Jicama Slaw is a crunchy, fresh, light, and satisfying healthy vegan salad loaded with shredded veggies and tossed in a light and tangy vinaigrette.
Whether you absolutely love jicama or have no idea what it even tastes like, I'm confident you'll love this colorful Cole Slaw!
Do you eat jicama? I would love to know. Jicama is not something I grew up eating, thus it was never carried forward into my adult life.
The first time I tried jicama I was well into my 30s. I was volunteering at my daughter's preschool. Every Easter they would lay out rolls of paper and cover them with all kinds of raw vegetables and have their annual "Bunny Brunch". At first it blew my mind to see a bunch of 2 and 3 year-olds eating bell pepper, zucchini and jicama. Kids that age are notorious for eating a diet that's 100% Gold Fish and mac and cheese.
But I surprised myself as well by eating that jicama. And you know what? It was GOOD!
What is jicama?
It is a tuber vegetable. It's actually part of the bean family, but the part we eat is part of the root that's underground. The jicama we buy in the store is similar to a turnip. Weird, right?
The outside of the vegetable is yellow and a bit thick skinned. It wasn't as easy to peel as a carrot or a beet. The white flesh on the inside is very similar in texture to a raw potato or an apple.
Can you eat it raw?
Absolutely. In fact, I've never enjoyed jicama any other way.
What does jicama taste like?
The flavor is sweet and starchy. The texture is crisp, juicy, and crunchy.
It really did taste like an apple with a much more mellow and neutral flavor. It was the perfect addition to this slaw.
Is jicama a low carb vegetable?
Jicama is actually high in carbohydrates. But they are the good carbs in the form of dietary fiber. Different than, let's say, a brownie.
If you're on a very restrictive keto or low carb diet, you might want to avoid jicama much like you would carrots or sugar snap peas. If you're diet is not that restrictive, jicama is just another tasty and healthy vegetable that is good for you.
How to make this fresh coleslaw:
There are only two main steps in this easy healthy salad recipe: cut the vegetables and make the dressing.
- To cut the vegetables, I love to use a mandoline. It not only slices things like the cabbage and onion super thin, but it cuts my jicama and carrots into match sticks. I did, however, slice the red bell pepper with a knife.
- The vinaigrette has a lot of different ingredients, but together they add a complex and tangy taste to this already interesting salad.
- Simply toss the dressing with the vegetables and you're ready to serve. This salad also keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Love slaw recipes?
Check out these awesome recipes:
- Creamy Vegan Coleslaw
- Spicy Peanut Asian Slaw
- Easy Broccoli Slaw
- Citrus Cumin Coleslaw
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw
- Purple Cabbage Citrus Slaw
- Angel Hair Coleslaw
Jicama Slaw
Ingredients
Jicama Slaw:
- 1 large jicama (or 3 small (about 2 pounds), peeled and finely shredded)
- ½ head red cabbage (finely shredded)
- 2 carrots (peeled and shredded)
- 1 large red pepper (stem and seeds removed, sliced thin)
- ½ white onion (thinly sliced)
Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (ancho chili powder if you have it)
- ½ teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Place jicama slaw vegetables in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the jicama slaw mixture and toss to coat well. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Cathey
Excellent, fresh and a great addition to any meal and sub for coleslaw.
Diana
This recipe is great to riff off of. I made a few modifications because of what I had on hand and preferences. It's a very forgiving base! I limit how much oil I use, so I substituted pecans and water that I whizzed up in my high speed blender. I bet that cashews or seeds would work just as well, or maybe even some pureed avocado. I also used tangelo instead of lime, and a little agave nectar in place of the honey. Since I was going in a sweeter direction anyway, I chose cider vinegar and dried Aleppo peppers which bring sweetness and heat. I realize that this probably sounds like a completely different recipe now, but it's definitely similar enough to rate this one very highly. I think this will be a go-to for picnics and potlucks.
Joy
This was so good! I served it along side tamales for Christmas. Can you tell me the measurement for one serving? Thank you!
Andy Duncan
Have made this on several occasions. In addition to a great stand alone slaw it is the bomb as a crispy topping on Carnitas Tacos! Highly recommend!
Christina
Delicious but not vegan with honey as an ingredient
Jillian Wade
This was such a delicious salad, the flavors were so bright!
wilhelmina
I am a huge jicama fan and I adore this slaw!
Danielle Wolter
jicama is awesome! I had kinda forgotten about it until reading this. What a great recipe!! so fresh and delicious!
Chef Mireille
Jicama is one of my favorite ingredients and I really like the idea of this dressing. This is definitely my kind of slaw!
Valentina
This is my absolute favorite type of side dish to have with grilled steak. Not only delicious but so very pretty! It would brighten up any plate. 🙂
Kristine
I love love love homemade slaws, and this one looks absolutely delicious! Looking forward to trying it!
Praj
Love Jaicama !! Your pictures are amazing. Can see tge crispy crunch of it. Flavor combination sounds very tantalizing. Can't wait to make it.
Leslie Flenniken
I really like you this post for a salad now my mouth coming watering going to make it now.. thanks for the amazing post... with useful infographics
Emily
Fascinating! I never even heard of jicama, but your description of it has me impatient to try it!!
Love the flavors in your slaw too! looks like a very exciting recipe.
Grace
Wow!!!!! This is really a delicious salad! I used cayanne pepper powder instead of chili and it’s amazing. DEFINETLY recommend this as a side to sautéed salmon with adobo and lemon!