Hot Pink Coconut Slaw

March 2023. Spring in Memphis, and I am 64, watching the azaleas and dogwoods bloom along my neighborhood walk, the annual resurrection that makes the winter worth surviving. The smoker wakes up in spring the way the whole city wakes up — slowly, with a stretch, then fully, with purpose.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 39 years of marriage. The BBQ class at the community center continues — students of all ages learning fire and smoke, and me learning that teaching is its own kind of cooking: you prepare, you present, you hope something sticks.

Baked beans on the smoker — navy beans soaked overnight, simmered with onion, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, and my BBQ sauce, then smoked uncovered at 250 for two hours. The hickory settles into the sauce and transforms ordinary beans into something that belongs at any table, any gathering, any moment when people need to be fed and comforted and reminded that simple food, made with patience, is the best food there is.

Another week in the book. Another seven days of tending fires — the one in the smoker, the one in the marriage, the one in the family, the one in the church. Each fire needs something different: wood, attention, food, faith. But the tending is the same for all of them: show up, add what's needed, wait patiently, trust the process. Low and slow. Always. Low and slow.

All that talk of hickory smoke and baked beans and tending fires — and what lands on the table beside all of it? Something bright. Something that reminds you the azaleas are blooming and the season has turned. This Hot Pink Coconut Slaw is exactly that kind of dish: it doesn’t ask for patience or a smoker or a long afternoon—it just shows up vivid and crunchy and ready, the way spring itself does, and it earns its place next to anything low and slow that just came off the pit.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 cups red cabbage, thinly shredded
1 cup green cabbage, thinly shredded
1 medium beet, peeled and grated (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
1/2 cup shredded carrots
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Toast the coconut. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the shredded coconut, stirring frequently, for 2—3 minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) until well combined.
Combine the slaw. In a large bowl, toss together the red cabbage, green cabbage, grated beet, carrots, green onions, and cilantro.
Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss thoroughly to coat. The beet will bleed its color into the cabbage, turning everything a vivid hot pink—that’s exactly what you want.
Finish with coconut. Fold in the toasted coconut just before serving so it stays crisp.
Rest and serve. Let the slaw sit for 5—10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve alongside smoked chicken, pulled pork, or baked beans straight off the smoker.

Nutrition (per serving)

Hot Pink Coconut Slaw — The Side Dish That Wakes Up Like a Memphis Spring