stores or those with higher sodium and sugar content. I recommend keeping the pickles in the fridge and eating it within 2 weeks. However, always use your judgment when it comes to whether your pickles are still suitable for eating.
Tips & Substitutes
Ideally, the vegetables should be left for 24-48 hours to allow the flavours to develop fully. At a minimum, I recommend it should be left to sit for 6 hours.
If you made the mistake, like me, of tightening the lid too much while the pickling jar, fear not, there is a solution. Get a shallow container and add roughly 1-1.5cm of hot water so the lid of the pickling jar is completely submerged. Place your pickling jar in the hot water, lid side down for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then try to open it. I also recommend using rubber gloves, as they help give a firmer grip.
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Mexican Pickled Cabbage Slaw
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Ingredients
Pickled Cabbage
- 3 cups red cabbage, shredded (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 cups carrot, unpeeled & grated
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 8-10 jalapeno slices (Note 3)
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds (Note 4)
- 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Slaw
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup corn
- avocado, jalapeno & lime crema, to drizzle
Instructions
Pickled Cabbage
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Place the pickling jar and lid (inside facing up) on a baking tray, and put in the oven for 10 minutes to sterilize. (Note 5)
- While the jar is still hot, transfer the cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic, and jalapenos to the pickling jar using a pair of tongs. Alternate between layers of vegetables and the coriander seeds and oregano, squishing them down with the tongs as you go.
- Add the red wine vinegar, water, lime juice and maple syrup into a small saucepan. Whisk in the sweet paprika and bring to the boil.
- Pour the hot pickling liquid into the jar and put the lid on the jar. Set aside the jar to cool before placing it in the fridge. (Note 6)
Slaw
- Remove the pickled cabbage mix from the jar and drain in a sieve over the sink.
- Add the pickled cabbage mix to a large bowl with the black beans and corn. Mix well. Top with a drizzle of avocado, jalapeno and lime crema.
- Serve as a main meal or side dish and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes enough to fill a 1 litre pickling jar and 8 large serves. I used the fluted 1 litre jar from Kmart. If you only want to make enough to serve for a family of 4, just half the recipe and use a 500ml jar.
- Red Cabbage - Can be substituted for any other type of cabbage.
- Jalapenos - If you don't want any spiciness, leave them out. Otherwise you can substitute them for some red pepper flakes if you're not a fan of jalapenos.
- Coriander Seeds - If unable, you can use 1 teaspoon of ground coriander.
- Sterilizing the Lid - If you pickling jar lid has a rubber ring in it, it's not suitable to be sterilized in an oven, as the rubber will burn. Instead put into boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Cooling the Jar - It is really important that you allow the jar to cool before placing it in the fridge. The sudden differences in temperature between the hot liquid and fridge may cause the jar to crack or break, which will make a whole lot of mess!
- Nutrition - Calculated per serve, assuming 3 teaspoons of the pickling liquid is consumed between .