Shiitake Sesame Slaw

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables. If you cannot find grated ginger or garlic, a microplane or a box grater are great tools to create your own. Grate one garlic clove and a 1-inch piece of ginger root.
• Thinly slice the mushrooms, peppers, scallions, and cabbage into roughly 1/4-inch wide strips. The key is cutting all of the vegetables to roughly the same size to make the slaw easy to toss evenly and easy to eat! Discard the pepper seeds, the cabbage stem, and any roots on the scallions. As you complete each vegetable, place it in the bowl with the dressing. Wait to toss everything until the end.
• Remove the mint leaves from the stem and tear any large leaves into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Roughly chop the cilantro, stems included. Cilantro stems are pretty tender and have lots of flavor. Keep as much of the upper parts of the stems as you’d like. You can discard the very bottom if it is thicker or contains roots.
• Thoroughly toss the vegetables and herbs with the dressing until everything is well coated. Allow to rest for five minutes to so that the mushrooms can soften and absorb the dressing.
• Serve and top with toasted sesame seeds and cashews. Add the crunchy toppings to each serving instead of the whole bowl if you think you’ll have leftovers. The vegetables, especially cabbage, are pretty hardy and will retain their texture even after sitting in dressing, but the seeds and nuts will soften. The slaw will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.