Now that we are diving mouth-first into a more plant-centric diet, I figured it was high time I come up with some more creative ways to incorporate veggies in our everyday meals. Over the past few years, we’ve fallen deep into the sad salad rut. I’d make something for dinner, realize we’d need some more veggies, and just throw together a salad. It never tasted particularly amazing, but I’d choke it down because I need my leafy greens.

No more, my friends.

As part of my quest to expand my fruit and veggie horizons, I also resolve to limit my intake of the so-called “guilt salads.” No more eating a bowlful of greens just because I’m supposed to. Instead, I want to explore the world of flavorful, interesting and exciting veggie sides. And this one is a very, very good start. The flavors are bright and tangy and there is absolutely no need to guilt me into eating a bowlful of this.

I know the ingredients in this slaw sound a little unusual (raw sweet potatoes? apples? radishes?), but I promise the end result is a veggierific side dish that is bursting with Latin flavor. Sweet potatoes are actually very mildly flavored when raw and instead just absorb the flavors of the dressing while giving the slaw an awesome crunch. I think this would be awesome served in place of lettuce on a fish taco or as a side to some grilled chile-lime shrimp kebabs.

Can you tell I’m desperately missing summer grilling? Because I am.

 
Cilantro-Lime Sweet Potato Slaw

Cilantro-Lime Sweet Potato Slaw

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

I know the ingredients in this slaw sound a little unusual (raw sweet potatoes? apples? radishes?), but I promise the end result is a veggierific side dish that is bursting with Latin flavor.

Inspired by: Whole Living

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 large apple, cored and julienned
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and julienned
  • 6 radishes, julienned
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 green onions, sliced thinly
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
  2. Combine all slaw ingredients in a large bowl and toss until well combined. Pour over dressing and toss until everything is coated. Refrigerate for an hour or more to allow time for flavors to meld. Just before serving, top with toasted sesame seeds.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 88Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 57mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

What’s your favorite veggie side dish?

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7 Comments

  1. This was amazing! ๐Ÿ™‚ We have had a pile of sweet potatoes from our CSA share that we were tired of eating in the forms of fries/mashed sweet potatoes/sweet potato casserole. This was so good!

  2. I’m actually pretty boring with my veggie side dishes! I’ll usually impart all the flavor into my main dish and just steam some broccoli or kale, and use whatever sauce I use for the main dish to flavor the steamed veggie. My favorite? Sweet chili-lime tofu with quinoa and kale. The sauce tastes great with everything else!

  3. mmm, i love cilantro lime anything. i just made cilantro lime rice as a side for our asian-seasoned meatballs for tonight’s dinner. delicious!

  4. Wow, that looks so good. I love the colors! I had no idea you could eat sweet potato raw(or that it would taste good). I gotta try it. I love salads that have a decent crunch ๐Ÿ˜€

    1. Sweet potato should NOT be eaten raw.

      Sweet potato shows trypsin inhibitor activity. That means it contains an enzyme inhibitor that blocks the action of trypsin, an enzyme that digests proteins. The trypsin inhibitor prevents the digestion of protein. Sweet potatoes with higher protein levels have more of the trypsin inhibitor. This makes raw sweet potato difficult to digest. The trypsin inhibitor is deactivated by cooking.