Thinking beyond cabbage: 12 recipes for cool summer slaws

Crisp, cool slaw should be the official side dish of summer. Bright and refreshing, it’s the dish to turn to as the weather turns hot. Made with just a few ingredients, slaws are straightforward and simple. And they’re fast and easy to assemble -- no cooking required.

Click here for 12 recipes for cool summer slaws

When you think slaw you might think cabbage, or maybe you’ve even gone so far as to try slaws made from broccoli or carrots. But there’s a big, wide world of slaw possibilities out there, particularly in the summer, when so much produce is at its prime.

Slaws are essentially simple things: Take a main ingredient cut into shreds, dress it lightly with something tangy, and finish it with the little touches that add color and crunch.

We’ve compiled 12 recipes of our favorite slaws, using everything from crisp, bright zucchini (pictured above) to colorful bell peppers, fennel, radicchio and even cantaloupe. Try out a recipe, or use an idea as inspiration for your own creation.

Continue reading below for the recipe for the zucchini and tomato slaw pictured above, and for links to the recipes pictured in our recipe and photo gallery.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Email Noelle at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

Zucchini slaw

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

2 pounds zucchini (about 6 small or 3 to 4 medium)

4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced into 1/4 -inch pieces

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup sherry vinegar, or to taste

2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

8 large basil leaves thinly sliced

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish

1. Trim the ends from the zucchini and cut them crosswise into 3-inch pieces. Julienne the pieces down to the core (discard the seeded core); then place the julienned strips into a large bowl.

2. Gently stir in the tomatoes and garlic, then stir in the sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, tossing to evenly coat. Taste the slaw and adjust the flavor and seasoning as desired, then stir in the basil. The slaw can be made up to this point up to 3 hours in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. This makes about 7 cups slaw.

3. Just before serving, stir in the pine nuts. Serve the slaw with a few shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each portion.

Each of 8 servings: 112 calories; 3 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 159 mg. sodium.