Description

A crisp, tangy, and creamy coleslaw recipe that stays crunchy for hours. Perfect as a side dish for summer BBQs, this easy-to-make slaw balances rich mayonnaise with apple cider vinegar and a secret touch of celery seed.

Ingredients

Scale

1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 lbs / 900g), shredded
2 medium carrots (about 150g), grated
½ medium red onion (about 75g), finely diced
1 stalk celery (about 30g), finely diced
½ cup (120g) full-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons (30ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon (15g) honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon celery seed
¾ teaspoon kosher salt (plus 1 tsp for salting cabbage)
½ teaspoon black pepper
Optional: ½ cup diced red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh dill, or 1 diced jalapeño

Instructions

Prep the cabbage: Remove outer leaves, cut head in half, remove core, and thinly slice or shred the cabbage into ¼-inch strips. Transfer to a large bowl.
Salt and drain: Sprinkle shredded cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt, toss, and let sit in a colander for 15-30 minutes to draw out moisture. Squeeze out excess liquid with your hands, rinse briefly if needed, and squeeze again.
Prep other veggies: While cabbage drains, grate carrots and dice red onion and celery. Add all vegetables to the bowl with the cabbage.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, celery seed, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
Combine and chill: Pour dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (preferably 2-4 hours) to allow flavors to meld. Stir before serving.

Notes

Salting and squeezing the cabbage is crucial for preventing a watery slaw. For extra flavor, lightly toast the celery seeds in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding to the dressing. This slaw tastes better after chilling overnight. Do not freeze, as the cabbage will become mushy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 180
Sugar: 8
Sodium: 320
Fat: 14
Saturated Fat: 2
Carbohydrates: 12
Fiber: 3
Protein: 2

Keywords: coleslaw, summer BBQ, side dish, creamy coleslaw, tangy dressing, make-ahead, gluten-free, picnic food