No Carrots Needed! Japanese-Style Coleslaw with Tuna and Soy Sauce🥗

1/ Prepare the cabbage: Wash the cabbage, remove excess water, and slice it thinly. (If slicing is difficult, using a mandoline or slicer makes it easier!)
Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and massage it well with your hands. Transfer to a colander and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes. Then squeeze out the excess moisture thoroughly.

2/Make the dressing:  In a separate bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients (marked with ◎) and mix well. Adding soy sauce here gives the coleslaw a subtle Japanese flavor.

3/ Assemble: Add the cabbage to the dressing and mix to combine. Then add the corn and drained tuna, and toss everything together until well coated. Taste and adjust the flavor if needed—add a bit more soy sauce or mayonnaise to your liking.

🌟 Make It Even Better, and More Fun! 🌟

⭐️ Add Toasted Sesame for a Nutty Kick: Just a sprinkle of white sesame seeds or ground sesame can make a big difference. It adds a toasty aroma and brings out the Japanese-style flavor even more.

⭐️ Brighten It Up with Cucumber or Purple Cabbage: Thinly sliced cucumber or shredded purple cabbage adds color and crunch. They're a great substitute for carrots—and help balance out the nutrition, too.

⭐️ Leave a Little Tuna Oil Behind: If you're using oil-packed tuna, try keeping a bit of the oil for extra richness. Using water-packed tuna? A splash of neutral oil like sunflower or canola works great.

⭐️ Add Soy Sauce Gradually: Soy sauce adds that essential savory depth, but it’s easy to go overboard. Start with a teaspoon, taste, and adjust as needed to keep the dressing nicely balanced.

⭐️ No Carrots? No Problem!: Thanks to the rich flavor of tuna, you won’t miss the carrots at all. In fact, my family—carrot skeptics included—loved it so much they asked for seconds!

⭐️ Great in Sandwiches Too: This coleslaw isn’t just a side dish. Try it in a sandwich like tuna mayo—it works beautifully! You can also find it as a burger side idea on this Umami sans frontières blog. 👉 

Bismarck-Style Burger with Fried Egg – Easy & Authentic 

⭐️ A Tasty Way to Use Up Extra Cabbage: In Germany, cabbage usually comes in whole heads over 1 kg.
We often make okonomiyaki first, then turn the leftover cabbage into this coleslaw the next day. It’s a simple and delicious way to avoid waste 😊
Click here for my okonomiyaki recipe 👉 Okonomiyaki