Summertime Asian Quinoa Slaw

So…I just started doing Bikram yoga.

I’ve always loved yoga and have been practicing on and off since high school (which yes, was a long time ago), but there was something about bikram that just didn’t jive with me.

In all honestly, I think it was the fact that I didn’t want to be sweating my butt off in a room full of complete strangers. And also the fact that I have this weird thing about smell and I seriously did not want to be smelling other people. TMI?

But I decided to try it.

And I’ve totally fallen in love. Why? A) I’ve realized that everyone else is going to be sweating a ton, so it totally doesn’t matter; b) sweating feels really great and c) the poses aren’t so challenging that my body feels crippled afterwards, it’s just challenging enough that I feel like I got a good workout in.

But what in the world could bikram yoga have to do with this summertime quinoa slaw recipe? Water. Water. Water.

After my first class, all I wanted was something super hydrating to munch on. Of course, I chugged multiple bottles of water, but I was hungry and needed something that would not only fill me up, but also quench my thirst.

Immediately my mind jumped to coleslaw. It’s cool on a hot summer day (or after a sweaty yoga session), is full of hydrating veggies and is easy to whip up.

Unlike a traditional coleslaw that you might find at your neighborhood barbecue party, we’re bringing an asian flare to this recipe and spicing it up with some fun ingredients.

The base is napa cabbage which is just now hitting the farm stands up here in Vermont. I bought a big head of it at the Farmer’s market and made a huge batch of this slaw. Everyone loved it!

Next up I wanted to add something that gave the slaw some crunch. I went for jicama because it’s really light and refreshing, but also mingles well with other flavors and works perfectly in cold salads.

Then I went with some more traditional ingredients like carrots, scallions and quinoa (although I don’t think most people put quinoa in there coleslaw, but you know how we do it around here…quinoa everything!). Just right.

Finally, I tossed this quinoa slaw in a spicy, salty, sweet dressing made from a mixture of gluten-free tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger and red chili flakes.

This recipe is the ultimate summertime slaw. It’s great for a neighborhood cookout, or can easily be turned into a full blown dinner by adding some chicken, chickpeas or tempeh. Served chilled and it’s just the refreshing bite that you need after a long day in the sunshine.

What’s your favorite summer dish? I’d love to hear in the comments below!