Vinegar-Based Coleslaw Recipe
Published June 14, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Try this amazingly delicious and easy-to-make side dish for a Vinegar Based Coleslaw recipe at your next barbecue or backyard get-together. You will love how delicious and refreshing this coleslaw is.
If you’re looking for a ridiculously easy recipe for slaw, look no further than this one. Vinegar coleslaw has been all the craze in the BBQ world in the last few years. This tangy vegetable slaw is perfect when eaten or served by itself or alongside my Grilled BBQ Chicken.
Vinegar Coleslaw
Vinegar coleslaw is a simple recipe consisting of a sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing tossed with shredded cabbage and other vegetables served as a side dish or on top of Barbecue-style sandwiches.
This is an excellent option if you want to eliminate any additional fats since this recipe does not use any mayonnaise as a creamy coleslaw recipe would. The pre-made store-bought version is loaded up with sugar and fat. However, this sweet and tangy homemade version is dairy-free and packed with fresh hand-cut vegetables that are low in calories.
What Kind of Vegetables Can I Use?
In a standard slaw, the most common vegetables are green cabbage and onions. Here is what I like to put into my recipe as it will add more flavor:
- Green Cabbage
- Red Cabbage
- Red Onion
- Carrots
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
However, you could add these ingredients:
- Sliced red, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- Sliced spicy peppers, like jalapeños
- Thinly sliced kale or jicama.
Slicing the Vegetables
There are few ingredients in this recipe, along with the sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing, and it all starts with slicing the vegetables.
If you do not have a mandolin, it’s OK to slice things using a chef’s knife. My rule of thumb for using a mandolin is when you start to get nervous, you might cut yourself; stop.
Slice the green cabbage in half and remove the core. Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin, or use a sharp chef knife.
Next, Slice the red cabbage in half and remove the core using a knife. Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin, or use a sharp chef knife.
Next, peel the carrots and thinly slice them on a mandolin using the shredded blade attachment.
Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing
Making the coleslaw dressing recipe is very easy. A traditional vinaigrette is three parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Well, to maximize flavor, we have to bring down that oil count to 2 or even equal to 1 to the vinegar, which will make the coleslaw much more flavorful.
- Add the vinegar, mustard, and sugar to a bowl.
- Whisk while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until emulsified, and then finish with celery seed, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Vinegar Coleslaw
- Add the vegetables to a large bowl.
- Season with celery seed, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in the dressing.
- Toss using some tongs and serve.
Making-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: If you make this vinegar coleslaw ahead of time and slice the vegetables super thin, it may not be perfect when you go to serve it several hours later or the next day. If you plan on making it ahead of time, I recommend combining the vegetables and keeping the dressing separate until you are ready to serve.
How to Store: It is best to store this vinegar coleslaw recipe undressed and unseasoned, covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It can stay in the refrigerator undressed and unseasoned for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, pour the vinaigrette over top, season with salt and pepper, toss and serve.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Also, if you want to make it ahead of time, don’t plan on seasoning it to the end because if you salt the vegetable, it will wilt super quickly.
- Now know that when you shave vegetables super thin like I did in this recipe and apply an acid to them, like vinegar, it’s going to break down faster and become wilted or, to put it simply, soggy.
- You can substitute honey or agave for sugar in this recipe.
- To save some time, If you don’t want to slice the cabbages and carrots yourself, I suggest buying the pre-made coleslaw mix. It will work just as well.
Serve It with These BBQ Recipes
- Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder
- Smoked Chicken BBQ
- Vinegar BBQ Sauce
- Potato Salad
- Salmon Burgers
- Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs
Video
Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 thinly sliced head of green cabbage
- 1 cup of thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 whole shredded carrots
- 3 thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey or 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of celery seed
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, and olive oil and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together cabbages, carrots, green onions, and celery seeds.
- Next, pour a small amount of the dressing onto the cabbage mixture and mix until combined and until the desired amount of dressing is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper, and chill before serving.
I love this cole slaw recipe. Easy and flavorful. I have made it a few times, first without the celery seed. I have to say, you don’t have to have it, but it brings it up to another level. This will be my go to cole slaw recipe for now on.
So good!
How many servings does this make? ty
12 servings
I have a mustard allergy. Any suggestions for what I could replace it with please.
little horseradish maybe?
