I’ll never forget the moment I realized just how much what we eat impacts the health of our heart. After years of working with people struggling with cardiovascular issues—and experiencing my own wake-up call with the loss of loved ones—it became clear to me that protecting the heart isn’t just about avoiding bad foods. We have to fill our plates with vibrant, nutrient-packed, heart-loving foods.

That’s why I created this Beautiful Brassica Slaw. It’s full of fiber, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats that keep blood sugar stable and nourish your body and protect your heart from the inside out. Plus, it’s crisp, creamy, and full of delicious flavors that will make you want to eat the rainbow every day!

If you’ve ever wondered how to eat for heart health without sacrificing flavor, this recipe is for you. Packed with cruciferous vegetables, omega-3s, and anti-inflammatory ingredients, this low glycemic slaw will keep your arteries happy, your blood sugar stable, and your taste buds dancing.

What Is Beautiful Brassica Slaw Made Of?

This dairy free, vegan, keto slaw is built on a colorful mix of cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and carrots, each bringing unique cardiovascular benefits. Tossed in a creamy tahini-hemp dressing infused with garlic, lemon, sea vegetables, and dill, this vegan dish is loaded with flavor and packed with essential heart-healthy nutrients.

Each whole food plant based ingredient plays a role in reducing oxidative stress, supporting blood flow, and maintaining balanced cholesterol levels.

How Do You Make Beautiful Brassica Slaw?

Making this gluten free, vegan, keto slaw is simple, fun, and perfect for meal prep. Start by shredding your vegetables—use a food processor with a slicing disc, a mandoline, or a trusty chef’s knife. Once everything is finely sliced, massage the slaw with a bit of lemon and salt to break down the fibers and make it softer and more pleasant to eat.

Next, blend up your tangy, creamy dressing with tahini, hemp seeds, lemon juice, garlic, sea vegetables, and fresh dill. Adjust the consistency with water and taste-test to get the perfect balance of flavors. 

Finally, toss the slaw with the dressing and use your hands to massage the flavors into every bite.

How Do You Customize This Recipe?

There are so many ways to make this slaw your own!  

• Adding cucumbers for extra hydration and crunch or red bell peppers for a burst of color.
• Swapping tahini for cashew butter, macadamia nut butter, or sunflower seed butter.
• Experimenting with different flavors—think garlic ranch, chipotle, curry, or Thai-inspired spices.
• Using it as a wrap filling with collard greens, nori sheets, or bok choy leaves.

This slaw can be enjoyed as a main dish, side salad, or even stuffed into Romaine lettuce wraps for a fresh, heart-supporting meal.

Try it in this Avocado Wrap or serve it along with this Mexican Red Pepper Soup to cool things down.

How Do These Ingredients Support Heart Health?

The cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, kohlrabi, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower help lower LDL cholesterol, reduce oxidative stress, and keep arteries clear. The omega-3 fatty acids from hemp seeds and tahini promote healthy blood vessel function, while the potassium and magnesium found in these vegetables helps maintain healthy blood pressure. The addition of sea vegetables like kelp and dulse provides iodine needed for thyroid function which is important in metabolism and heart regulation. 

Brassica vegetables

Brassica vegetables, also called cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and kohlrabi, are some of the most powerful foods for supporting cardiovascular health due to their rich content of sulfur-containing compounds like isothiocyanates, glucosinolates, and sulforaphane. These compounds help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol levels, and support the body’s natural detox systems. 

Sulforaphane has been shown to protect blood vessels from oxidative damage and inflammation. 

Isothiocyanates can inhibit thyroid function by reducing iodine uptake, but this only becomes a concern for those with iodine deficiencies. Since iodine plays an important role in thyroid hormone production, consuming iodine-rich foods such as kelp, dulse, and nori can help prevent potential imbalances.

Carrots

Carrots are a nutrient-dense vegetable known for their heart-protective properties. They are abundant in carotenoids—especially beta-carotene—which are potent antioxidants. Carrots also contain a range of polyphenols that can limit cholesterol absorption while reinforcing the body’s natural antioxidant defenses. Their soluble fiber, mainly pectin, binds cholesterol in the gut to promote its excretion helping in lipid regulation, and its potassium content supports vascular health by facilitating blood vessel relaxation and countering the hypertensive effects of sodium.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi, a lesser-known member of the Brassica family, is a heart-healthy vegetable with a unique nutrient profile. Purple kohlrabi, in particular, is rich in anthocyanins—compounds associated with lower blood pressure and enhanced vascular function. The glucosinolates and their breakdown products help reduce inflammation and slow the progression of arterial plaque buildup, with its potassium content contributing to effective blood pressure regulation and its fiber aiding in the stabilization of both blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a notable source of sulforaphane, protecting blood vessels from damage and reducing arterial plaque formation. Flavonoids, such as kaempferol, and compounds like indole-3-carbinol further regulate inflammatory pathways. Complementing these benefits, the dietary fiber in broccoli assists with cholesterol regulation, while vitamin K plays a critical role in preventing arterial calcification and maintaining vascular elasticity.

