Peanut Slaw

One of my favorite restaurants in Columbus, Ohio is Northstar Café, and ever since I first had their roasted peanut slaw, I’ve been trying to make a similar version at home. Despite several attempts over the past couple of years, I could never get it quite right. 

Then I realized I was making two major mistakes: First, I was putting far too many ingredients in the dressing. A simple acidic dressing is really all you need for this slaw. Second, I wasn’t using mint leaves. Mint leaves are key for this salad. If you’re one of those cilantro haters, I suppose you can leave it out. But you have to use the mint. It makes all the difference. 

As for the veggies, Northstar uses kale and cabbage, which is certainly a great combination. I really love carrots in my slaw, though, so that’s what I typically use at home. Feel free to try this slaw with raw kale, too. 

Lastly, please note that I didn’t set out to make an exact copy cat version of Northstar’s slaw. I really have no idea how similar this is, but I love it, and I hope you enjoy it too!

Print Recipe

Peanut Slaw

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Inspired by the peanut slaw served at Northstar Cafe in Columbus, Ohio.

Ingredients

• ½ of a medium sized green cabbage
• 2 large carrots, julienned or shredded
• 3 small green onions, chopped
• ½ to ¾ cup of salted and roasted peanuts, chopped or left whole
• 5 - 7 mint leaves, cut into small pieces
• One large handful of cilantro, chopped
• For the dressing:
• ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• The juice of 1 ½ limes
• 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1

Prepare the vegetables: Shred the cabbage either with a knife or in a food processor. I used about half a medium sized head of cabbage, but no need to be exact. The carrots can also be shredded in a food processor or julienned with a julienne peeler. Set aside.

2

Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, and sugar together. Add a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper and whisk again. Taste and add more salt or vinegar, if needed.

3

Bring it all together: Mix the shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, peanuts, mint and cilantro in a large bowl and add the dressing. I use all of the dressing, for I like a well-dressed slaw. You may not need the entire amount. Taste the slaw and add more salt, pepper, or acidity (either lime juice or vinegar), if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

This slaw is great leftover, even though it will lose a bit of the crunch factor.