I have guests that don’t like cilantro. If I leave it out do I need to change anything?
nope
Best coleslaw I ever had, everyone loves it! It is definitely a keeper!
Delicious and I put it all together with dressing and served with Sword fish and rice. Added a bit of cilantro too and liked the hint of flavor. Definitely will make again.
I have been looking for a non-mayo coleslaw for quite awhile now – I made this for my barbecue party yesterday and I loved it. It was perfect. I used a 16 oz. bag of coleslaw. About 1/3 or 1/4 of a med head of red cabbage and about 2 1/2 carrots. I made the dressing exactly as written and used it all on the salad. Really loved this recipe. I will definitely make it again.
My new go to slaw! Perfect.
Hi there
I don’t have celery seed, what else can o use?
Thanks
skip it
Love this recipe. Secobd time omitted oil. Used 2 tbs. Mayo and crabcerry vinegar. Omitted sugar adden chuoped apple and dried cranberries. I also ommited salt. It lasts 3 days.
Thanks!
That’s a totally different recipe. Why even post?
Great change from mayo based slaw
yes indeed!
Thank you ChiefBilly 😋😋🤩yum
my pleasure!
👏👋😋😁yum oh thank you so ChiefBilly fabulous …loved recipes 🎶✔️
I have a whole head of red cabbage? Can I use this instead of both cabbages?
sure
Great salad I enjoyed
Perfect summer BBQ side dish❣️
Made this last night. It turned out wonderful. Made it exactly as the recipe called. I absolutely love the cilantro, it gives it a really fresh taste. Because it only requires half of the cabbage I used the other half of the cabbage to try Chef’s other Cabbage recipe Creamy coleslaw. Perfect for a summer dish. Both are amazing.
excellent!
Cilantro?? I don’t see it in the recipe.
There is no cilantro in this recipe
I’ve been looking for a balanced vinegar based dressing. Thanks, Chef!
My pleasure.
I just finished making coke slaw for our fish dinner tonight when I came across your recipe. Yours is very similar to mine. I must add finely chopped green pepper and even a pit of jalapeño if I’m feeling adventurous. Also I find white wine vinegar makes a tastier slaw without the harsh bite of cider vinegar. Both are great though.
I enjoy all of your recipes!
excellent!
Perfect for pulled pork topping.
Thanks Chef, I’ll be using this at my restaurant.
so good!!
I make a version of this and put it on sauerkraut ,marinate 1 to 3 days you wont believe how good it is and Ferminated sauerkraut have so many benifits even for insulin resistant people
I love this vinnegrette – I usually make a creamy one but had a taste for a vinnegrette – beautiful, Thankyou
My pleasure!
Thank you! I have been looking for a coleslaw recipe that didn’t use mayonnaise. This is similar to the coleslaw that was at a long-closed restaurant. The only thing that was missing was chopped dill pickles.
It’s what’s for dinner. Thank you again.
Did this recipe change? Several people mentioned loving the cilantro but it’s not in the recipe.
A slight tweak to it yes. There was originally 2 to 3 tablespoons of chiffonade cilantro leaves. I took it out.
Delicious with a brat/mustard and a homemade bun…thx
so good!!
I have been looking for a go to vinegar coleslaw dressing for years. This one was perfect. The only grainy mustard I had in the house was a small gourmet of a red wine & garlic grainy mustard. It would very well.
Thank you so muchfor posting this recipe.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Absolutely delicious and simple to make!
yes!
This is my go to recipe for slaw as I’m not a fan of mayo type salads.
Love it!
This coleslaw tastes so fresh and delicious! The honey and apple cider vinegar dressing is very flavorful and complements all the flavors of all veggies. Not heavy like the mayo coleslaws. I’ve made this for my family and potlucks. A big hit every time!
Perfectly seasoned! Thank you also for tip regarding storing dressing separately.
Made this recipe today and I eye balled the measurements. Instead of grainy mustard though I used Vietnamese chili garlic sauce for more of the kimchi flavor. I also added very thinly sliced jalapeño for an extra kick. Turned out awesome!
Great easy recipe. I added red and yellow peppers to a bag of broccoli slaw veggies and it was the perfect complement to my BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. Thank you!
