Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw

Creamy cilantro lime slaw is the perfect side dish for a simple dinner or the perfect topping for fish tacos!

This creamy cilantro lime slaw is made with just a few ingredients and is made without mayo or dairy! Naturally vegan, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low carb and Whole30 friendly, this slaw is perfect for get-togethers too!

Ingredients

• Cabbage
• Shredded Carrots
• Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing:
• Cashews (soaked)
• Water
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
• Garlic Powder
• Salt

How to make cilantro lime coleslaw

1. Shred up a small head of cabbage (2-3 pounds). Add the cabbage to a very large bowl.
2. Add the shredded carrots to the bowl with the slaw (I buy store bought but you could also shred them in the food processor or using a hand grater).
3. Make the dressing, pour the dressing over the slaw and mix well (I use tongs).
4. Let sit in fridge about 1 hour for the best flavor (although you can serve immediately).

How to make cilantro lime dressing

1. Start by soaking the cashews and draining them of soaking liquid. See below on how to soak cashews.
2. Add the soaked cashews, water, cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder and salt to a high speed blender (I use a bullet blender) and blend about 1 minute until smooth.

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Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw

Creamy cilantro lime coleslaw is the perfect topping for tacos and is so easy to make! This healthy recipe is made with no mayo, and is naturally dairy free, vegan, low carb, paleo and Whole30 and keto friendly! Perfect for fish tacos or shrimp tacos, and is ready in less than 10 minutes!

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Prep Time: 8 minutes mins

Cook Time: 2 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 small head of cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots

Cilantro Lime Dressing

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1/2 cup water (plus more for soaking cashews)
• 1/4 cup cilantro (stems and leaves)
• 2 medium limes, juiced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Soak cashews in water (8 hours on counter) or cook in microwave in water 2 minutes or on stove boiling 3-5 minutes. Allow cashews to cool slightly before handling (2-3 minutes). Carefully drain the water and discard it.
  1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
• Remove the core from the cabbage and shred (using a knife, the food processor, spiralizer or mandolin).
  1 small head of cabbage, shredded
• Add shredded cabbage and shredded carrots to a very large bowl.
  1 small head of cabbage, shredded, 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• Make dressing by combining drained cashews, water, cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder and salt in a high speed blender, about 1 minute on high.
  1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked, 1/2 cup water (plus more for soaking cashews), 1/4 cup cilantro (stems and leaves), 2 medium limes, juiced, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Pour dressing over cabbage and mix well (I like to use tongs).
• Store in fridge about 1 hour before serving if possible.

Equipment

• High speed blender

Recipe Notes

Make ahead and storage:

You can make this slaw 1 day in advance if you need to save time! You can also make the dressing up to 3 days in advance and store it in a well sealed jar. Simply dress the cabbage about an hour before serving.

Store slaw in a well sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days (however the presentation is best within the first 24 hours). 

Do not freeze the slaw, the cabbage has too much water and this will not turn out. 

Substitutions:

• Cashews: You can also use hemp hearts (no soaking needed) or raw sunflower seeds (soaked the same way as cashews). 
• Cabbage: If you don’t want to use all green cabbage you can reduce it or replace it with purple cabbage, broccoli slaw or even shredded jicama. 

 

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Amount per Serving

Calories

153

Fat

 

7

g

Carbohydrates

 

21

g

Fiber

 

6

g

Sugar

 

8

g

Protein

 

6

g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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• 76

Author: Samantha Rowland

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: cilantro lime coleslaw, cilantro lime slaw, creamy cilantro lime dressing

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Recipe variations

I love the flavor profile of this cilantro lime slaw however, there are some great ways to add in more heat from peppers or more veggies! Some great additions include:

• Add more veggies: Add thinly sliced bell peppers or poblano peppers, jicama or even radishes!
• Make it spicy: Add Sliced jalapenos (to the slaw or added to the sauce) or add canned green chilis to the sauce
• Make it smoky: Add smoked paprika or 1-2 of the canned chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) to the sauce before blending
• Make it crunchy: Add toasted cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds to the slaw.
• Change the cabbage: You could also use purple cabbage or even broccoli slaw in place of some of the cabbage in this recipe.

What to serve with cilantro lime slaw

The cilantro lime dressing makes this slaw perfect with Mexican and Asian flavors. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it:

• On top of fish tacos, shrimp tacos or really any taco recipe
• In burrito bowls
• On the side of any Mexican dish (including this Mexican Lentils and Rice)
• On burgers or hot dogs
• On or on the side of sandwiches or wraps
• With eggs (especially when eggs have hot sauce on them)
• On the side of Asian Skillet Chicken, Taco Skillet Chicken or Bang Bang Shrimp for a quick 10 minute meal
• On the side of Curry Salmon Cakes
• On the side of BBQ Chicken or chicken drumsticks

If you love this recipe, you should try

Broccoli Slaw Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing

Asian Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Lime Dressing

Dairy Free Vegan Slaw

Pineapple Coleslaw