Vegan Jicama Slaw

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “slaw”? Is it the delicious, creamy cabbage coleslaw from KFC back from your pre-vegan days? Or is it the rich slaw made from balsamic vinegar and olive oil from Sunday brunch? Well, whatever you have in mind, let me tell you it is nothing as compared to the delicious, simple, tasty, rich, crunchy, and vegan Jicama slaw we have today for you!

The jicama slaw is a refreshing crunchy and very tasteful slaw made from simple ingredients. It has the perfect balance between sweetness and sour. The sweetness comes from jicama itself, whereas the tart comes from green apples.

To bring in the savory flavor, we have onions and carrots for color. The dressing on this slaw is made from simple ingredients like vegan mayo, lime juice, and celery seeds. In short, there is nothing fancy about this slaw, yet it is very addictive. On a lazy day, when you don’t feel like doing anything, this slaw is your ultimate savior. Try this amazing recipe at home, and I am pretty sure you will love it!

If you love traditional slaws like my Vegan Coleslaw and Vegan Southern-Style Coleslaw, you are in for a real treat!

What is a Slaw?

The word slaw comes from “coleslaw.” Slaw is a type of salad that is made from fresh and raw vegetables or fruits. It is a widely used side dish. A slaw usually has a creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing or a vinaigrette. Whatever dressing you choose, it is very refreshing, tasteful, and has a crunchy texture from the raw vegetables. Slightly differing from the many tasteful cabbage-based slaws, jicama slaw is very refreshing and tasteful.

Ingredient breakdown

• Jicama: The first main ingredient of this slaw is the jicama. You can easily buy it from any grocery store or farmer’s market. When buying jicama, make sure you choose the ones that are small in size. Furthermore, they should be firm and shouldn’t have dark spots, bruises, or cracks. Once you buy jicama for this recipe, wash it, pat it dry, peel the skin off and dice it into thin matchsticks. You can shred them or chop them as well. Whatever seems convenient to you.
• Green apple: The next main ingredient for this jicama slaw recipe is the apple. Green apples serve perfectly for this recipe. They have a slight tart flavor that adds a pop to this slaw. Furthermore, they are juicy and have a very satisfying crunch. You can use red apples for this recipe as well.
• Onions: Onions have a savory flavor that is a perfect blend with the rest of the ingredients. You can either use yellow or white onions for this slaw. Thinly slice them or chop them.
• Carrots: Another amazing ingredient that adds so much color and flavor to this slaw is the carrot. Choose carrots that are fresh and firm. You can cut them into fine matchsticks or shred them as well.
• Lime juice: Juice from freshly squeezed lime adds freshness, acidity, and tanginess to the slaw. Furthermore, it also keeps the apples from getting black. Lime juice balances out the flavors of apple, carrot, and jicama. Substitute with lemon juice.
• Vegan Mayo: Adds healthy fats to the slaw and brings all the flavors together as well. You can make your own homemade version or purchase store bought vegan mayonnaise. 
• Agave Nectar: Balances the tart flavors of the lime and green apple. 
• Celery Seeds: no coleslaw isn’t good with the flavor of celery seeds, definitely a vital ingredient for that signature coleslaw flavor.
• Sea salt: Sea salt balances out the flavors and adds saltiness to the slaw.
• Fresh cilantro: Fresh cilantro is refreshing and adds a herbaceous flavor to the slaw. If you don’t have cilantro, you can use parsley as well.

How to make jicama slaw?

Making jicama slaw is very easy. All you need is four main ingredients and three ingredients for the dressing. Because it is a kind of salad, you just have to mix everything together. There is no cooking involved in this recipe. The only time you need to invest is in cutting the vegetables. Here is how you can prepare this slaw:

Step 1: Start with the dressing. In a large salad bowl, add vegan mayo, lime juice, agave, celery seeds, and sea salt. Mix well until the salt is dissolved.

Step 2: Now add the chopped jicama, onions, apples, carrots, and chopped cilantro. Toss well using a wooden spoon or tongs.

Step 3: Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tips for making perfect jicama slaw

Despite having three simple steps to make this refreshing slaw, you have to follow a few tips to ensure everything goes well.

• If you don’t have limes available, you can use lemons as well.
• Cutting the vegetables in matchsticks can be very tedious and time-consuming. So, if you are in a hurry to hate cutting vegetables, you can use a shredded instead. Furthermore, dice the vegetables, add them to a food processor, choose the mandoline slicer blade and process the vegetables. It is the best way to prepare your vegetables when you are in a hurry.
• You can use red apples instead of green ones as well. However, the only thing you have to remember is that they should be fresh and firm.
• To ensure the salad stays fresh and the apples don’t turn brown, add more lime or lemon juice. The acidity of the lime juice will prevent the apples from turning brown faster.
• You can also a pinch of paprika powder to add more flavor and slight heat to the slaw.

Variation ideas

Although this recipe boosts the natural flavors of the ingredients, you can enhance the flavors f this slaw by many folds as well. Here are a few additional ingredients you can add to the dressing to enjoy different flavor combinations:

• Jalapenos: For those who love heat, jalapeno is a perfect choice. You can use them fresh or pickled. I personally love adding pickled jalapenos to the slaw. It adds both tartness and heat.
• Walnuts: If you are a fan of the crunchy element, you will love what walnuts do to this slaw. They add a very satisfying crunch and texture to every mouthful.
• Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds also bring in a crunch to the slaw. It is a perfect ingredient for garnishing the slaw.

How to store jicama apple slaw?

The thing about jicama and apple slaw is that you can’t store them for a very long time. That’s because both jicama and apple have the tendency to get brown when you leave them in the open air or refrigerator. So, to avoid this, it is usually recommended you eat jicama slaw immediately.

However, you can extend its shelf life and store it in the refrigerator for about 6 to 8 hours prior to eating by adding lime or lemon juice to it. Lime or lemon juice prevents the ingredients from getting brown instantly. Note that it is not a permanent remedy; the jicama and apple will get brown eventually. Lemon juice just slows down the process.

Furthermore, you can happily store uncut jicama and apple in the refrigerator, and they will last for quite some time. So, when you feel like eating jicama slaw, chop them using a food processor, add dressing and enjoy.

You can technically freeze the jicama slaw as well. However, thawing it will make the ingredients soggy, and they will lose their crisp. So, in short, it is better to enjoy this slaw when it is just prepared.

What to serve jicama slaw with?

You can eat jicama slaw as an appetizer or a side dish. You can also eat it as a snack or for lunch. This slaw goes very well with a number of dishes, i.e., soups, stews, and curries. You can serve it with mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables to bring freshness to the table.

1. Cauliflower Nuggets
2. Mac And Cheese
3. Vegan Oatmeal Burger
4. Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches
5. Vegan Carrot Dog

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Love You,

Michelle