I am making this today and am using a 12 oz bag of broccoli slaw. Was yours a 12 oz bag? If so, did you follow the exact measurements – I am referring to the vinegar, honey, mustard and olive oil in the above recipe?
Thank you for any future reply/advice.
I did not use bagged slaw, I sliced fresh vegetables myself.
Loved this recipe. As a matter of fact I love all your recipes. watching your videos is so informative
Excellent!
This recipe was very easy as well as vert tasty. I ran out of the mustard and used dry mustard powder and it worked. Will make this again.
Great recipe! I didn’t have any mustard so used Worcestershire sauce and it still was really tasty. Thank you!
First time making a vinegar dressed coleslaw. I made this 2 1/2 days ago and I did mix together the dressing and veggies right from the start. Came out fantastic. It’s just my husband and I so it took us 5 meals to finish it. It was excellent from start to finish! Thank you Chef Billy for a great recipe and you converted me from mayo-based coleslaw!
Another one of your amazing recipes we will make again and again!
I just ordered the mandolin to make it easier next time I make it.
Can’t wait to try it on company.
Thank you again!
Interested in your mandoline slice. It looked like you move the blade using a knob. Where can I purchase one.
https://amzn.to/2ThbyEi
Hi! This recipe turned out great for me Billy, so thanks for sharing! I guessed on the green cabbage amount, but can you clarify? I thought it was a quarter of a head like with red/purple but it’s listed as 1/2 of something…
Thanks for your help!
Sabrina
Soooooo good! Served it with brisket, roasted sweet potatoes, cast iron cornbread and blueberry cobbler. My family and friends love your recipes! Thank you for your step by step instructions!
Really good and easy recipe. Thank you! I added red pepper and jalapeno and omitted red onion. Served with roasted pork butt and quick cucumber pickles.
I had a request for cabbage salad which I recalled my mom made with oil, vinegar, and celery seed. Your recipe did not disappoint, however I used sweet yellow onion (preference), rice wine vinegar (my go to), and more sugar (just a memory thing). The mustard is a must while I don’t think she used. Also, your Notes are an important addendum for prepping and storage. Lastly, dress sparingly to start as the dressing has great flavor that goes a long way. A simple recipe with a great return on flavor.
I halved the dressing recipe based on how much cabbage I had on hand… I dressed and let it sit for about an hour and a half. It was fantastic! The flavor was excellent. This will be my new go to slaw recipe!
Made this tonight to put on pulled bbq pork sandwiches. Perfect!!!
Like your way of teaching . Very simple to understand and follow. Will suggest to open a culinary school or master class .
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
you’re too kind thank you.
So simple, fresh and flavourful. Will definitely make this again.
Love simplicity, freshness and crunch of this slaw.
I made this as a side to go with a roasted whole pig and it was a huge hit! Perfectly crunchy and just the right amount of acid.
Exactly what I was looking for. Great recipe!
Can you tell me how much dressing I would need to make a 5lb bag of shredded cabbage?
I don’t really know without doing it myself, at least 3/4 cup.
Don’t have time to prep veggies so using pre cuts slaw mix..it’s 32ounces. Would that be 1 1/2 of you recipe?
roughly
I was getting so tired of mayo based dressing for Cole slaw! This was a great alternative!! Really good recipe, just the right amount of sweet and sour.
Awesome, thanks for trying it.
Delicious. Thank you
I made it last night and it was a keeper for sure! I’d describe it as a light coleslaw!
awesome!!
First time making slaw. It was great!
How much is one serving in weight?
great question, I never served in weight, buy by volume just a hair over 1/2 cup.
Half cup is iperfect
made this, really enjoyed this vinegar sauce!
Courtney O’Dell – How completely random Robert and I are trying this coleslaw tonight. Small world 😊😋
Wonderful light delicious! A perfect summer side!
awesome!
This was a fantastic quick throw together this evening! Light and summery! Definitely a keeper of a recipe!
It was exactly what I wanted. Instead of celery seeds I used hemp hearts, cause that’s what I had on hand. And I only used red cabbage. Having a mandolin would have made my life easier but it tasted good and that’s all that matters!
Excellent recipe, added a few red pepper flakes and delicious. Kept slaw separate from dressing before serving and we ate it for several days. A real keeper
Very good and very colourful. I added roasted salted sunflower seeds just before serving. Hosting a wedding BBQ for 30. Your wonderful recipe will definitely be on the menu.
