Rainbow Carrot Cole Slaw

Spring is nearly upon us – which means that fresh food and warmer weather will be here before we know it! I’ve been brushing up on my grilling skills and now I just need some side dishes to go along with the main course!

One of the benefits of the pandemic was the ability to discover new foods to try when more common ingredients were scarce. One of the many different kinds of foods that came into my possession were rainbow carrots – something I grabbed on a whim when I couldn’t find any regular carrots at the store.

Who causes a run on carrots for real though? Were people hoping they would turn into bunnies and hop away from COVID? Not sure – but for whatever reason carrots were elusive for a few weeks at the beginning of last (2020) spring.

And that’s how I came to start experimenting with rainbow carrots!

This stylish rainbow cole slaw was the summation of several leftovers in my fridge – but it paired perfectly with the sous vide pork ribs I was making so I went with whatever I could find to create this crazy good slaw.

Here’s What Ya Need:

• rainbow carrots – while rainbow colored carrots really make this dish pop, you can totally sub in regular carrots and achieve the same taste and texture
• bagged cole slaw – technically this isn’t cheating. You can definitely buy your own head of cabbage and slice it up yourself, or you can buy a bag and save yourself the time.
• mayo – the base for the tangy sauce
• apple cider vinegar – see above for ‘tangy’
• a touch of sugar – this really helps pull the flavor out of the carrots but it’s not required (for a healthier variation!)
• minced red onion – again, something to add a bit of zip to the flavor panel
• dill seed – a great way to add a little bite with out drowning the dish in dill flavor
• spicy brown mustard – an essential ingredient to add a few base notes of spice
• Garlic Expressions – you can sub in your favorite garlic vinaigrette but this brand is my favorite!

All of these ingredients combined make a sweet and tangy cole slaw that has just enough zip. It pairs wonderfully with many different BBQ dishes.

I didn’t love cole slaw until well into adulthood – probably because everyone makes it differently and the store bought variety can be just meh. But this cole slaw is quickly becoming a go-to side dish for grill nights. It’s quick and easy, which makes it perfect for a weeknight or a cookout!

The rainbow carrots create ribbons of tasty color throughout the cole slaw. Serve alongside your favorite grilled dish while enjoying a bit of summer sunshine.