Cashew curry mayo with cabbage slaw
This new slaw recipe with its tangy cashew curry mayo dressing is one of my to-go recipes for summer. It’s super easy to make, lightly creamy, colourful and flavourful all in one, and ready to serve a crowd as a summer BBQ side dish. I enjoyed it as is but it would also be phenomenal piled on top of a veggie burger or accompanied by grilled corn and sweet potatoes.
Although the veggies in this salad are eye-catching because of their bright colours and textures, the cashew curry mayo is the highlight of this dish. It could even be made on its own without the salad and used as a sandwich spread or drizzled on steamed greens! Making it is easy: it’s just a matter of throwing a few simple ingredients into a blender. The only hard part is remembering to soak your cashews.
This tangy dressing requires a good dose of lemon juice and curry powder. Don’t go light on these, because the flavour won’t be so strong once it’s soaked into the shredded veggies.
Next, finely chop your veggies (you can use the shredding blade on your food processor to make it easier) and toss everything in a large bowl.
And then serve!

Cashew curry mayo with cabbage slaw
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
For the cashew curry mayo:
- 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch of two of cayenne and black pepper
For the cabbage slaw:
- 2 cups finely shredded Savoy cabbage
- 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- To make the mayo, first drain and rinse the cashews. Next, blend all mayo ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- To make the slaw, combine all slaw ingredients in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with 4 or more tablespoons of the mayo and gently toss to coat. Add more dressing if desired, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and store leftovers in the fridge. The remaining mayo can be used to freshen up leftovers, dress up steamed veggies or as a sandwich spread!
This looks divine and a must try! :)
Thanks, Julie! I hope you enjoy it :)
Just now made this–will let it sit overnight in the fridge for the flavors to blend, then use it tomorrow as a veggie dip. Absolutely LOVE curried foods!
About 25 years ago (when I was vegetarian but not vegan), my husband (God rest his soul) took me to the fanciest restaurant in town. I ordered a salad that had a curry dressing–it seemed to be more of a flavored ranch–and it still stand out in my mind as the best salad dressing I’ve ever had. EVER.
A thick curried dressing is where it’s at! I hope you enjoy this dressing/dip almost as much as you did the restaurant’s version :)
This would be amazing on sandwiches, or just by itself! I love that you don’t use canned mayo for the dressing, also – the simpler, the better!
Thanks, Kelly! It’s true: simple is better :)
Oh my goodness, atop a veggie burger is where I’d like it to be and the veggie burger in my mouth.
This sounds really good and will try it as is.. as an alternative does it have to be cashews? Would another nut or seed do, like sunflower or almond if they were soaked?
Yes, another nut or seed would work! Just keep in mind you’ll likely taste the flavour of the nut/seed you use (cashews are preferred because they are quite bland). I’d imagine almonds would taste great too. :)
I’ve just started moving to a more plant based diet and have never soaked nuts for anything like this. I’ve ended up with something quite tasty but it’s definitely more of a hummus-like consistency than mayo. I can’t imagine it would coat anything like a slaw (i only planned to make the mayo). Wondering if i didn’t blend it long enough; roughly how long should it take?
Hi Sunny. I hope you’re enjoying your plant-based life so far! It sounds like you didn’t blend it long enough. I have a Blendtec and it takes a minute or two to get it super smooth. If you have a regular blender it will take longer. Add a bit more water if needed to help get it moving so it smooths out.