Cilantro Lime Slaw for Fish Tacos

Tangy and fresh, napa cabbage, onions, carrots and more combine in this easy recipe for Cilantro Lime Slaw. Excellent on fish tacos!

I remember the sizzle and tantalizing aroma as a friend’s mother fried corn tortillas into crisp hard taco shells. We were in middle school then, I think, and it was a strange moment — one in which I realized that not everyone ate as my family did. I’d never seen anyone make hard shells from scratch before.

Later, I would experiment myself. Corn tortillas for my vegetarian tacos would fall into bits unheated. Flour tortillas were easier but lacked flavor. I didn’t know how to fry corn tortillas into shells, despite having watched my friend’s mom do it. But I tried making baked tortilla chips with leftovers to some success.

That was all decades ago when I was in the infancy of my food discovery.

These days I know more about the things I like — warmed corn tortillas, for instance, are the best choice for many tacos. The store-bought hard taco shells of my childhood though are still the go-to for ground beef tacos (I like to make my own homemade taco seasoning — it’s so easy!).

And when it comes to taco fillings, there are so many options. Haddock seasoned with Trader Joe’s Chile Lime seasoning and cooked to just tender is a great option. It’s flavorful and satisfying. For a special treat, serve fish tacos with tangy toppings — pickled red onions, slaw, you name it — and some smooth avocado.

In particular, I love to make this Cilantro Lime Slaw for fish tacos.

This recipe starts with finely shredded napa cabbage. I use my sharpest knife to do the shredding. But a food processor would also make quick work of it. Combine the cabbage with shredded carrots, finely sliced onions and chopped cilantro.

A dressing of lime juice, agave nectar, oil, salt and pepper is whisked together and poured over the vegetables. It softens everything while also lending a tangy flavor to the slaw.

Let this sit for at least 10 minutes before you dig in. Or chill until you are ready to serve. The flavors get better with age.

Then pile it on your favorite fish tacos (sliced avocado encouraged!). Or serve it with your signature burrito bowl. You could even top a hot dog or sausage with it, if you desired. This Cilantro Lime Slaw is fabulous. Try it and see for yourself.