YUM!! So glad it worked out for you!
So yummy! I did cheat and used the bagged prechopped coleslaw (red and green cabbage and carrots) I used two bags and doubled the rest of the ingredients by following the recipe SOOOOO GOOD! My daughter who is allergic to dairy and my daughter who doesn’t eat eggs were both so happy to have a delicious coleslaw they didn’t have to worry about. Thank you.
LOVE this! Thanks for trying.
Loved it! Now it is a staple for all of my bbq’s going forward!!
We are having a party for about 80 people and will be serving pulled pork sandwiches. This looks like the perfect coleslaw recipe (no mayonnaise to spoil!). How far in advance can you make this and how long will it keep? Thanks!
you can make it a day in advance but do not toss it in the dressing or season it with salt and pepper until 20-30 minutes before serving it.
Great recipe–was looking for one with less sugar than the one I used to make and this one is a keeper. WIll try adding some minced bell pepper and maybe sub vidalia onion next time for added sweetness, but love it as written too.
Now I just need my husband to pull the pork butt off the smoker and dinner will be ready!
This was absolutely perfect!! And I love cooking and trying out new recipes. This was most definitely by far the best oil and vinegar slaw I have ever tasted. I only subbed one ingredient-stevia instead of honey and I don’t think I missed a thing, delicious!!
Exactly what I was looking for! Having a BBQ where half coming eat meat and the other half are vegetarians/vegans. This will go great with the pork BBQ sandwiches and the other sides that are for everyone. Thank you!
Could you use stevia instead of sugar ? Can’t wait to try it based on the great reviews ‘
you could try, I just can’t guarantee what it will taste like or recommend an amount for you.
I liked this recipe. I used a whole grain spicy brown mustard and added some finely sliced ginger for an extra bite. What is the protein content of this? or is there truly none for your recipe?
Man that sounds good! There actually may be none…
To add a little extra to my comment: I used Grey Poupon Country Grain Mustard. It has a sharper bite then the whole seeded GP mustard. I followed the recipe exactly. But added another teaspoon of sugar after the finish. My 3 spring onions were on the very skinny side. I think less onion was a good thing for us. This coleslaw is going on some bbq pork sandwiches. No offense to creamy coleslaw people because it is a good thing too, this is just a different take on coleslaw. We have food allergies, so eggs and mayo are out. (However, creamy can be done with adding beloved apple cider vinegar to sour cream, let it sit, and then make regular creamy coleslaw: for the diehard allergic creamy coleslaw lover.)
Thank you for the sour cream tip!
Vinegary, mustardy yum. I needed to add a touch more sugar to satisfy my kids but fantastic.
Very excellent. Goes great with crab cakes!s
awesome!
Now you have this Maryland girl’s mouth watering!
very good, I don’t like Green Onion, so I didn’t put that in.
No problem, glad it worked!!
If you leave out the green onion and mustard, and swap white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar, and swap vegetable oil for the olive oil, but everything else the same, I am pretty much 99% dead certain this is the recipe for a slaw that is sold in 100s of locations of a chain BBQ joint called Bill MIller’s BBQ that is HQ’d in San Antonio Texas.
This richer version is interesting, but I have been looking for a copy cat recipe of the Bill Miller’s BBQ chain’s slaw for a while now that I have an adjustable pro mandolin….and I think I’ll find a match for theirs first….and then try this one as well.
Now…how to adapt this into an asian slaw….hmmmmm…..rice wine vinegar and sesame oil for the apple cider vinegar and olive oil….try it with and without the mustard….maybe a tny bit of chinese mustard….and a little red chile flake…..okay…that’s next.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for checking it out!
I found a slaw simular to this recipe at a local barbque place and love it. This one sounds like one I have to try.
What exactly is grainy mustard or what do you recommend?
just whole grain mustard.
To begin with, creamy coleslaw is gross.
This coleslaw is so stinkin good. Crunchy, fresh, and pretty. What were we all ever doing wo apple cider vinegar?
Thank You!!!
awesome Tonya, so glad you liked it!
Salt the shredded cabbage until it sheds some water than rinse it in a colander and it won’t go soggy.
