Simple Classic Coleslaw Recipe

Coleslaw is a traditional side with almost any Southern meal or BBQ. Make this simple and classic recipe at home to enjoy anytime.

Coleslaw is one of those foods that people seem to either love or hate. I’ve never heard someone say, “eh, coleslaw isn’t too bad” or, “I’ll eat coleslaw if I’m in the mood”. It’s either their favorite side to order, or it won’t be touched.

Before making this recipe, I was in the “won’t be touched” category. Vegetables are something I am still working on getting accustomed to eating all the time. The thought of coleslaw, which is almost all vegetables, just turned me away from it. And the only time I tried it in the past was a long time ago at a fast food place. I know, not the best first experience.

A couple of weeks ago I was working on a recipe that called for coleslaw. Since Justin and the boys do most of the grocery shopping, I asked him to pick up a bag of premade coleslaw. He came home without it because the store was completely out. I looked up some more information about coleslaw and decided we could try it on our own.

Fast forward to the next week, and we still hadn’t made the meal because of no coleslaw. I added the ingredients to make our own to the list, and we decided to give it a try.

I found this recipe online and based our homemade coleslaw on it with a few changes here and there. It was effortless to make, only taking about 10 minutes plus time for it to cool in the refrigerator before serving. And let me tell you, it made a LOT! I had to split it between two bowls because I had so much cabbage. It wouldn’t all fit in my regular mixing bowl.

We used the coleslaw for the recipe intended and also had it with our BBQ Burgers. We had so much, it was a side with every meal for the next couple of days. I tried it and actually liked it, which surprised even myself. The boys weren’t sold on it, but Justin and his parents and brother all said it was delicious.

The only feedback I received on the recipe was to make sure to cut the cabbage even thinner next time. Since I don’t usually eat coleslaw, I wasn’t sure how it should be cut. I used a regular knife, but may try to use my mandolin slicer next time to get a more uniform cut and be able to do it thinner without worrying about my fingers getting in the way!

Step by Step

To prepare the coleslaw, take both your green cabbage and red cabbage and slice them as thin as you can. You will also want to cut the slices at least in half so you don’t have really long pieces of cabbage in there. We bought a medium-sized cabbage (the store really only had one size) and the smallest red cabbage we could find.

Place all of the sliced cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Or, if it’s too much, split it in half into two bowls. Make sure that you divide it as evenly as possible since this also means you will have to divide the dressing between the two bowls. For the dressing, you can either mix it all together in a bowl first, then add it to the cabbage, or put all of the ingredients in the bowl and stir it up. I did the latter since I wanted to make sure the dressing was evenly split among the cabbage.

Once you add the dressing, whichever way you choose to do it, mix everything together to coat as much of the cabbage as possible.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate your coleslaw for at least 2-4 hours before serving it cold. The coleslaw should keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.

Recipe

Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a traditional side with almost any Southern meal or BBQ. Make this simple and classic recipe at home to enjoy anytime. 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Refrigeration 2 hours

Total Time 10 minutes

Course:

Side Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

cabbage

Servings: 16 cups

5 from 7 votes

Ingredients

• 1 green cabbage (medium)
• 1 red cabbage (small)

Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp celery seed

Recommended Equipment

• Chef Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Whisk – Wire

Instructions

• Thinly slice the green and red cabbage and put in a large mixing bowl
• In a small mixing bowl, combine all dressing ingredients
• Stir the dressing into the cabbage
• Mix thoroughly until the cabbage is coated
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving cold

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Nutrition Facts

Coleslaw

Amount Per Serving

Calories 80 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 86mg4%

Potassium 185mg5%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 455IU9%

Vitamin C 41mg50%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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