NEW RECIPE: Middle Eastern Coleslaw (Home for the Holidays, Finale)

The winter holiday season is a great time to spend with family and friends with all of the exciting celebrations and get-togethers happening. At most of these events, food has a center point where everyone gathers as they eat and enjoy whatever dish there is. From centerpieces to side dishes, its important to keep things simple and efficient so you're not super stressed. Each of these recipes is an easy recipe to pull off, and will impress your guests! 

A lot of times, holiday dishes can be incredibly rich or dense, as has definitely been the case with each of the dishes I've posted so far in this series. It's important to keep a balance of light dishes and richer ones during meals so you don't overload guests. A simple salad or coleslaw is a quick, easy, and effective light side dish to have for a meal.

This coleslaw is done without mayonnaise, which may come as a controversy. However, I personally prefer coleslaw without mayonnaise, and it would make the slaw too rich in this case when the purpose of the dish is to be light. Instead, it's filled with fresh and aromatic flavors like pomegranate and toasted cumin for a great, Middle Eastern kick! 

Recipe serves up to 12 people.

Ingredients:

1 head Napa/Green Cabbage, cut into strips
1 head purple cabbage, cut into strips
1 white onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Cooking/Assembling:

1) Get a bowl of boiling hot water and placed your onions in it for 5-10 minutes to get rid of the raw flavor.

2) Drain the onions, then combine all of your ingredients for the slaw together to taste. If you're toasting the cumin from scratch, simply place the seeds in a pan on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.

This slaw packs a ton of fresh and vibrant flavors into it! From the fresh herbs, the crisp cabbage, and the aromaticness of the cumin seeds, this slaw is all about fresh, clean flavors. The pomegranate seeds add just a hit of sweetness along with the molasses, and the olive oil brings all of the flavors together in a cohesive "dressing". Overall, this refreshing dish will be a pleasure for guests' - and your - stomach after the richness of your holiday meals!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe - and this entire series of holiday dishes! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make any of these dishes at home, let me know! Enjoy! =)