This is delicious and not too sweet. I’ve made exactly as written and with shredded chicken and sliced almonds for a main course. Everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing.
So glad it worked out for you!
It’s Thanksgiving day and just my husband and I so we decided to do a fish fry and shrimp fry instead of the traditional turkey day dinner. This was a great addition to our fresh steamed veggie sides and roasted potatoes.
I love this recipe but would like to know what mandoline are you using?
Thanks for the great recipe, easy, adaptable and lots of health you ingredients.
Thanks so much and so happy this worked out for you. It’s an oxo, and I think this is the one –>> https://amzn.to/2KpcdLl
This is exactly what I was looking for, Billy! Thank you! Question…I was thinking of adding apples to this and am wondering if a honey mustard might work. Any thoughts? Thanks!
I think both could totally work and would make it a really cool fall style coleslaw!
Want to make this for a family get-together, but one family member is allergic to mustard. Any suggestions?
It’d be ok if you don’t use it. It’s really used to help emulsify the vinaigrette, you’ll be ok with out it.
What is grainy mustard?
Same as whole grain.
Just threw this together in about 5 minutes. If you use pre-shredded cabbage, it’s lightning quick. Don’t buy coleslaw at the store anymore…this is simple, uses ingredients most of us have on hand and tastes fantastic and fresh. Any ingredient can be altered to taste, too.
So easy and so good! Didn’t change a thing in your recipe. I used honey rather than the white sugar! Went amazing with the ribs I made for dinner! Thank you!
This looks so similar to the coleslaw my dad always made when I was growing up. He always kept the veggies super simple though, green (and occasionally some red) cabbage, carrots and green onions.
My husband’s family are all very much ‘creamy coleslaw’ people, and I’ve been craving this kind of tangy slaw, but most recipes I’ve found have a very similar ingredient list, but with 1/3 cup of sugar! That’s sure not how dad made it!!!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I’m very much looking forward to it!
Super excited to try this recipe! If I go the lazy route how much pre bagged coleslaw mix do I need?
At least 1 bag, probably another 1/2 as well.
I love this dressing! It was light and not too sweet as most coleslaw dressings tend to be. I actually only used 1/2 tsp. of sugar but added an apple (sliced into match sticks) and some orange slices. it was light and fruity tasting, a hit with my family.
This recipe rocks Chef!
I love that it goes with my low fat lifestyle.
I added some small capers for interest and red pepper as well as celery and red and green cabbage. Fantastic! Taking it to the upcoming Labor Day pot luck lunch – new batch, because this one will be gone by then! Thank you Chef!
I am wondering about how many serving you can expect from this recipe as written?
serves 6-8 medium size portions.
Chef Billy. This was so good. Thank you. I added I tablespoon of low fat mayo. Made it a little creamier . Great low fat alternative for my slaw.
thanks buddy, glad it worked out for you!
Love this recipe!! Made it for a wedding rehearsal dinner tonight. Did 3x the recipe. Delicious! I expect it to be a hit.
Great, Thanks Pam!
I thought this recipe was excellent. I served it on top of turkey burgers (with grilled onions with bbq sauce) with pretzel buns. Then I ate it as a side dish as well. It was really good. I didn’t have celery seed. So I used a teaspoon of celery salt. I really enjoyed it (considering it was low fat / without mayo). I’ll definitely serve this up again.
WowWowWoweeee! This is delicious! I made this with some good ole’ sloppy/saucey pulled pork. I was looking for a vinegar based coleslaw recipe that could stand out on its own. I thought it would be too tangy with my homemade BBQ sauce – I’m writing this review to announce it was the opposite of that, it was a success! I followed the recipe all except for the celery seed 🙁 I had none and didn’t want to change from my sweat pants for it.
Regarding the amount of sugar, in the text it indicates 1 tablespoon but in the recipe it indicates either 1 tablespoon of honey or 1 teaspoon of sugar. So if I use sugar would I use a tablespoon or teaspoon?
Tks.
1 teaspoon
GREAT Slaw!! I added a handful of organic sunflower and pumpkin seeds to mine!! ROCKS!!
