Cilantro Lime Slaw is a fantastic low oxalate salad for family meals. It’s simple and nutritious, plus it’s low enough in oxalate that you can eat a lot. Its tangy lime taste goes especially well with Mexican or Tex Mex-inspired main dishes, such as chicken or cheese enchiladas (recipes upcoming) and Low Oxalate White Chicken Chili. It also is easy for younger children to eat and may be a good introductory salad (see picky eater note for ideas about how to introduce this salad to young children).
Very low oxalate lime juice is what gives this cilantro lime slaw its "bite."
For a pretty variation of cilantro lime slaw (and to save a lot of chopping time if you don’t have a food processor), consider using a commercial “slaw” mix instead of the cabbage. Most mixes contain carrots (a high oxalate ingredient at 15.3 mg./half cup), which will raise the oxalate level quite a bit. But if you can find a coleslaw mix that is at least 75% cabbage and only 25% carrot, then you will only raise the oxalate level to about 6 mg. oxalate per serving (from 2.6 mg. oxalate per serving). You may even be able to find one that’s only about 10% carrot, which will get you down to about 4.5 mg. oxalate per serving. This may be worth the convenience for those of you who can handle a little more oxalate in your diet.
Cilantro Lime Slaw
2 cups chopped cabbage (green or purple)
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (about the juice of one lime)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine the cabbage, lettuce and cilantro in a serving bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the lime juice and olive oil. Drizzle the lime dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Let chill for ten minutes before serving for best results.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: This salad easily doubles, but it does not save well. Don’t make more than you think you will eat within 24 hours.
Oxalate Note: One serving of cilantro lime slaw (about 3/4 cup) has about 2.6 mg. oxalate.
Equipment Note: Low oxalate recipes like cilantro lime slaw are a lot faster and easier to make if you have a good quality food processor. I own a Cuisinart Elite Collection 14 cup food processor with three different size bowls for different size jobs OR to make your entire meal without having to wash a prep bowl in between (heh heh, love that reason). I love my Cuisinart Food Processor! It used to take me an hour to do all the chopping and grating. Now it takes about 5 minutes. Fabulous!
Picky Eater Pleaser: Serve small piles of chopped cabbage, romaine and cilantro separately with the lime and oil dressing as a dipping sauce. One of my sons will eat the romaine and cilantro without the dressing. The other is willing to try a little dressing, but doesn’t like the lime taste, so I often reduce the lime juice content when making this dressing for the boys (or I let them pick a different dressing for dipping).
Other Diets: Cilantro Lime Slaw may be suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, controlled carb, SCD, GAPs and low carb diets.
Photo credit to CarbonNYC for Mutant Lime.
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