The first time I made curtido Salvadoran slaw, I was using a not-so-hot recipe and the results were very vinegar-y. For Honduran, Cuban and Salvadoran recipes, you will find many versions online of the most used recipes. You have to eat each food (prepared by someone else) a few times, then try several recipes until you settle on the ones you and your family really like. Mr. Key Lime and I like this curtido. It’s great with pupusas and Latin tomato sauce, and also as a side with Cubanos and other sandwiches. It could even be used as a topping inside your vegan burgers and sandwiches.
It’s simple to make, you just have to plan ahead a little. This slaw is refrigerated for at least one hour after making, but putting it in the fridge overnight is preferred. The longer you are able to let the slaw flavors blend, the better it will taste. We had our curtido in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days as we slowly ate it through the week (since there are only two of us). It was very tasty right up to the end.
You can vary quite a few ingredients in this recipe. For example you can use fresh jalapenos or pickled ones. I used the pickled slices and estimated that 10 to 12 slices would equal about two whole jalapenos. Be sure to remove the seeds and membrane from fresh jalapenos before chopping. Most slaws and curtidos use shredded carrots, but it’s just so easy to shave carrots using a potato peeler, I shave my carrots whenever possible. Shaving the carrots changes the look of the slaw slightly, with larger pieces of carrot visible. It’s a personal choice!
I know some people are really anti-cilantro! I love it, so I use it heavily when I cook and even get cravings for it. But, if you hate it, you can omit it. If you’re making curtido for guests, though, maybe split the batch and make one curtido with cilantro and one without.
This recipe is from Viva Vegan! by Terry Hope Romero. It’s so good and yummy, I know you’ll love it. It’s a great stand alone side dish for the entire summer. It’s perfect for picnics, barbeques, and potlucks.
Be sure to try the Salvadoran pupusas and Latin tomato sauce with it, too! We love curtido as a side dish with our Vegan Cubano sandwiches.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
servings (or more)
|
- 1 - 1-1/2 pound bag pre-shredded cabbage or a pre-shredded slaw mix (which I used - contains red cabbage and bits of carrot)
- 10 - 12 slices pickled jalapenos finely chopped, or 1-2 whole pickled jalapenos, or 1-2 fresh jalapenos
- 1 large carrot shredded or shaved (using a potato peeler - discard the core)
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
Ingredients
|
|
- Place the shredded cabbage or slaw mix in a large bowl with all of the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine the ingredients and coat the slaw.
- Put the curdito into a large resealable plastic bag (I used a freezer bag for the durability), one gallon sized or larger.
- Press all of the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. Place the bag inside a large mixing bowl and put a few heavy cans of food on top of it.
- Place the bowl with the bag into the refrigerator for at least one hour and preferably overnight.
- To serve, lift a handful of the curtido out of the bag, shaking excess juices into the bag before pulling it out. Delicious served with Latin tomato sauce and Salvadoran pupusas.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave any feedback in comments below. Also, share your comments on Instagram: @key_lime_coconut or on Twitter: @keylime_coconut. We love seeing hashtags #keylimecoconut #keylimecoconutblog and #beachbumvegan when you try our recipes.
Recent Comments