Love this recipe! The first time I made it, I used it as a topping for baja fish tacos, and it ’twas a heavenly pair. (Tasted amazing with a sriracha mayo drizzle.) Then, I stupidly forgot to flag the recipe and it took me forever to find it again.. but, happily, I did! I just made it again to go with grilled beer brats at a family BBQ and it was a big ol’ hit. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
My husband and I love this receipt and it’s the only way I make coleslaw.
We use the slaw to make Reuben Sandwiches instead of sauerkraut to reduce our salt intake. Great receipt!
Roswitha
Hi, how long can I store this in the fridge when made? I read that vinaigrette can be set aside in one of your comments, but I thought apple cider vinegar can allow food to be stored longer than just two days, such as in the case of sauerkraut or dill pickled with it? Thanks.
The vinegar will break down the cabbage and turn it into sauerkraut, so if you want firm crispy veggies then keep the vinegar and salt separate.
A cook at my dads restaurant, when I was a kid, put tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery in the cole slaw! It was amazing!! I liked it as a kid!
Can I have a calorie count for this?
just put the ingredients into a calorie counter.
I made this to go with sloppy joes and it was yum! AND I accidentally forgot to add the honey/sugar to the dressing while also mixing the celery seed right into the dressing because I wasn’t paying attention lol. But still really delicious! Looking forward to making a second batch later this week and trying the dressing with some honey.
Hi Billy! How much cilantro do you use? Sliced super thin as well?
I like a lot of cilantro so I use up to 2 tbl thinly sliced, but if you want you can back off a bit. Start with a little bit, try it and add more if you’d like 🙂
I used savoy cabbage. This is a great recipe.
Love savoy, great choice!
Delicious, light and refreshing. Taste great even without onion and celery seed. Used maple syrup instead of honey and lemon pepper instead of pepper.
So glad it turned out well for you 🙂
I make one very close to this. I add cilantro and a squirt, or two ( depending on the kick you want) of Siracha! So good on fish tacos.
I am going to serve this with thanksgiving dinner. I am adding dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
Love it. Growing up in the south, I get tired of mayo based, sweet coleslaw. I love vinegar and this hit the spot. I had no dry mustard so I used a tablespoon of deli mustard. It was even better the next day. Making it again tonight!
Awesome, thanks for sharing Calvin!
Loved this slaw recipe. I was looking for an alternative to mayo and/or dairy in coleslaw. I pretty much made as written except I made it with only red cabbage since I tend to have that in the house more. It is my go to recipe.
So awesome to hear Cathy, and so glad it is working for you!
I love this delicious slaw! Just what I needed to lighten up on calories! Thank you for sharing Chef!
My pleasure, glad it is working out for you 🙂
Love this recipe and use it all the time – thank you! 🙂
so glad you are digging it!!!
Hey super recipe! My brother is such a good chef and has a similar slaw that my whole family enjoyed. I adjusted the recipe as suggested and boiled the ingredients as others had suggested before applying to slaw. All that can be said is that I now have the families attention on slaw. Thanks for the recipe man!!
My pleasure brotha, glad it worked out so well for you!
How many servings is this recipe for?
Depends on what you are trying to do with it. Serve as a side or put on top of BBQ Pork?
Can you use stevia instead of sugar? Mother-in-law on very restrictive diet. No sugar or honey.
sure you could, would just have to adjust the amount for flavor.
If you bought the pre-made coleslaw how much would you need to equal a half head of cabbage and a cup of red cabbage?
I’d say it’s pretty close to 1 bag.
Great recipe! I added thin strips of red onions, Italian parsley, and used brown and white sugar instead of honey. Mmmmmmm-mmmmm good. Thank you for the recipe.
Really good salad and good for the body too, I sometimes like to use red sikori/endivie salad instead of the red cabbage – because of the slightly bitter taste – as Ray commented; – also in scandinavia we heat all ingredients in the dressing and pour over the coleslaw, and the salad can be keept in refrigirator for weeks (called 3-weeks salad) – heat/boil the vinegar/oil/sugar or honey/mustard seeds or grainy mustard/minced garlic/salt-pepper and adding herbs after taste. It’s almost a “pickling salad”- refrigirator-salad? Mustard Seeds are really tasty in a coleslaw, I like to dry-roast them before adding rest of ingredients, better texture and more taste..
Your salad is a keeper and thanks!