Cabbage

Cabbage, in its red variety, is rich in anthocyanins, which provide strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to help lower blood pressure and maintain arterial flexibility. Cabbage contains glucosinolate derivatives and polyphenols that protect against LDL oxidation, while naturally occurring phytosterols compete with dietary cholesterol for absorption. It is also high in potassium and fiber.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower shares many heart-protective attributes with its Brassica relatives. It is an excellent source of glucosinolates, whose derivative sulforaphane has been linked to reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. Unique among many vegetables, cauliflower also supplies choline—a nutrient essential for maintaining healthy cell membranes and preventing cholesterol buildup in the liver. Its vitamin K content supports arterial flexibility and proper blood clotting, and its dietary fiber aids in moderating cholesterol levels.

Kale

Kale is laden with flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol that help curb inflammation and protect against oxidative damage, while carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin assist in scavenging free radicals. In addition, kale provides glucosinolate derivatives that modulate inflammatory responses and a robust amount of vitamin K to support proper blood clotting and prevent arterial calcification. Even the modest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in kale contribute to its anti-inflammatory profile.

Tahini

Tahini, made from ground sesame seeds, is a rich source of heart-enhancing nutrients and phytochemicals. It contains high concentrations of lignans—namely sesamin and sesamolin—which have been associated with improved lipid profiles through the reduction of LDL cholesterol and a balancing of HDL levels. 

The phytosterols in tahini interfere with cholesterol absorption in the gut, while polyunsaturated fats help improve endothelial function. The presence of copper further contributes to antioxidant defense within the cardiovascular system.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are recognized for their exceptional balance of essential fatty acids, a near-optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Rich in gamma-linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid with potent anti-inflammatory effects, hemp seeds help regulate blood pressure. They also contain arginine, an amino acid that serves as a precursor to nitric oxide—a critical mediator of vascular dilation and improved circulation. 

Hemp seeds also contain various polyphenols and unique lignanamides that work synergistically to reduce oxidative stress and support overall cardiovascular function.

Garlic

Garlic has long been recognized for its heart-healthy benefits, which are primarily attributed to its sulfur-containing compounds. When crushed or chopped, garlic produces allicin, a molecule that enhances nitric oxide production, leading to improved vasodilation and circulation. Along with allicin, other constituents such as ajoene and S-allyl cysteine help lower LDL cholesterol, inhibit platelet aggregation, and add antioxidant protection, collectively contributing to blood pressure regulation and a reduced risk of atherosclerosis.

Sea Vegetables

Sea vegetables like kelp and dulse introduce a unique spectrum of bioactive compounds. Kelp contains fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide with anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as fucoxanthin, a carotenoid that helps lower cholesterol and mitigate oxidative stress. 

Dulse offers beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and peptides with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity, which can help lower blood pressure. Both sea vegetables are rich in potassium, essential for maintaining proper vascular tone and regulating blood pressure.

Each of these foods contributes to cardiovascular health through a combination of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, fiber, and essential nutrients. Their synergistic effects on vascular function, lipid metabolism, and blood pressure regulation offer a scientifically robust approach to supporting the heart.

Every ingredient in this gluten free, low glycemic, vegan recipe is packed with nutrients that support the heart, balance blood sugar, and nourish your microbiome, all while keeping inflammation in check. 

Plus, it comes together quickly, so you can enjoy a delicious, nutrient-dense meal without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s a perfect mix of flavor and function—because eating well should feel good, taste amazing, and work for your body, not against it. So go ahead, whip this up, and give your body some real, deep nourishment!

Where Can You Find More Heart-Healthy Recipes Like This?

For more nutrient-packed, heart-loving recipes, check out The Healing Kitchen Show, available exclusively in the Empowered Self Care Lab! This recipe is featured in Episode: Beautiful Brassicas – Heart-Boosting and Healing Recipes with Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo. Inside the lab, you'll find a wealth of delicious, science-backed recipes, and expert tips designed to help you support cardiovascular health, balance cholesterol, and optimize blood circulation.

Join the Empowered Self Care Lab today and start making heart-supporting, healing foods a part of your everyday life!