Wonderful recipe. Very similar to one my southern grandmother used to make. I always heat the vinegar mixture and use dry mustard powder as she did. Pouring the hot vinegar over the cabbage really intensifies the flavors. I leave in the refrigerator for two or three hours before serving and toss several times while in the refrigerator.
delish – even before sitting in the frig! used organic veggies, unfiltered organic ACV and raw organic honey – determined to be cancer free!
can’t wait for dinner!
awesome!
hi, what is the serving size for this recipe?
Hi I used to make a coleslaw similar to this with the grainy mustard people loved it for a change of pace. My question is can you substitute celery instead of the celery seeds?
I suppose you could, but I’m guessing you should shave it pretty thing.
I added 2 test of blue cheese and it was good.
Made this today, it’s in the fridge now, mellowing. Will use it tonight for burgers, fries and slaw…
Hello. I made this recipe for fish tacos this evening…my family LOVED it. I usually don’t write review or whatever but as you can see from my last name..somehow or another we are related. I am glad you shared of photo of you…it is so weird to look at something that I don’t know and see so much familiarity in a face, and gestures. Just weird. My great grandfather came over from italy with some brother that he lost complete contact with…for reasons I am unsure of. i wonder if one of those brothers is your grandfather or grandfather great….weird. Anyway..great recipe and great connection.
This turned out perfect, although I used sesame instead of celery seeds. Thank you!
awesome Christina!
Does the apple turn brown once you put it in the salad? When is the best time to put the apple in the salad. How long should it chill for before you serve it?
Toss the apple in a little bit of lemon juice before sticking it in the coleslaw. That should help from browning.
Made this twice now… amazing. Varying the recipe each time tooth other veggies/fruits/ratios. I also used balsamic vinegar instead. I love a kick with my dinner.
Prefect, will be making for all my outings! (Since it holds up a little better without mayo in it)
I served this coleslaw with fish & chips last night. It was absolutely divine and is now in my recipe folder as the ONLY dressing I will use for coleslaw from here on. I’ve never cared much for coleslaw made with mayo, but have had a hard time finding a vinegar-based dressing I liked. I just found it! Thanks, Chef Billy.
Glad you liked it, thanks for the support!
Absolutely outstanding! Subsituted dijon for grainy, added a granny smith apple as others had recommended, and also added a tsp of sugar just for fun. Wonderful- better than the mayonaisse version!
Substituted soya for olive oil, and several pinches of celery salt as had no seed, plus added diced red delicious apple and two teaspoons poppy seed, Came out well, yet next time will add more onion, parsley, and ginger root.
Made this last night for a crew of 16…few variations: only had red cabbage, used actual celery instead of celery seed, used dijon instead of grainy, and added some granny smith apple. It was a hit- so perfectly balanced- we loved it! thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Awesome variations! Glad it worked out.
Can you use creamy dijon, or deli mustard instead? I have them in the house. Just wondering if it would be ok as a substitute.
That should be fine. Try a little and check the taste before you add more!
I caved and bought the grainy mustard. I’ll let you know!
Thank you! Will be making it for our Family reunion. 🙂
How many servings? Thanks!
It will serve 6 – 8 comfortably.
what do you mean by ‘grainy mustard’?
It is in the mustard aisle and has not yet been ground. See: http://www.curiosityshoptea.com/store/product/17147/Maille-Mustard%3A-Grainy-Dijon/
How long will this slaw keep in the fridge?
To keep it longer simply keep the vinaigrette separate, however if it is tossed together you are looking at a max of 2 days. Past that it really just gets to soggy.
I added a golden delicious apple to this and it balanced it out very nicely. Lovely dressing.
I always taste items before serving, I added a tablespoon of sugar. It was just a bit to tart for me. But it sure was yummy!
Way too much celery seed, dude!
Then you should definitely scale back on it :-). Remember that my school of philosophy is that recipes should be used as a guide, and the person making it should add or scale back ingredients as they see fit.
I believe what you mean is it’s too much for your particular taste. Easy enough to adjust it to your taste next time you make it. As Chef Bill said, recipes should be used as guides & then tweaked to your taste.
I love this coleslaw. My wife didn’t have any red cabbage on hand so she substituted a little bit of thinly sliced green pepper. This slaw tastes even better if you let it marinate in the fridge for several days before eating.
1.5 tsp is very little as far as the ratio of everything else.